Mike and Kerri had planned their 2 week holiday to explore the island of Madeira and decided to get married up in the mountains while they were here.  They are an adventurous couple and wanted something unique to celebrate their day. So the planning started.

First for the paperwork.  Being from Canada, it was easiest for them to gather all their documents and have them officially translated into Portuguese before sending them over to me, to book the Registrar and translator for the day.  The legal side of the marriage, with all its paperwork, can feel daunting but if you know which hoops to jump through and have a little help from someone based on the island, anything is possible.

Next for the Photographer.  We chose Rodolfo from The Memory Shop, who is always happy to shoot a wedding in the mountains with the freedom to explore different locations for stunning photos.

Now the Ceremony,  as a trained Celebrant I was able to write them a personal Ceremony, incorporating everything they wanted.  Separating the Ceremony from the legal part, allows couples to have their wedding Ceremony performed in English using any wording they wish, and conducted anywhere they want. And they wanted something quite unique within their Ceremony!  They wanted to create a piece of art which they could keep for ever and be a lovely way to remember their special day.

So the day came and everyone met at the Conservatorio in Santa Cruz to complete the legal side of the marriage.  Jaime, the translator was there to ensure they understood everything, Rodolfo captured it on photo and I was there to cheer on the happy couple. It was kept relaxed and fun and after the short ceremony, they received their International Wedding Certificate.

Now for the fun part.   Heading up to the mountains!  They decided to go to Pico do Ariero, one of Madeira’s highest peaks with the hope to get above the clouds.  But when everyone arrived, we appeared to be in the clouds!  But this did not stop us.  In fact it gave an amazing dramatic feel to the location and during the Ceremony the clouds danced around and eventually cleared. Mike and Kerri then put on their gloves and started their art piece.  Using two colours symbolises the two of them coming together as one.  The art created itself, swirling into a stunning piece which they can share for ever.

With the art piece tucked safely in the car, Rodolfo then took the couple for their extended photo shoot in some amazing locations in the forest.

Back in Funchal they then treated themselves to a romantic dinner for two at the Nini Design Centre.

Here is what Kerri and Mike said about their wedding day:

Finding Becky to help with our elopement in Madeira was like hitting the lottery. My husband and I are from Canada and we wanted to get legally married in Madeira, just the two of us, preferably on the top of a mountain of some kind. Simple, right? We hoped that eloping would be an affordable and less complicated endeavour than a full bells and whistles wedding. But trying to figure out the legalities was a nightmare and having never been there or not knowing anyone who has been there, even simply picking a restaurant felt daunting. Becky came up in my search for a celebrant and her wedding planning abilities was JUST what we had been needing. She talked us through all the legal requirements, she found/hired a photographer for us, a translator, she booked the registrar office appointment, our celebration dinner, and of course performed a beautiful intimate ceremony on the top of a mountain (Pico do Arieiro)! Becky’s ceremony was well written and spoken, it was personal, unique, and romantic. It was everything we had hoped for, we were literally in the clouds and it was spectacular! Becky thought of everything and went the extra mile from treating us to a last minute jitters poncha to paying a parking ticket for us! Becky made the whole experience enjoyable instead of stressful and we couldn’t be more grateful for that.