Vandelli, Ajuda Wedding Videographer

About Vandelli Ajuda

Vandelli is the event venue inside the Jardim Botânico da Ajuda in Lisbon, the oldest botanical garden in Portugal, founded in 1768 by royal decree and designed by the Italian botanist Domenico Vandelli.

The garden keeps its Baroque terraced layout, grand pathways and sculptural fountains, with a greenhouse and several themed gardens, and looks out over Lisbon and the Tagus river. It hosts one event per day, with in-house catering, for weddings of up to around 250 guests.

Filming a wedding at Vandelli Ajuda

A garden wedding in the middle of Lisbon. The terraces give natural levels for the camera, the geometric hedges and fountains frame the ceremony, and the river view opens the film at sunset.

Because it is in the city, Vandelli works well for couples whose guests stay in Lisbon: short transfers mean more of the day happens in front of the camera. With one event per day, the whole garden is yours for the portraits.

Planning your wedding film at Vandelli Ajuda

Vandelli hosts one event per day, so the garden is yours for the whole day. The terraces, hedges and fountains give natural places to film, and the river view opens the evening. Around Lisbon and the Atlantic coast, the sun sets at about 9 pm in June and July, about 8 pm in early September and about 7 pm in early October, so we plan the timeline backwards from sunset.

• Use the terraces for portraits, since the levels and geometric hedges give depth without props.
• Plan the ceremony for the late afternoon so the sunset falls during the cocktail.
• Since the venue is inside the city, most guests arrive quickly and the film can open with the garden empty and still.
• Confirm the venue's timetable for music and the end of the event, so we can plan the Same Day Edit if you want one.

Getting there: Palácio Vandelli is about 14 km from Lisbon airport, about 15 minutes by car without traffic.