Eternal Honeymooners - The Birth of an Innovative Travel Concept
A wedding, a wedding dress and an adventure that has already crossed more than 20 countries
Since exchanging rings on May 7, 2016, Joana Salgueiro and André Santos have started visiting different countries dressed as bride and groom. The photos they shared on Instagram attracted more and more followers who were excited about the young couple’s project.
The two wanted to prolong and eternalize the happiest day of their lives: their wedding. Along the way, in 2021, they ended up fulfilling one of the greatest dreams of their lives: creating Honeymooners, a travel agency specializing in honeymoons. In total, they have already visited more than 20 countries dressed as bride and groom. But they want more...
Discover the adventure of the couple with the world’s most traveled wedding dress, who intend to continue exploring more countries and achieve a Guinness World Record.
How Did the Eternal Honeymooners Project Begin?
On their wedding day, celebrated on May 7, 2016, Joana and André were met with torrential rain after the ceremony. With enthusiasm and plenty of good humor, they managed to enjoy the day intensely and create memorable moments with all their family and friends.
It was during their honeymoon in the Seychelles, South Africa and Dubai that they decided to create the Honeymooners blog to share their romantic travels and travel tips. But when they looked back at the wedding itself, they realized they did not have the photographs they had imagined because of the storm. Why not add an extra adventure to the blog project?
That was how the Eternal Honeymooners adventure was born...
The original idea was to have one photo shoot dressed as bride and groom on each continent, but the project continued to grow, with thousands of followers accompanying Joana and André’s adventures. The Eternal Honeymooners project continues today, maintaining its original mission: to bring the wedding into everyday life so they can continue celebrating and reliving it forever.
Eternal Honeymooners: More Than 20 Countries Visited
Discover, in Joana and André’s own words, everything that happened during the Eternal Honeymooners photo shoots they have already held in more than 20 countries.
Taj Mahal | India
It was at the Taj Mahal, in India, that the Eternal Honeymooners adventure began, four months after our wedding. Located in the city of Agra, it is known as the greatest proof of love in the world. That day, we were the first to enter and surprised the staff. During the security inspection, they searched Joana’s wedding dress and we all ended up laughing.
No Western couple had ever held a bride and groom photo shoot at the Taj Mahal. We later learned that this type of photo shoot was banned and to this day we do not know whether we had any influence on that decision.
We got incredible photos in a very special setting. The fact that it took place in India, at such a beautiful monument and within such a different culture, gave the Eternal Honeymooners project a powerful start.
Hallstatt | Austria
We had always dreamed of an Eternal Honeymooners photo shoot in Hallstatt, a village in Austria. We knew we would be in one of Europe’s most beautiful postcard settings. The entire picturesque scene we found, with the lake, the swans, the houses, the atmosphere and the fact that we were in a valley beside the river, became perfect and surrounded us with the dream we had imagined.
It was winter and we chose a colder destination after the heat of India. We also held a photo shoot at Golling Waterfall and enjoyed the cold so much that we decided to have an even more extreme experience.
We climbed into the Austrian Alps and held a photo shoot at an altitude of 3,000 meters, surrounded by snow, next to skiers and on a suspended iron bridge. It was an extreme photo shoot combined with the romance of Europe. This second shoot was the coldest we have ever done, with temperatures well below freezing!
Havana | Cuba
We were looking for a destination that could be recognized in any photograph without the need for a caption, somewhere with history, culture and a strong personality. Havana, Cuba, has all of that and much more...
We walked through the city dressed as bride and groom, riding in a classic pink vintage car and honking the horn as if we had just gotten married. Along the way, we danced salsa, stopped at the well-known La Guarida restaurant, tried the famous “cucumber mojito” and walked along the iconic Malecón.
Havana has a unique energy and a distinctly Latin atmosphere that we absolutely loved, making it a vibrant destination that will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Eternal Honeymooners began as a way for Joana Salgueiro and André Santos to recreate the wedding photographs they had missed because of heavy rain on their wedding day. What started as one photo shoot per continent grew into a project that has already taken their wedding outfits to more than 20 countries.
Atacama | Chile
One of our most challenging photo shoots also turned out to be one of the most fun, and the stark beauty of the landscape made every effort worthwhile. Portuguese and Chilean television challenged us to hold the session in northern Chile’s Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world.
