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This Bride Loved Walking Down the Staircase Aisle to a Bossa Nova Love Song in Lisbon

By Shayna Seid | Photography by 

Rui Vaz Franco of Love Is My Favorite Color

Heidi Elizabeth Bungart, an emergency room registered nurse, and Filipe Anacleto Sobral, a general surgeon, met through their mutual friend, Bonny, who was dog sitting for Filipe, while he visited family in Portugal. On the morning he picked up his furry friend, Freddy Mercury, Bonny and Heidi had plans to go on a hike, so Filipe and Freddy joined them.

“Filipe talked all about his trip and showed us pictures of his family while we hiked—we were totally checking each other out,” Heidi says. On the hike, they didn’t talk about their jobs, but they later realized that they worked in the same hospital. The two clicked even more at Bonny’s wedding, which was a couple of weeks after their first meeting. After dating for three-and-a-half years, Filipe popped the question in Sintra, Portugal.

Even before getting engaged, the two knew they were getting married in Portugal because most of Filipe’s family lives there. “I have a small family, and our friends were excited about traveling, so we went for it,” Heidi explains. Filipe’s cousin recommended the Palácio dos Marqueses da Fronteira in Lisbon as a venue, and they were able to visit it during the same trip as their engagement. “We loved the feel of the whole property, the azulejo tiles are quintessentially Portuguese, and every inch of the grounds oozes dreamy old world charm.”

Because the property is literally a palace, their wedding day decor was subtle. Orchids, calla lilies, peonies, hydrangeas, cosmos flowers, and bubble roses highlighted the location’s own palette of blue, white, green, and red. And to help plan everything, the couple hired Joana Silveira, Rita Pires, and Patricia Correia of Portugal Wedding Planners, who they found on Instagram. 

As for her dress, Heidi knew what materials and silhouettes she preferred even before she met Filipe. “I really crushed on the bow trend and had been keeping an eye on new bridal collections—thank you Vogue.comand came across a photo of a strapless Carolina Herrera with a dramatic bow and long cape and was sold!” the bride says. “I knew I’d be walking down that big beautiful staircase and wanted a dress with some drama that I wouldn’t regret years from now.”

From Heidi’s days working in fine jewelry in New York, she found and swooned over Cathy Waterman’s ethereal collection for years. “I decided that my wedding was the time to splurge, and I found the most beautiful 22k gold, white topaz, and diamond drop earrings with a leaf motif that hugged the bottom of my ears perfectly,” she says. “The earrings were just big enough to be a statement, but simple enough to be worn forever.” 

On the day-of, Joana Moreira did the bride’s, her sister’s, and her mother’s wedding makeup flawlessly. Heidi and Joana discussed a “glammed-up, natural look,” so she used a variety of shades from her own palette and Charlotte Tilbury’s “Pillow Talk” on her lips. Raquel Raposo took care of everyone’s hair, giving the bride an elegant low bun.

The groom looked handsome in a navy blue Brooks Brothers tuxedo with a bow tie and cufflinks, gifted to him by relatives, and a pocket watch that his godfather had given him when he graduated from medical school.

In the middle of the palace gardens, in front of the Knights Pond and Gallery of Kings, everyone gathered for the meaningful ceremony, led by the couple’s friends, Tedd and Sarah Grain and Dustin McKinney. Luckily, Ted, one of Filipe’s best friends speaks Portuguese and English, so he was able to conduct the service in both languages for all the guests. 

When it was time for Heidi to walk down the aisle, Sarah and Dustin performed “Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar,” a bossa nova love song, and she made the walk down the magnificent staircase alone, as her father wasn’t able to attend the wedding. “I didn’t want to be walked down the aisle by anyone for the sake of being accompanied,” she says. “I’m a confident, young lady and walked myself right down those stairs—and loved every second of it!”

Then the two exchanged vows that they had written together in English and Portuguese. “I was so nervous to say our vows in Portuguese; I practiced on our wedding planners before I walked down to Filipe.”

“I was overwhelmed with joy and emotion, literally holding back tears,” the groom says. “Blessed to have such amazing friends—proud of my bad ass wife for uttering her wedding vows in a foreign language.”

After being announced as husband and wife, guests lounged on the patio and in the garden. Then on the terrace, everyone gathered around one long table, decorated with flowers in varying vases and tons of candles, for dinner, which lasted a few hours. “When the sun went down and our dinner was only lit by candlelight, and the statues and azulejo tiles adorning the walls were lit, I think everyone felt like they were in a fairy tale.”

Dessert was served in the dining room—the table was covered with Portuguese pastries, cookies, and candies. Neither of the newlyweds wanted a traditional wedding cake, so they chose to serve a pão-de-ló, a traditional Portuguese sponge cake, instead.

They opened up the dance floor to their friend Alex playing the guitar and singing. He performed John Legend’s “All of Me” for Heidi and Filipe’s first dance. Then a DJ, from local company Jukebox, took over and opened with “Love on Top,” followed by lots of ’80s, ’90s, and Queen and Madonna hits. They ended the night with Heidi’s hometown tradition of singing “Piano Man,” as somehow, one of her Huntington friends communicated that plan perfectly to the Portuguese DJ.

Once it hit 3:00 a.m., guests headed back to their accommodations. “To be honest, we had the most magical day and evening, but we were totally spent!”