Emily and Kevin met on Hinge in New York City back in 2019. Five years later, Kevin proposed at Sarakiniko in Milos, Greece, the striking white lunar landscape making for an unforgettable backdrop to the moment.
Location: Estoril, Portugal
Style: Fashion-forward, Ethereal, Coastal
Season: Spring
Time of planning: 10 months
Number of guests: 50
Setting: Castle
Emily worked closely with her planner on coordination, but took the lead herself on every aesthetic decision. The vision came together gradually, built through hours of saving inspiration on Pinterest, and slowly, patterns started to emerge in what she kept gravitating toward, giving her the clarity she needed to settle on a direction. Anna Panutsa was behind the camera throughout, capturing the day exactly as Emily had envisioned it.
Tea Ceremony
One of the most meaningful parts of the wedding was the Chinese tea ceremony held the day before. “It was a way to honor both of our roots and spend intentional time appreciating our parents,” Emily says, “and we also got to wear traditional outfits, which made it feel even more special.”
Fashion
For the ceremony, Emily wore a Maggie Sottero gown from the Fortune collection, found at Kleinfeld during her very first appointment. “It felt so flattering on and classy, and the price is unbeatable,” she says. She completed the look with Bella Belle Sidney heels and kept the accessories simple with pearl earrings. Emily did her own makeup, while Mara Silva from Entretrancas handled her hair.
Blue was the color running through everything. “I ultimately chose blue as our primary color because it’s always been my favorite,” Emily says, and the choice carried through the stationery, the florals, and the bridesmaids’ gowns, tying the whole day together with that same personal touch.
Ceremony
Going into the ceremony, Emily and Kevin were a little nervous about the wind. It ended up being perfect. “There was sun, the sound of the ocean, and just a light breeze that actually made everything feel really nice,” Emily says.
What struck them most was the intimacy of it all, an emotional moment filled with laughter and, from the guests at least, more than a few tears. Both Emily and Kevin walked down the aisle with their parents, a detail that felt deeply meaningful to both of them. Guests were each given a fan, practical in the moment and a keepsake afterward. Music carried its own weight throughout the day. Melodic EDM ran through both the ceremony and the party that followed, a sound that felt, as Emily puts it, “very us” and resonated with guests who shared the same taste.
Inspiration & Decor
The vision came together gradually, built through hours of saving inspiration on Pinterest, and slowly, patterns started to emerge in what Emily kept gravitating toward. To bring it all to life, she turned to Figma, building mockups that pulled elements from different images and combined them into something cohesive and entirely personal. “That process made it much easier to visualize how everything would come together,” she says.
Blue became the primary color, chosen partly because it’s always been Emily’s favorite, and partly because it felt timeless. “Something that won’t look dated years from now,” she says. For florals, she was drawn to the fullness and softness of hydrangeas, which became the main element throughout, creating a romantic, abundant feel across the whole space. Wedding Planner in Portugal brought the vision to life on the ground, coordinating every detail so Emily’s design could translate seamlessly into the day itself.
Moments Alone
For the reception, Emily changed into a custom gown by The Collection Inc, finished with Betsey Johnson Nikki heels, hand-beaded by Anthony Luciano Designs to match her bag. The bag itself was a custom piece from Anthony Luciano Designs too, built from a vintage frame and beaded to complete the whole look.
Just before the reception began, Emily and Kevin slipped away for a quiet moment together by the ocean, the sound of the water and the last light of the afternoon giving them a few minutes just to themselves before the party started. Anna Panutsa captured the portraits from that moment, soft and unhurried, images that feel like they belong to the two of them alone, before the wedding pulled them back in.
Reception
The reception was designed to feel like a continuation of the ceremony, the same blue hydrangeas carrying through the space to tie the two together. Emily and Kevin’s first dance was to “First Time” by Seven Lions, a melodic EDM track that had been part of their relationship from early on. “It felt really personal to us,” Emily says, and it clearly landed, everyone ended up loving it.
The dance itself came with a surprise: a full choreographed routine, put together by Danznik Studios, set to a song many guests already knew and loved. “We’re definitely not dancers,” Emily admits, which only made the reactions in the room that much better.
Party
One of Emily’s favorite parts of the night came from Kevin himself, who took over as DJ for the party. He used to DJ back in college, and while he doesn’t do it regularly anymore, he clearly hadn’t lost the touch.
“He put a lot of time and love into the set,” Emily says, and the room responded in kind. Everyone danced hard, and the energy carried the night all the way through.
Advice from the couple:
• You don’t need to splurge on everything!
PHOTOGRAPHY Anna Panutsa, Marcijus Studio | VIDEOGRAPHY The Guerin Films | CONTENT CREATOR Behind the Paris Wedd | PLANNER Wedding Planner in Portugal
