Stephanie + Craig by Louise Golding

I wanted nature to take centre stage and keep details minimal but interesting.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

Craig is a software developer from Cape Town. He came to the US to go to NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) in 2015.

Stephanie grew up in New York. She is a travel enthusiast and loves to try new hobbies like floral arranging, watercolour, and interior decorating.

We love doing nothing and everything together.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We met the old-fashioned way in 2019 – on a dating app. I had just gotten out of a very long-term relationship and was not wanting anything serious. Unfortunately, but actually very fortunately, I met Craig. I thought Craig was kind and that he had a very grounding and inviting confidence about him. Craig says: “I thought you were beautiful and funny and weird, and I couldn’t wait to see you again.”

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).

Being that we live in New York, and Craig’s family is from Cape Town, we chose to host the wedding in Portugal as a midway point for our guests. It meant that everyone would be travelling, so we wanted the whole weekend to feel like a group vacation, especially given that it was such a small and intimate size (about 60 guests).

Because the venue itself is so beautiful and architecturally interesting, I wanted nature to take centre stage and keep details minimal but interesting. If I had to describe the style, it would be “simplicity with an edge”, where everything invites a double-take because it’s not as simple as it seems.

The mood/dress code was “earthy neutrals”, so everyone ended up feeling like they were in the wedding party!

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

It was very important to me to have a really nice view. This sounds silly, but I really delight in nature and a great sunset, so Quinta do Muro was perfect in that around every corner is a feast for the eyes. The architecture and the vast views of the ocean grabbed me immediately.

We spent a lot of time designing and redesigning the dining table layout. We wanted an interesting fluid shape and for everyone to feel connected, and ended up with a loopy design that gave everyone a nice view of the rest of the guests. Funny story about the layout – one of our best couple friends had a baby just a few months prior to the wedding, and we were so sad that they (understandably!) wouldn’t be able to make it, but it turns out Craig was scheming with them to surprise me at the wedding the whole time, and had to resubmit a layout to our wedding planner each time.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

I loved designing the style and concept, especially with my very stylish and chic planner, Rita. I sent her a bunch of inspo, and I trusted that she understood my vision and would make good choices.

A major tip would be to hire a planner before you book a venue, especially if it’s a destination wedding. I spent a LOT of time trying to find a venue on my own before finding a planner, and though I ended up with my dream venue, I think I could’ve saved a lot of time and effort if I had the planner first.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

This is hard because truly all of them were fantastic!

Joao was the first vendor I booked, and he felt like a friend throughout the whole process. We really clicked, and so he actually hung out with us to document the entire weekend! He met us at the welcome beach hang, the welcome drinks, the wedding (obviously), the pool party the next day, and even the finale sunset cruise. All of our guests loved him and tried to welcome him into the group. He is a visual genius, and uses a mix of Super 8 and digital, and also took some film photos for us.

Louise, our photographer, was the second vendor we booked, and similarly felt like a friend the whole time! Leading up to the wedding, I would reach out to her for vendor suggestions because she’s based in the Algarve, and I trusted her style and aesthetic completely. She is so kind and handled my many, many questions with grace and kindness.

Next was Rita, our planner! She is an all-star. I trusted her completely to look out for our best interests, hold the highest standard, and work with me on what I wanted versus what was feasible. I was having a bit of a dress emergency, and she even found and came with me to a local tailor in Lisbon just days before the wedding so she could help me because the tailor didn’t speak English! Her style is impeccable, and I’m so happy to have worked with her.

Also major shoutout to Bianca who did my hair and makeup, which stayed intact all night – even after my fall (see question 10)!

Finally – we have to mention our hotel: Casas da Quinta de Cima. We booked out the entire hotel so we had a home base for all of our guests. They drove me to the wedding in a golf cart because we hadn’t sorted out how we were gonna get there, which was really fun. The food was delicious, the service was impeccable, and we can’t wait to go back!

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

It was so much fun picking outfits!!! There was no story, but I never really get dressed up in my day-to-day, so I wanted to go all out. I wanted each piece to be really special.

Finding my wedding dress took a while. There were so many beautiful dresses, but none of them felt quite right. I was just finding most dresses to be a little boring or a little too much. I was getting really nervous because I was cutting it close – the wedding was less than 6 months away! – but when I found this one from Liz Martinez, it was all worth it. I tried it on, and my jaw dropped – I felt like a cloud: weightless and free. I am a relatively indecisive person, but I bought this one on the spot. It was absolutely perfect.

After that, I was on a mission to find the perfect welcome party dress. It was at a beach club, so I wanted it to be fun and set the mood for a feel-good weekend. I was initially thinking I wanted something loud and fun from Cult Gaia, but then I somehow came across Kettel Atelier, and knew immediately that I needed to have one. Each piece is so special, one of a kind, made from upcycled materials, and to the extent one can be in love with clothing, I’m in deep with this dress.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Engagement Ring: custom in the NYC diamond district; Craig’s godmother is the former CEO of GIA, so she connected us with someone, and we designed it together.

Wedding Ring: Macha Studio, a local jewellery shop around the corner from our apartment in Greenpoint. We got matching rings with engravings inside; mine has diamonds scattered throughout.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

Quinta do Muro has an epic staircase. I was taking photos with girlfriends on a gorgeous staircase, truly having the time of my life. As the last shot, I was going to do a “dramatic slow motion walk” down the stairs before finally heading back to the cocktail party. I got the “dramatic slow motion” part, but it was a tumble instead of a walk. It was really scary. Apparently Craig saw this from afar and sprinted over to me, jumping over some bushes to get to me as quickly as possible. (I’m so sad I didn’t see it; sounds very romantic.) But yeah, I hit my head, was a bit scraped up, and was feeling a bit dizzy, so I had to lie down for 2 hours. Craig stayed with me, and we kind of spent the two hours hugging and crying, shocked with relief that I was feeling okay. It could have been really, really bad. But Craig and I had this really special quiet time together. And all the anxiety got knocked out of me, literally, and we were feeling so grateful that I was okay, that the rest of the night just felt like a dream. My wrist was fractured, and Craig had to cut up my dinner for me, but that was a later problem. 🙂

Second to that, I did my very first DJ set! I’ve had aspirations of being a DJ since I was 24 and a DJ name (skimchilla) for over 10 years, with aspirations of being a DJ, but never really went for it. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to force myself, so I made a playlist dedicated to Craig, and it was the best 20 minutes ever. I had incorporated “Pieces of Me” by Ashley Simpon into my vows, so the set ended with a karaoke rendition of Pieces of Me. It was incredible to see everyone smiling and singing along.

Finally, I had promised my niece, Chloe, that she would be my flower girl if I ever got married, and it was really special to have her there. I’ve spoken about her and shared photos of her with all of my friends since she was a baby, so it was very fun for all of them to meet. She’s 8 years old but possesses so much confidence and sass, and I’m so proud of her.

What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?

Being married means that we’re committed to being each other’s partner through life’s ups and downs. We don’t have any uniquely special rituals, but we get to start and end each day with each other, and just feel immensely grateful to love and feel loved every day.