Nicole and Patrick travelled from the UK to Portugal to celebrate their wedding surrounded by friends and family, bringing together their Portuguese roots and the people who are part of their life today.
Their wedding at Casa de Sezim was relaxed, beautifully considered and, most importantly, completely their own.
A WEDDING THAT FELT LIKE THEM
Nicole and Patrick are one of those couples who made photographing their wedding feel incredibly natural.
Living in the UK but with Portuguese roots, they brought together friends from England and family from Portugal for a celebration that felt less like following a traditional wedding script and much more like spending a beautiful day with the people they love.
There was no pressure to make everything perfectly formal. They wanted to enjoy themselves, be together and let the day unfold naturally.
And that is exactly what happened.
GETTING READY AT CASA DE SEZIM
The preparations at Casa de Sezim were some of my favourite moments of the day.
The interiors, the light and the atmosphere of the house created an incredible setting for photographs, but what made these moments special was how relaxed everything felt.
Nothing needed to be forced. I could simply observe, move around and let the moments happen.
A CEREMONY AT SANTUÁRIO DO SAMEIRO EM BRAGA
From Casa de Sezim, we travelled to Braga for the ceremony at Sameiro, surrounded by the people who had travelled to Portugal to celebrate with them.
The ceremony was beautiful, but even here Nicole and Patrick kept the same relaxed spirit that defined the rest of their day.
BACK TO CASA DE SEZIM
Back at Casa de Sezim, the atmosphere changed completely.
The gardens became a place to slow down, have a drink and simply enjoy being together. Friends and family gathered for cocktails, conversations and a beautiful afternoon in the Portuguese sunshine.
There was something wonderfully effortless about it. People were not waiting for the next formal moment. They were simply enjoying the day.
A LITTLE TIME FOR THE TWO OF THEM
We also found some time for photographs of just the two of them.
A little around the church, a little after returning to Casa de Sezim, including some photographs with their car, but never turning it into a long, formal photo session.
They wanted to be with their friends and family, and I completely understood that.
For me, that is the beauty of wedding photography. Sometimes the best decision is knowing when to step back and let people enjoy their own celebration.
AN EVENING TO CELEBRATE
As the evening arrived, the celebration continued in the beautiful setting created at Casa de Sezim.
The styling, the warm light and the atmosphere created by Mary Me brought everything together beautifully. But once again, the real beauty was in the people.
Nicole and Patrick wanted to sit down, eat, talk, laugh and enjoy the evening with everyone who had come to celebrate with them.
There was no need to fill the night with endless traditions. The celebration itself was enough.
A WEDDING WITHOUT A SCRIPT
What I loved most about Nicole and Patrick’s wedding was how little they cared about following a script.
They knew what mattered to them. They wanted to be present, to have fun and to spend time with the people they love.
And because they gave themselves that freedom, I was able to photograph the day in the same way.
I didn’t need to manufacture moments. I simply had to be there, paying attention to what was already happening.
The result is a collection of photographs that feels honest, spontaneous and completely theirs.
CASA DE SEZIM WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Casa de Sezim was a beautiful setting for Nicole and Patrick’s wedding, but what made the day memorable was the way they chose to experience it.
Based in Porto, Portugal, I photograph weddings across Portugal and beyond, for couples who value honest moments, natural connections and photographs that feel like a true reflection of their day.
If you’re planning your wedding at Casa de Sezim, I’d love to hear about your plans.
Venue: Casa de Sezim
Photographer: Bruno Garcez Wedding Photographer Portugal
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