Bride and groom walk through a flower-lined garden at their Sintra wedding as guests applaud and take photos

Wedding reception tables arranged inside a glass greenhouse in Sintra, Portugal

A Destination Wedding in Sintra That Blended The Couple’s American and Norwegian Traditions

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Every detail of our stationery told a piece of our story. In Love created a custom crest inspired by our life together, along with a deck of cards featuring Portuguese sayings and motifs that welcomed guests to the weekend.

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Arthur’s welcome party jacket had a story of its own. We met the night before one of my best friend’s weddings in Antigua, Guatemala, where the bride insisted I invite the Norwegian stranger to the wedding. Traveling with only a backpack, Arthur found this jacket at a local shop. Two years later, we tracked down the same jacket, a tribute to where our story began.

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A Silvia Navarro dress discovered in Seville during wedding planning.

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The Cult Gaia Calla Lily heels and bag felt like a natural extension of our wedding design. Their sculptural silhouettes complemented my dress and reflected the aesthetic we carried throughout the weekend.

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My vision was always timeless with a modern edge. Luis Infantes’s sculptural gown and Tom Perdigão’s hair and makeup brought that vision to life.

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Luis Infantes designed my gown to capture simple elegance at first glance, while a closer look revealed its complexity through a mix of matte and satin crepe, bamboo and silk layers, and sculptural cutouts.

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Great friends sitting with me before the ceremony.

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Petunia, the real bride.

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Arthur getting dressed with his monogrammed shirt.

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Arthur’s family enjoying private moments together before the ceremony.

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We reserved the front aisle seat for my late father and nephew, ensuring they were part of the ceremony in spirit. I also carried my father’s monogrammed handkerchief and a locket with pictures of him and me, given to me by a friend. Small reminders that he was with me every step of the way.

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Petunia seeing all her favorite people as she walked down the aisle.

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My older brother, Jon, walked me down the aisle as the string quartet played "Dreams" by The Cranberries. It felt like a dream.

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Oh, Maria Flores transformed the ceremony into a work of art. Every arrangement felt as though it had naturally grown into the space, creating a backdrop for our vows.

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The beauty of Bella Vista spoke for itself. We designed our ceremony to complement its lush greenery and surroundings.

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Having our friend Gabe officiate our ceremony made it deeply personal. He wove together our love story, the friendships that shaped us, and the meaning of marriage with the perfect balance of humor, warmth, and wisdom.

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Listening to readings by close friends during our ceremony.

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We incorporated a few Jewish traditions into our ceremony, including the breaking of the glass.

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Introduced as Husband and Wife.

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We exited the ceremony to ADLIB Strings’ rendition of I’ll Be There for You from Friends, a surprise that had everyone smiling.

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Walking down to cocktail hour.

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The Cottas Club, a Dixieland jazz band, was the perfect way to kick off cocktail hour, leading everyone from the ceremony into the celebration.

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Arthur and I together in our own secret garden.

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It was an honor to experience the artistry of Luis Infantes through my custom gown. His minimalism and architectural approach embodied the elegance I had been searching for. When Luis revealed my design, I felt as though I were seeing myself reflected in fabric and form. From our first appointment to the final fitting, his creativity, energy, and care made the experience unforgettable.

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We worked with Suitsupply to create Arthur’s custom wedding suit. A cream double-breasted linen design with mother-of-pearl buttons and our wedding date embroidered inside. Shoes were Scarosso.

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Before entering the greenhouse, guests found their seats by pulling down "window tabs" that revealed views from Lisbon and Sintra. Another nod to our love of travel.

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The sweeping curves of the reception echoed the movement of the ceremony aisle, creating a flow from one space to the next.

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The team brought Sintra’s garden spirit indoors. Arthur and I were in awe witnessing our fairytale.

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Espresso martinis, our favorite kind of wedding cake.

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Our first dance to Louis Armstrong’s "We Have All the Time in the World."

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The Hora!

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Closing out the reception.

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On our way to our afterparty. Wearing a Staud dress and Loewe sparkle shoes.

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Our "speakeasy" disco afterparty.

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Taking after my favorite disco emoji.

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Pool party outfit details: Andrea Iyamah Naru bathing suit. Agua Bendita skirt. Loewe shoes.

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While our wedding day centered on lush greens, we wanted the pool party to embrace Mediterranean hues. Oh, Maria Flores transformed fresh lemons into a sculptural centerpiece, adding a vibrant layer to the tablescape.

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So excited for our guests to experience the day we had planned.

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Soaking up the sunshine and all the love on our final day of celebrations.

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Petunia, the true star of the weekend.

Weddings

A Destination Wedding in Sintra That Blended The Couple’s American and Norwegian Traditions

By Shayna Seid

Photography by

Vanessa & Ivo

Planning by

Doma Weddings

August 22, 2026

Amanda Mallen was in Antigua, Guatemala, to be a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding, while Haakon Arthur Pedersen was traveling by motorcycle with a buddy. They met at a club, and that night, she texted her friends that she "fell in love with a Norwegian." The bride insisted she bring him to the wedding the next day. He quickly rented a jacket, and they ended up dancing the night away.

After a year and a half together, Arthur proposed at a quiet temple in Kyoto, Japan. "He told me later that his original plan had been to propose in an onsen," Amanda shares. "But I reminded him that this was a much better choice, considering onsens are usually separated by gender and nude!"

"Arthur and I shared a love of Portugal, so when deciding on where we could bring Norwegians and Americans together, the answer was right in front of us," Amanda says of landing on a destination for their summer nuptials. Quinta de Bella Vista, opens in a new tab in Sintra was perfect for bringing the two families together.

Doma Weddings, opens in a new tab orchestrated everything, blending the design with the abundance of greenery in the location, and photography duo Vanessa & Ivo, opens in a new tab captured every moment of the weekend. To set the tone for guests, In Love Weddings, opens in a new tab illustrated a beautiful invitation suite.

Amanda looked to Europe for her wedding dress inspiration. "I've long admired and followed Spanish style, so after a few failed attempts to find a dress in the U.S., I decided to delve deeper into the world of Spanish designers," she shares. The designer Luis Infantes particularly spoke to her. "His work felt deeply personal, like seeing myself reflected in fabric and form… I shared elements of his previous collections that I loved, and with an effortless kind of magic, he revealed my dress."

Once the dress was complete, Amanda styled the look with Cult Gaia Lilly heels and her grandmother's jewelry. Beauty was handled by the talented hair and makeup artist Tom Perdigão, opens in a new tab.

Arthur worked with Suitsupply on his wedding suit—a cream double-breasted linen look with mother-of-pearl buttons and their wedding date embroidered on the inside. "His welcome party jacket we had made from the same fabric he wore to the wedding in Antigua, where we first met!" Amanda exclaims.

On June 28, 2025, the couple wed in an ethereal secret garden, enhanced by Oh, Maria Flores, opens in a new tab, with 80 of their closest friends and family. Petunia, the bride's 11-year-old longhaired dachshund, walked in front of Amanda, who was arm in arm with her brother. Once at the altar, the couple's best friend officiated the ceremony, which wove together American and Norwegian traditions. Emotions ran high throughout the service. "I think it was harder for me to keep it together than Arthur, and he's the crier of us two!" Amanda admits.

The Adlib string quartet, opens in a new tab wrapped up the ceremony by playing "I'll Be There for You," the theme from Friends. Then Cottas Club Jazz Band, opens in a new tab led everyone to cocktails, and The MAD Kitchen, opens in a new tab catered a delicious seated dinner in a spacious glasshouse.

The Sparkle Band, opens in a new tab and an espresso martini tower kicked off the party, along with a special performance from Arthur's dad, who playfully swung Amanda around the dance floor.

A favorite part of the reception was the Scandinavian "kissing" tradition: whenever the bride or groom left the room, the men or women lined up to kiss the one who remained until their partner returned. "It was such a surprise to the Americans," Amanda says.

Guests were then led to the after-party. "DJ Lisbon played all the hits, really uniting the Norwegians and Americans in a sweaty, disco-light fever," Amanda recalls. It was a perfect full-circle moment—the two of them closing the night on a wedding dance floor, just like the one where it all began.

Weddings

A Destination Wedding in Sintra That Blended The Couple’s American and Norwegian Traditions

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