Solar da Levada wedding photographer
A photographer's guide to the estate with the glass palace near Braga
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Featured in British Vogue · Wedding Photographer of the Year 2025, Wezoree · By Vadim and Irina Pastuh · November 2026
Solar da Levada sits in the green hills of Amares, about twenty minutes from Braga in the north of Portugal. Couples find it on Instagram, fall for the glass palace and then ask us the same questions: how does the day actually flow here, where is the best light, and what happens after dark. We photographed Jennifer and Sergey's wedding at Solar da Levada in June 2026, together with their welcome dinner the evening before, and this guide is what we learned there.
We are Vadim and Irina Pastuh, a husband-and-wife team of destination wedding photographers based in Lisbon, featured in British Vogue. Two photographers, two points of view, one calm presence on your day. We photograph weddings across Portugal, including the north, from Porto to Braga and the Minho, and travel from Lisbon for every one of them.
Solar da Levada is a wedding venue in Amares, near Braga, in the north of Portugal. It is about 70 km, around one hour by car, from Porto, and about twenty minutes from Braga. The estate has formal gardens, a water garden with lily ponds and fountains, and a glass palace used for dinner and dancing. The venue offers its own evening fountain show over the water garden.
Solar da Levada at a glance: gardens, water garden and glass palace
There are formal gardens with old trees, a water garden with lily ponds and fountains, stone façades that look centuries old, and the glass palace: a tall conservatory with arched windows, crystal chandeliers and a checkerboard marble floor. You can hold the ceremony, the cocktail hour, the dinner and the party on the same estate without anyone getting into a car, and every part of the day has a different look.
A real Solar da Levada wedding timeline
Jennifer and Sergey got ready in Porto, about an hour's drive away: the morning, the first look and the family portraits happened at Vinha Boutique Hotel in Porto, and the day moved to Solar da Levada in the late afternoon.
- 17:00Guests arrive for drinks and small bites in the gardens
- 17:45Ceremony on the lawn, under the trees and white parasols
- 18:30Cocktail hour. Portraits with us first, while the light is warm, then back to the guests
- 20:00Dinner in the glass palace, dance breaks between courses
- 22:30Cake cutting by the water, fountains and fireworks
- 01:30Last dance
Best photo spots and light at Solar da Levada
The water garden before sunset
The lily ponds and the trees behind them give the warmest, calmest portraits of the day. In June the sun sets after 21:00, so we step out with you for fifteen minutes between courses, in the hour before sunset.
The glass palace before guests come in
The arched windows and the marble floor are at their best when the room is still empty, so we always ask for five minutes there with the couple.
The stone portal
Clean pale stone and a symmetrical doorway make it our favorite place for the bridal party and family photos: everyone fits, no one squints.
Blue hour from outside
Once the chandeliers are lit, the glass palace glows against the dark garden. One of the most striking photographs the estate gives you, and it takes two minutes.
On the ceremony lawn
In June the sun sets after 21:00, so at a late-afternoon ceremony it is still high. The shade of the big trees and the parasols matters for guests and for faces.
The fountain show and fireworks at Solar da Levada
At Solar da Levada the evening has its own stage. The venue's own show turns the water garden into a stage: dancing fountains, light and fire bowls around a round platform where the couple stands, usually for the cake cutting. It is part of what Solar da Levada offers, so you will see it at many weddings here. We place one of us on the far side of the water for the wide view and keep the other close to the couple, and if you add fireworks, the drone view from above is worth planning for.
“The venue gives you the show. How it is photographed is what makes it yours.”
Planning a Solar da Levada wedding from abroad
- Getting there. The closest airport is Porto. The drive from Porto to Solar da Levada is about an hour (around 70 km).
- Where to stay. Braga is around twenty minutes from Solar da Levada and Porto about an hour, so plan transport for your guests. If you get ready in Porto, as Jennifer and Sergey did, build the drive into the timeline and keep the first look and family portraits at the hotel.
- Planner. For a wedding of this scale we recommend a planner who knows the north of Portugal. Jennifer and Sergey worked with The Crachá.
- Two photographers. With a large guest list and parallel moments (the groom's party, the bridal party, the garden set-up) we recommend two photographers. This is how we always work.
- Welcome dinner. A welcome dinner the night before sets the tone for the whole weekend, and we often photograph it as part of the celebration.
Jennifer and Sergey at Solar da Levada
Jennifer and Sergey flew in from New York with 118 guests. Their morning and first look were at Vinha Boutique Hotel in Porto, the ceremony was under white parasols on the lawn, and dinner was under the chandeliers of the glass palace, with the hora lifting the couple above the dance floor. The night ended with fireworks over the water garden. Planned by The Crachá.
Solar da Levada wedding FAQ
Where is Solar da Levada?
In Amares, in the north of Portugal, about twenty minutes from Braga. The nearest international airport is Porto.
Can the whole wedding day happen at Solar da Levada?
Yes. Solar da Levada has gardens for the ceremony and the cocktail hour and the glass palace for dinner and dancing, so the day can run without transfers.
What is the best time for portraits at Solar da Levada?
At Solar da Levada we like the hour before sunset in the water garden, and blue hour outside the glass palace once the chandeliers are lit.
Do you photograph weddings in the north of Portugal?
Yes. We are based in Lisbon and travel all over Portugal. We photographed Jennifer and Sergey at Solar da Levada and their first look in Porto, and we work across the whole north of Portugal.
Do we need two photographers at Solar da Levada?
For most weddings at Solar da Levada, yes. The estate is large and many moments happen at the same time. We always work as a team of two.
