Amélie & Matt

with love and joy

Amélie Vavrovsky and Matthew Cooper

invite you to celebrate their wedding day

Saturday, September 5, 2026

Palácio de Seteais · Sintra, Portugal

A loose cobalt-pencil illustration of the grand arch at Palácio de Seteais
through the arch, and into forever
Contact us see the weekend our Lisbon guide
Matt proposing to Amélie at Lands End
the easiest yes
Matt and Amélie laughing together by the ocean
always laughing
Matt and Amélie kissing by the ocean
see you in Portugal

a little note before Portugal

Meet Us in Lisbon

We’ll be in the city before the wedding and would love to see anyone arriving early.

Bostonwhere Matt's from Viennawhere Amélie's from San Franciscowhere we fell in love Lisboameet us here Sintra5 setembro 2026

we arrive Tuesday

Lisbon · September 1

We’ll be in Lisbon from September 1 and staying at Locke de Santa Joana. If you’re arriving early too, let us know—we’d love to meet for a garden wander, a drink, or something delicious.

Send us an update →

stay in the loop

Please Join the Group Chat

We’ll use the WhatsApp group for friendly reminders, last-minute updates, spontaneous Lisbon plans, and anything guests need during the weekend.

Join the WhatsApp group →

come wander with us

Rooftops, Gardens & Bairro Alto

Meet us at 5:00 PM on September 3 for a casual wander through a few favorite gardens and rooftops. We may end the night with a party in Bairro Alto.

Let us know if you can join →

Coming early? We made you a very opinionated little Lisbon guide—with cafés, rooftops, gardens, and one excellent free day. Please also join our WhatsApp group so you don’t miss an update.

join the WhatsApp group

the celebration

Wedding Weekend

The whole palace is ours for the weekend — settle in, slow down, and celebrate with us.

ThursdaySeptember 3

rooftops, gardens & a night in Lisbon

  • Meet us in LisbonWe’ll wander through some of our favorite gardens and rooftops, keeping the evening easy and spontaneous.
  • Perhaps Bairro AltoIf the mood takes us, we may follow the music and end the night with a party in Bairro Alto.

Coming along? Please let us know in the form below so we know whom to expect.

FridaySeptember 4

welcome evening

  • Guests arriveCheck in and settle into the palace
  • Pool & leisureGardens, pool, and spa are open to you
  • Welcome celebrationDrinks together on the Seteais terrace

It's also Matt's birthday — come help us toast the groom-to-be. 🎂

SaturdaySeptember 5

the wedding day · black tie suggested

  • BreakfastIncluded for all palace guests
  • LeisureLounge by the pool or wander the gardens
  • Guest arrivalWelcome and seating in the palace gardens
  • CeremonyExchange of vows in the palace gardens
  • Cocktail hourCanapés and live Bossa and jazz in the Half Orange Garden or on the terrace
  • Dinner seatingMake your way to the Noble Room; everyone will be seated by 6:30
  • DinnerA four-course journey through Portuguese flavors
  • First dance & partyDJ, saxophone, and dancing inside the palace by the bar
  • End of nightOne last song before we say boa noite

Yes, the party goes until 3:00 AM—come ready to stay up late, dance a lot, and make the most of every last song.

SundaySeptember 6

one last morning together

  • BreakfastSlow coffee, stories from the night before, and goodbyes in Marialva
  • Check-outFor guests staying at the palace

how it all began

Our Story

We met at Brown through Junto, a discussion group that gave us plenty to talk about—and a very good excuse to keep talking long after the meetings ended.

One summer in Oakland, Amélie was supposed to be fully immersed in Arabic camp. Instead, she kept sneaking out so we could hike, laugh, and steal a little more time together. Our first adventure was at Lands End, with the Pacific below us and the Golden Gate appearing through the fog. Not long after, in the San Francisco Botanical Garden, we said “I love you” for the first time.

Years later, we returned to Lands End. One of us asked a very important question; the other gave the easiest yes. Now we cannot wait to bring the people we love to Portugal and celebrate this next chapter together.

Amélie admiring her engagement ring with Matt
Matt and Amélie smiling together at the beach

with all our love, Matt & Amélie

where to stay

Accommodations

We'd love nothing more than to have everyone under one roof, waking up together in this magical place.

A loose cobalt-pencil drawing of the Palácio de Seteais arch

stay inside the story

Palácio de Seteais

Seteais began as a late-18th-century neoclassical palace created for Daniel Gildemeester, the Dutch consul in Portugal. In the early 19th century, the Marquis of Marialva added its second wing and the triumphal arch that still frames the hills of Sintra.

  • Historic rooms with period furnishings
  • Breakfast included each morning
  • Palace gardens, pool & spa
  • No travel between events
  • Special group rate for guests

Room types range from Deluxe to Royal Suite — contact us if your plans have changed.

Sintra & around

Nearby Alternatives

Sintra is full of charming hotels and quintas, and we'll arrange transportation between town and the palace.

  • Penha Longa Resort — 10 min
  • Lawrence's Hotel — 5 min
  • Boutique hotels in town

Staying elsewhere? Contact us if we should update our transportation notes.

getting there

Travel

by air

Lisbon · LIS

Fly into Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport. Sintra is usually about 35–45 minutes away by car, depending on traffic.

from Lisbon

30 km to Sintra

From central Lisbon, the train from Rossio to Sintra takes roughly 40 minutes. Private transfers and ride-hailing are also easy options.

the palace

Find us here

Palácio de Seteais
Rua Barbosa du Bocage 8
2710-517 Sintra, Portugal

before & after

Explore Lisbon with us

Our favorite miradouros, pastéis, and rooftops — everything we'd show you ourselves if we could clone one of us per guest.

open the Lisbon guide
Lisboa
Set
2026

gifts

Registry

Your presence is the greatest gift of all. For those who wish to honor us with a gift, we've created a registry.

view registry

with love

RSVPs are now closed

Thank you—our final guest list is now with the team.

If your plans have changed, you have a question, or you can join us for Thursday’s rooftop hopping, send us a message here. Dietary and accessibility details can now be checked or added directly in our shared planning sheet.

Dietary & accessibility details

Please add only your own household’s information. The shared sheet is visible to anyone with the link so the venue team can prepare with care.

Check or add your details

on the day itself

There will always be someone happy to help

On September 5, the wonderful Palácio de Seteais team will be the quickest first stop for hotel, room, transport, and venue questions: call +351 219 233 200 or email info.seteais@valverdeliving.com. For wedding logistics, our day-of coordinator Claudia Lança is available at claudia@takeavowportugal.com. For wedding room or payment questions, email rooming.palace@valverdeliving.com. We may be away from our phones while we are getting ready and soaking up every moment—but you will be in very good hands.

We’ll start at 5:00 PM and share the meeting point in the WhatsApp group.

Your message will be securely captured by Netlify Forms and checked against our private planning tracker.