The heat was intense and the desert dust was everywhere, with the difficult terrain even causing André to tear his suit pants for the first time. Despite the challenges, we captured some of our most beautiful photographs beside geysers, volcanoes and abandoned buses in the middle of the desert. Afterwards, we shared the entire adventure on the most-watched television program in Chile.
Petra | Jordan
We really wanted to hold a photo shoot in the Middle East and chose Petra, in Jordan, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Walking through the ancient city, we felt as though we had stepped into "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," which was filmed there, and discovering the Treasury, locally known as Al-Khazneh, made the experience even more memorable.
Being dressed as bride and groom in such an extraordinary place felt especially meaningful, and we were touched by the many blessings we received from other visitors. Seeing our wedding outfits framed by one of the world’s great wonders, the second to become part of the Eternal Honeymooners project at the time, had a huge impact on us.
Jerusalem | Israel
This was one of the photo shoots that made us most anxious. Our expectations were extremely high and we were also a little apprehensive, as Jerusalem is a unique city where Judaism, Islam and Christianity come together, each with its own culture, traditions and sacred places.
Our goal was to capture photographs at sites connected to all three religions, with views of the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the end, we received blessings from all three faiths and came away with a powerful sense of love as something that can connect people across different beliefs and customs.
Holding this photo shoot among thousands of people from different backgrounds had a profound impact on us. We stepped outside our comfort zone, experienced emotions we will never forget and left Israel with the certainty that love can transcend religions, cultures and traditions.
Dubai | United Arab Emirates
Why not show a country of contrasts, between the city and the desert? Let’s go to Dubai! That was how we thought about it and off we went...
It was one of the photo shoots where we suffered most from the heat because we wanted a view of what represented Dubai in the past, its more ancestral side, meaning the desert. Then, for contrast, we held another photo shoot overlooking the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
We overcame the challenge and got beautiful photographs in the United Arab Emirates.
Dubrovnik | Croatia
In 2018, the series “Game of Thrones” was at the height of its popularity and, as fans, we wanted to hold a photo shoot in Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic, which served as the perfect setting for the capital of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. We photographed in many iconic locations, including the walled city and Lokrum Island, where the original throne was located.
It was an incredible photo shoot, once again in Europe, in a city as distinctive as Dubrovnik, Croatia. It was truly very, very, very rewarding.
Paris | France
Paris is a very important city for us. We had already traveled there together through school when we were younger, in 2011, and it was a trip that also became part of our story. We tell every couple that they should visit Paris for the first time. It is the City of Light, the city of love and it is beautiful! It may be a cliché, but it really is worth it.
Paris had to be part of Eternal Honeymooners and we held a photo shoot at its most iconic locations, this time dressed as bride and groom. We watched the sunrise alone at the Eiffel Tower, which gave us magnificent photographs, passed by the Bir-Hakeim Bridge, the Champs-Élysées, Notre-Dame and many colorful streets and finished at Sacré-Cœur. It was a very romantic photo shoot, just like Paris, and one we also remember with great affection.
Portugal
After many requests from our followers, we decided to hold a photo shoot in several parts of Portugal. We had a bride and groom shoot in Moimenta da Beira, our hometown, with views over the Serra de Montemuro. Next came a shoot in Comporta, a small paradise that is very representative of our coastline and beaches. We also rode horses there, which is something very Portuguese.
We also photographed at one of Portugal’s most magical places, Pena Palace in Sintra, and took the opportunity to capture other iconic locations such as Monserrate Palace. We could not leave out our Azores and held a shoot on São Miguel, the island known as the Hawaii of Europe. We even dare to say that the Azores are much better than Hawaii because they are not such an overexplored destination and have a unique identity through their natural landscapes, food and community. We also visited Guimarães, where the most beautiful country in the world was born, and Águeda. We will continue showing the wonders of our country dressed as bride and groom.
From the Atacama Desert and Petra to Jerusalem, Dubai, Dubrovnik, Paris and Portugal, Eternal Honeymooners became a way of connecting their wedding story with places shaped by very different landscapes, cultures and personal memories.
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Sal Island | Cape Verde
The idea of taking photographs on every continent has still not disappeared! And by the 10th photo shoot, we realized that the continent of our honeymoon, Africa, had still not been included. We chose well, don’t you think? As Portuguese people, we have a very special connection with Cape Verde. It is an excellent destination and so it was chosen as the first one on the African continent.
