Quick Answer
What are padrinhos de casamento?
Padrinhos de casamento (literally "wedding godparents") are the one or two people each half of the couple chooses as their principal attendant — functionally the best man and maid of honor. In Portugal they usually also stand as the two legally required witnesses at the civil ceremony, giving the role a paperwork responsibility that a Western best man or maid of honor role does not always carry.
Last updated:
Last updated:
What are padrinhos de casamento?
Also called: padrinhos e madrinhas, wedding witnesses, best man and maid of honor (Portugal).
Ask a Portuguese couple who their padrinhos are and you are really asking two questions at once: who stands closest to them on the day, and whose signature makes the marriage legally valid. A Portuguese civil ceremony requires at least two adult witnesses, and couples overwhelmingly hand that job to the same people already filling the best-man-and-maid-of-honor role — so the padrinho and madrinha end up doing double duty as both emotional support and legal formality.
What the role actually involves
- •One padrinho (chosen by the groom) and one madrinha (chosen by the bride) is the traditional pairing, though some couples now pick a padrinho/madrinha each, for four total.
- •They typically help organize the bachelor/bachelorette send-off, stand beside the couple during the ceremony, and sign as witnesses on the civil marriage documents.
- •Unlike a baptism padrinho, a wedding padrinho carries no ongoing religious obligation — the title borrows the word but not the lifelong duty.
- •Couples marrying only civilly (no church ceremony) still need padrinhos, since the witness requirement applies at the registry regardless of religion.
Planning notes
- •Confirm padrinhos early — the registry office (Conservatória do Registo Civil) usually needs their identification details as part of the pre-marriage paperwork, sometimes weeks ahead.
- •If the couple is marrying abroad or the padrinhos live outside Portugal, check the registry's witness-eligibility rules before the date, not after.
- •Give padrinhos a clear one-page brief of what's expected on the day — signing duties, seating, and any toast or speech slot — so the role doesn't get lost among general guest duties.
- •Padrinhos are usually seated at or near the top table; flag this to the venue when finalizing the floor plan.
Keep padrinhos and witnesses organized
Weddingkart lets you tag padrinhos, family, and vendors separately in the same guest list, so nobody misses their signing duty or seating spot on the day.
See guest management →Frequently Asked Questions
Is a padrinho de casamento the same as a best man?
Close, but not identical. A padrinho fills the same emotional and social role as a best man, but in Portugal he (or the madrinha) is also usually one of the two legally required witnesses on the civil marriage record — a formal duty a best man role doesn't automatically carry elsewhere.
How many padrinhos does a Portuguese couple choose?
Traditionally one padrinho and one madrinha (one per partner), though it's increasingly common for each partner to name their own padrinho and madrinha, bringing the total to four.
Do civil-only weddings in Portugal still need padrinhos?
Yes — Portuguese law requires witnesses at a civil ceremony regardless of whether there is also a religious service, so even a registry-office-only wedding needs padrinhos in this witness capacity.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated