A Glamorous Wedding at an 18th-Century Palace in Portugal

a man and woman posing for a picture — Inside a Wedding at a Palace in PortugalAnya Alexeenko

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Greta Rolli and Sebastian Tomé married in Portugal, where Tomé was raised and his family lives. The New York City-based couple didn’t use a planner and, with a bit of help from Tomé’s sisters, orchestrated the event from over 3,000 miles away. “Sebastian took the lead on the rehearsal and beach party planning, while I planned the welcome party and wedding day. He is a logistical thinker, which has created an environment for my creativity to thrive,” Rolli explains.

Rolli, who is a model and designer, and Tomé, a pilot, saw the wedding as a way to share everything they love about Portugal with their friends and family. “Portugal has just become such a magical place. My family has visited many times and we’re really lucky that our families have become so close throughout our relationship. It really meant everything to bring our larger families and all of our friends to the same place,” Rolli adds. “Once I decided on Portugal, I wanted to make sure that if people were traveling all that way that they really got to experience the beauty, the culture, and the food, and really feel like they were seeing Portugal in the best light.” (Tomé’s job allows them to take trips to Portugal frequently. The couple traveled to their wedding on standby.)

a building with a tree in the front — Anya Alexeenko

The ceremony took place at Seteais Palace, a hotel in Sintra. The neoclassical building was constructured on the Portuguese Riviera between 1783 and 1787. “I love the town of Sintra; September is the perfect time to go, because it’s not as touristy as it is in the summer,” Rolli says. “It feel like you’re in a storybook when you’re there.”

Rolli had been waiting for her special day for a long time. “I have loved everything bridal, but especially wedding dresses, since I was a little girl,” she says. “I was obsessed with Vera Wang growing up. [My mom] got me her book on weddings for Christmas in fourth grade.” Months later, she says she still feels like she’s floating.

The Rehearsal Dinner

a man and woman holding hands in front of a building — Anya Alexeenko

On Thursday, the couple kicked off their rehearsal dinner on the lawn of the venue with a champagne toast to their family and close friends. Afterwards, guests were driven to the restaurant Incomum. “When we were driving through the town, I saw some of our wedding guests that were not coming to the rehearsal dinner, and it all started to feel real,” Rolli says.

a person kissing another woman — Anya Alexeenko

The florals for the evening were done by Audrey Hilfiger, Rolli’s best friend, bridesmaid, and the owner of the company Audrey in the Garden. Abbode, a home décor and embroidery store, created napkins embroidered with guests’ names, which were used in lieu of place cards. At the dinner, Rolli’s two maids of honor, Hilfiger and Rolli’s younger sister, Mia, spoke. “It really started the weekend well,” she says. Rolli wore an ice-blue dress from New York designer Alice Fern of Atelier Fern.

The Welcome Party

a man and woman kissing — Anya Alexeenko

The following night, Rolli and Tomé threw a bigger event, which Rolli envisioned as “a really fun party.” The couple entered to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.” “We decided that morning on that song after finding out he got upgraded to captain at Delta—as if the weekend could get any better!” Rolli says.

The welcome party was a take on the traditional Portuguese barbecue. “Whenever we visit Sebastian’s family, we are always grilling local meats and fish while drinking wine by the pool. I wanted to give our family and friends that same feeling. We served picanha and filet as well as salads and sides made from local produce and cheeses, and sipped cocktails under the terrace as a light rainstorm began to clear. The staff opened up some of the terrace tent and the most beautiful light glimmered through,” Rolli recalls. After the dinner, a champagne-fueled night of dancing began. She recalls Tomé giving the DJ a handful of Euros as a bribe to stay longer.

Rolli wore a silver slip dress designed by Lauren Wells of L. Wells, while Tomé wore a suit from Affari, a Portuguese company that his father has worked with over 40 years.

Finding the Dress

a person in a white dress — Anya Alexeenko

Rolli underwent a thorough dress hunting mission, one she shared with her 500,000-plus TikTok followers. “When I started showing wedding dresses on TikTok, a lot of girls resonated with it. It made them excited even if they weren’t a bride-to-be,” she says.

She quickly zeroed in on ballgowns, ideally ones with dropped-waist corsets. Designer Kim Kassas had the silhouette that Rolli dreamed of. “I found a corset that I really liked that was originally from a shorter dress,” she says. “I’ve always loved a big tulle skirt, and I said I wanted a train on the back of my dress. The team at Kim Kassas surprised me by making the train so, so, so long. It was epic. I was so excited.”

Getting Ready

a woman holding a glass of beer and another woman holding a bottle — Cole Sprouse

Rolli found her hair and makeup artists through her friend, Cole Sprouse, whose girlfriend, Ari Fournier, was a bridesmaid. Sprouse also took photos throughout the day. “I think those photos really capture the energy in a different way as well,” she says. “There’s one picture that he took of me brushing my teeth before I walked down the aisle, and it’s just really funny because one friend is holding a towel under my neck and somebody else is holding a cup for me to brush my teeth over. I would have completely forgot that moment if he hadn’t snapped that photo.”

The Big Day

a man and woman kissing on a cobblestone street — Anya Alexeenko

Seeing Tomé at the altar was Rolli’s favorite part of the wedding. She entered ahead of her bridesmaids and stood under an arch with her father. “I just stood up there and somebody came and adjusted my veil and spread it out for me,” she says. She walked down the aisle to “Young and Beautiful” by Lana del Rey. “He’s not a shy person at all, but he’s a nervous public speaker. He was flooded with emotions,” she says of her other half. “Me, I was so ready for that moment, because I listen to Lana del Rey all the time, so I’ve heard the music. I’ve cried to it walking down the street, happy, getting choked up for the past three months. I know he didn’t do that, so he was hit with it all at once. I’ll never forget his face.”

a group of people outside — Anya Alexeenko

While rain was expected, the weather held out and the day stayed clear and warm. “Everybody says their wedding night flies by, and in retrospect it did, but during the day I really feel like I was able to soak in every moment. I felt really relaxed and calm,” Rolli explains. “I didn’t have a wedding planner. Everything was just done with Sebastian. I think that was probably because I’m a very particular person—and maybe a little bit of a control freak—but it was a really fun process and I felt super at ease. I had no questions when the day came.”

A Day at the Beach

a man and woman standing on a beach with water in the background — Anya Alexeenko

To cap off the weekend, the couple hosted a gathering at the same beach Sebastian visited regularly as a child. After shaky weather in the morning, the clouds cleared. “You could hear the music by the oceanfront. There was no one else on the beach because it had been raining that morning,” Rolli says. “But then we had a beautiful sunset.”