Cape Verde is full of beautiful beaches... We held a photo shoot on Sal Island, where we traveled all around the island. We also visited Santa Maria Beach, Dunas Beach, the salt flats and Buracona. Cape Verde has arid landscapes that resemble deserts, with sand dunes, and we captured this atmosphere as well. Sal Island is incredible and gave us a great variety of photographs and a lot of fun. We even managed to take photos with followers from Africa who knew us. A beautiful destination where Portuguese is spoken.
Barcelona | Spain
We had always wanted to go to Spain for one of our Eternal Honeymooners photo shoots. It is a country very close to Portugal. We chose Barcelona, where we had already been in 2013, and wanted to return dressed as bride and groom to visit the city’s most iconic places, such as the Gothic Quarter and Barceloneta Beach.
We visited the Sagrada Família dressed as bride and groom and were able to appreciate this extraordinary work by Antoni Gaudí in all its splendor. We also loved taking photographs at Bunkers del Carmel, a beautiful hill that offers spectacular panoramic views over the city. We really enjoyed this photo shoot in Barcelona.
Bangkok & Samui | Thailand
It is almost impossible to hold a bride and groom photo shoot in just one place in Thailand. That was how we felt when we were planning it. We faced the challenge of choosing the best locations and so we decided to divide the photo shoot into three different moments. First, we wanted to capture the more cosmopolitan side of Thailand and found an angle overlooking the city of Bangkok.
Then, we held a photo shoot at a centuries-old temple and chose Wat Benchamabophit, one of the most beautiful temples in Bangkok. This iconic image of the country gave us beautiful photographs and allowed us to honor Thailand’s ancient past. Finally, we wanted to portray the paradise that can be found in Thailand and chose Koh Samui and Phuket, two of its most famous and popular islands. In Koh Samui, we created the settings ourselves using local flowers. In Phuket, aboard a yacht, we held a photo shoot that meant a great deal to us. We wanted to apply our concept of capturing different photographs with more carefully considered and personalized details.
IPO Porto
The Eternal Honeymooners photo shoot began at the Monument to Love, the Taj Mahal in India. And we could only return to our sessions thanks to the “Hospital of Love,” a place that made it possible for us to have both a present and a future. After the photo shoot in Thailand, Joana was diagnosed with cancer. We spent a year without traveling, without holding photo shoots, fighting for the possibility of being able to do more.
It was IPO and its entire team that treated Joana and helped us continue pursuing this dream. When we were given the “green light” to resume the Eternal Honeymooners adventure, we held our first photo shoot at this place. It was very emotional because it symbolized everything we had been through and also marked a new chapter in our future. We can say that it became the most emblematic, impactful and emotional photo shoot of all because it showed us that there is always hope and a tomorrow for those who fight and believe. It showed us that we always need to stay positive and keep our strength to live. We can only thank IPO for this second chance at life.
Cairo | Egypt
To turn the page on this period of illness, we wanted to return in a big way and for that we needed something that would challenge us. We had often talked about how much we would love to be photographed dressed as bride and groom in Egypt. We all recognize the importance and symbolism of the pyramids around the world, but finding the right locations and managing to take photographs without people and with the pyramids in the background proved very difficult.
We photographed in the Sahara Desert and climbed onto rooftops with wonderful views over the pyramids. We also photographed at Marriott Mena House, a historic, traditional and luxurious hotel with a long and rich heritage connected to the history of modern Egypt and remarkable views of the Pyramids of Giza. It was a very impactful photo shoot, surrounded by one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, in a country that had been one of our travel dreams... A memory we will keep forever.
Holbox | Mexico
Holbox and Honeymooners came to have more than just their first letter in common. In 2021, when it was still not very well known, we chose this destination as one of the best places to visit. Dressing as bride and groom here and adding this destination to our list of choices for continuing our adventure dressed as newlyweds turned out to be extraordinary!
If there is one place in the world where the word “paradise” fits perfectly, it is Holbox. We held a beautiful photo shoot dressed as bride and groom right in the sea, with perfect views over an endless blue. Mexico is a destination very close to our hearts and one we intend to return to throughout our lives...
The project continued through Cape Verde, Spain, Thailand, Egypt and Mexico, but its return at IPO Porto marked a particularly important chapter after Joana’s cancer treatment and a year without traveling or holding photo shoots.
Cayo La Farola | Dominican Republic
We decided to celebrate André’s 30th birthday with a fantastic photo shoot at Cayo La Farola, a deserted paradise island in the Dominican Republic. For the first time, Joana’s mother and sister attended an Eternal Honeymooners photo shoot and were very surprised by the way we organized everything.
It was a very fun and relaxed photo shoot. At the end, André took off his suit and Joana took off her dress, and we finished the day with a swim in the warm waters, surrounded by starfish. The Dominican Republic is a paradise that we simply loved.
InterContinental Maamunagau | Maldives
The Maldives are very important to us, both as a couple and as the founders of Honeymooners. It was in the Maldives that we celebrated our engagement in 2015 and launched our travel agency to the world in 2021. The beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise sea make this one of the most romantic and sought-after destinations in the world, so we knew we needed to include this paradise in one of our Eternal Honeymooners photo shoots.
We photographed at the InterContinental, one of the most beautiful and luxurious hotels in the world. We also recreated a vow renewal, where they prepared a dream setting for us, filled with flowers and a cake. We rode the eco-friendly bicycles the resort is known for and also took beautiful photographs in a natural lagoon. It was a dream photo shoot in a destination considered one of the best in the world for a honeymoon.
London | United Kingdom
London is the city that marks the most special Eternal Honeymooners photo shoot we have done so far. It was where we revealed to the world that we were going to become parents. This city is very important to us because it was also our first travel destination together, in 2008. We immediately decided that London would be the place where we announced the arrival of our miracle baby, dressed as bride and groom.
It was a photo shoot that left us smiling and with a warm feeling in our hearts, now that we were three! The sun shone that morning, giving us the certainty that another one of our dreams had come true.
Venice | Italy
The first photo shoot we did as a family of three, with our son in our arms, was in Venice, Italy. After visiting Italy in 2013, we completely fell in love with the country and really wanted to return. We were looking for a romantic destination filled with history and culture, a dream city and the perfect destination to begin this new adventure of traveling as a family.
It also helped us understand how our photo shoots could work from then on. Many people believed we would no longer hold Eternal Honeymooners photo shoots, but we always knew the project would continue. We took photographs in the iconic St. Mark’s Square and at other locations around the city, with gondolas in the background. It was a very fun photo shoot and confirmed to us that we are still only at the beginning of this adventure, now as a family of three.
Parrot Cay | Turks & Caicos
During the European winter, we decided to travel to a destination highly sought after by Hollywood stars: Turks and Caicos, filled with white sand beaches and warm, transparent waters. Parrot Cay is a private island where calm and privacy prevail.
Because it is such an exclusive island, we were unable to find a photographer, so we decided the three of us would organize everything ourselves. In this retreat, João Maria became the true star and helped us with the tripod, the timer, the run into position for the smile and the pose. It was a lot of fun to see our family in action in one of the most beautiful island destinations in the world.
Shangri-La | Mauritius
We had wanted to visit Mauritius for a long time. It is one of Honeymooners’ paradise destinations. We stayed at the Shangri-La, one of the most luxurious hotels in Africa, with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
We took wonderful photographs with palm trees as our setting. It is a destination much loved by our clients, and now it is also part of our story and the Eternal Honeymooners project.
Seychelles
The Seychelles are a very important destination for us because they were part of our honeymoon in 2016. It was here that we decided to launch the Honeymooners blog, which would become our travel agency a few years later.
With the birth of our son, João Maria, and with our Honeymooners travel agency now part of our lives, we felt that we needed to renew our vows, set new goals for our relationship, decide the direction we wanted to follow together and also think about everything we could improve. In short, we wanted to look back at everything we had experienced up to that point as husband and wife.
It was a very important and emotional photo shoot. We felt that from that point onward, the goal would always be to keep improving, and we recommend that every couple take a trip to reflect, look back and strengthen their relationship.
Since then, our family has grown once again with the arrival of our second son, Manuel Maria. What began as a journey for two, and later became an adventure for three, is now a story written by four. Our Eternal Honeymooners journey continues to evolve with us, celebrating not only the places we discover together, but also the love, dreams and memories that have shaped our family along the way.
Eternal Honeymooners has evolved alongside Joana and André’s own story, from their wedding and the creation of Honeymooners to parenthood, family travel and a vow renewal in the Seychelles. More than 20 countries later, the original idea of continuing to celebrate their marriage through travel remains at the heart of the project.
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