Tiago and Joana chose to elope in Sintra, Portugal, at the Santa Maria Tower. They wanted their day to be about them, and no one else. “We know that if we were to get married, it had to be somewhere in Sintra to match our magical, whimsical, forest-y and eerie atmosphere,” Joana said.

They skipped everything most people associate with weddings. No guests. No ceremony in front of a crowd. No performance. “In all due honesty, pretty much all traditions were skipped,” she continued. “We preferred to be from prying eyes and enjoying our company in the forest, as we did so many times before, but making it a night to remember.”

Their day was quiet but full of meaning. They wrote their own vows, words that felt raw and real even after nearly twenty years together. The tower overlooked a misty landscape, and the forest seemed to hold its breath with them. Later that night, they lay in bed talking as usual, when the room suddenly filled with fireflies. That moment, they said, will stay with them forever.

There was almost no planning involved, which was entirely the point. “Since it was an elopement, very little planning was involved and that was in itself the plan all along,” they said. The simplicity allowed them to focus on what mattered.

Their biggest investment was photography and video. “It was one of the main reasons we decided to get married,” they explained. “We had a vision and wanted it to come to life but had to handpick the right people for the occasion.” The photographers captured the day with a dark, romantic, ethereal tone that reflected their connection perfectly.

Everything else was kept minimal. The forest provided the atmosphere. “Nature doesn’t send invoices,” they joked. With a total spend of £4,000 including their honeymoon, they proved how powerful simplicity can be. They flew to Japan after the ceremony, a real bucket list location for them both. “It was a dream both of us had for a very long time and the main reason as to why we started talking,” the bride explained.

If money were no object, they’d only have stayed longer. Maybe brought their photographers along to document the whole journey. But they wouldn’t change the core of it. “We were fortunate enough to get exactly what we envisioned. Our day was not about rejecting tradition out of rebellion but rather curating something that felt honest. Some of the most sacred unions happen quietly, without applause or an audience.”

Their advice for couples planning something similar is to: “Focus on the ‘why’ before the ‘how.’ Don’t get lost in logistics or expectations. Whether it’s an elopement in the forest or a grand ceremony with everyone you love, make sure it is about you and your partner.”