Be brave and ride the waves
Saying ‘I Do’ in a surf-resort in Portugal
Creating a dream wedding is much like marriage itself. It takes a lot of trust and courage to ask and listen to what the other party really wants, to what lives inside their heart. In this case, our happy couple needed the courage to go after their unspoken dream of having a wedding abroad. As a result, I also had to trust myself and the team to be able to convince the couple to go after their dream together. The story of Karolien and Sven’s wedding is everything Surfweddings stands for: “Celebrating life, love, family, and friends.”
It all began on a rainy November day. I met Karolien and Sven for the first time. They had already started planning a wedding in Belgium and wanted Surf weddings to help them with the creative and organizational side. At Surf weddings we believe that catching dreams starts with asking questions, really listening to the answers all while enjoying a nice glass of wine.
It was during this conversation that I learned that Karolien and Sven loved adventure and that they’ve both worked in several different places around the world. Naturally, their dream of marrying abroad came up. A dream they had buried a long time ago out of fear that it would be impossible to plan. On my way home it was clear to me that if I really wanted to make their dream wedding a reality, it would have to be abroad. I’m not going to lie, as a beginning wedding planner it made me insecure, could I really pull this off? Luckily my excitement overshadowed the fear and we made it happen.
A wedding festival
As a theme, Karolien and Sven wanted a “festival wedding”, where everyone could be themselves. Simple and small-scale with the focus being on having a good time with friends and family. As for the location, it had to be a sunny place filled with activities to do before and after the wedding. A place that’s always on chill mode and where great food is on the menu.
During my quest, a friend of mine introduced me to the Eco-surf resort ‘Bukubaki’ in Peniche, Portugal and everything fell into place. It was exactly what I had been looking for, an eco-friendly resort with luxurious tents and treehouses near a beach with legendary waves.
Let’s go surfing
Three weeks later the time had come for me to introduce the location to Karolien and Sven. It was amazing for me to hear that my gut feeling had been right from the start. Their hidden dream was brought to the surface, ready to come to life. Their eyes lit up when they saw it and on top of everything they just now shared with me that they both love to surf. A week later I got their permission to make this wedding happen.
Drowning the waves
8 intense months. Preparations, flights, packages, 4-day programs filled with activities,... it was a lot, and honestly, there were times where I felt like I was drowning a little bit. After all, I had only been in the business of wedding planning for half a year at this point and it was my first destination wedding ever. But it all led me to this point. This time it was my turn to dare to live my dream and take the next step with Surfweddings: Cherishing real-life moments in surreal settings.
Coming down the steps of a tree house
Location: check, daring to dream: check, the only thing left was the theme. The festival wedding. To make the festival experience come to life from start to finish the wedding needed an original name and invitations: #Bestkeptwedding brought everything together.
Beach parties, yoga mornings, walks on the beach, or simply enjoying the sun made this wedding much more than just a ceremony.
They said their I do’s amongst friends and family in a setting that had everything they loved. Everything about their wedding felt magical. Like when Karolien came down the stairs of her treehouse and none of us were left untouched; when Sven’s mother could still be part of their moment virtually, while she was sick at home or when they made their vows to one another bringing past, present and future together. Every moment was filled with love.
As a wedding planner, you’re busy keeping an eye on everything and preparing for what’s to come, but in these moments time stands still
Bestkeptfriends
The #bestkeptwedding will forever be the origin story of Surfweddings. Every part of the event was created with everything Surfweddings stands for. All ingrediënts and catering were locally sourced and our decorative materials were made for reuse. But the best part of it all was the memories and relationships that were created in just 4 days. A WhatsApp group called ‘Bestkeptfriends’ was created, filled with people who barely knew each other before the wedding, but now had a shared memory of these amazing moments.
It takes courage to listen to what someone really wants and to go for it fully. But it is always worth it.
Karolien & Sven - Behind the scenes
Pictures: Stories by light
Location : Bukubaki Eco Resort
Organization & Styling : Team Surf weddings
Flowers : Team Surf weddings
Catering : Bukubaki Eco Resort
