The wedding...

The wedding Tech.

I know it's not all about me, but this is my blog and this little bit is!

I think this was my 5th wedding that I helped out in some techie way, but it was the first one in a country where english is a foriegn language.

A PA (sound system) had been hired and a projector had been borrowed from the venue where the reception was to be held. A laptop was being used to play music before, during and after the reception with various videos being played as part of the speeches.

I got there in the end, but had to communicate with hand signals and my very bad Portugese. I loved every minute of it!!!

Back to the wedding...


The Ceremoney

It was another beautiful Portugese day, most of the grooms party that was staying at the camping ground were taken to the church, reception and returned in a hired bus. God knows how the driver managed to get the thing through those streets.. but we made it with out denting the thing once.

The ceremony was held in a church which looked like a bunker from the outside, but inside the place was filled with the most amazing (slightly garish) decor. Lots of gold, mary's and jesus' every where. The ceremoney started like most, with readings, sermons etc...

And as usual during these religous things, my eys glaze over and mind drifts... Until I heard the word 'prostitute'... Hang on a minute... is he talking in Portuguese? Next he started talking about sex for pleasure, then watching dogs and horses doing it... WHAT THE!!! By this stage, he had my full attention!!!

The sermon went on, the priest (who was the only one they could find that spoke english and portugese) wobbled fumbled and didn't say anything that he was meant to say, he basically had his own agenda... We thought that this was a normal portugese wedding but it ends up that it was lucky half of the portugese guests didn't understand what was going on.

Rumour has it that he reeked of jesus' blood (sacramental vino).


The Reception

The reception was held at this magnificent Palace up in Sintra. Amazing place.

Traditionally in Portugal, wedding receptions are just parties with lots of food, drinking and dancing. The kiwi touch was added with the introduction of speeches... which was a bit of a change for the locals, who didn't know what to make of it.

I was placed at a table with some kiwi's and some Portuguese... Ange, Tim, Jess (kiwi contingent) and we met some of Filipa's portugeuse friends: Duarte, Miguel, Theresa and Rochelle.

We picked their brains and got a list of places to see in our travels round Portugal.


Thanks for a great day Matt and Filipa. And best wishes for the future!!!