South America Weddings

We’ve already perused the pretty that was Part 1 of this beachside celebration, and the day after picnic that followed? Unreal. A beautiful beach bash paired with floral filled drinks, poolside merriment, and of course a few hammocks for good measure. It’s time to escape the ordinary because Cassidy Carson has captured it all to share in The Vault!

From the Bride… The farewell picnic was casually decorated with flowers and fruits. It was a relaxing day by the pool and ocean for our guests to enjoy one last day together before going home.

Our wedding turned out to be one of most amazing experiences in our lives! We still can’t believe how fun and special it all was. We now know though, it all revolved around our amazing friends and family – and of course, the natural wonders of Brazil.

Photography: Cassidy Carson Photography | Planner: Roberta Suruagy | Floral Design: Bagatelle Decor | Cake: Le Brule Confeitaria And Cupcakes Da Bianca | Bride's Shoes: Carol Hung | Picnic Venue: Pousada Do Toque

It’s official, Cassidy Carson can do no wrong. For this seaside celebration is not only a dose of tropical bliss, but it’s got the makings of an all time classic celebration. From the Bride’s beautifully detailed gown, to the regal reception that followed their ceremony, we’ve got it all waiting in The Vault! Oh, and if you think this is good, just wait until you see their farewell picnic – Part 2 coming right up!

From the Bride… I met Collis randomly almost 12 years ago, on a bus in Vancouver, where I was studying English through an exchange program.

When the course was over at the end of 2004, we were deeply in love, but our young age, university plans and different nationalities spoke louder and I had to go back to Brazil. However, 9 years later, fate and the stars would rock our worlds unexpectedly, when we were brought back together to never leave each other again.

In March 2014, Collis proposed to me in beautiful Lake Louise, Alberta. From there to here, many changes and a lot of courage took place, so our dreams could finally become a reality.

We currently live in Vancouver, but very shortly after the proposal, we both decided we wanted to get married in Brazil. I knew immediately that the hidden paradise of São Miguel dos Milagres, one of the most beautiful beaches in the northeast of the country, was the place to be. With nothing but untouched soft sand and warm water beaches, it was the perfect backdrop for our story.

What makes São Miguel so magical, is also what makes it a challenging place to have a wedding for 120 people. Besides the fact that we picked and organized everything from 11,000 kilometres away, we had to hire designers, a wedding planner and all professionals from another city, almost 200 kms distant. Not to mention that it was the very first time a wedding was hosted at the venue we picked.

I was not sure all the hundreds of emails exchanged and Skype meetings held late at night would be worth it all. At the end of the day it came down to planning, trusting a great team of professionals, and counting on my beloved family, who helped me in every single detail. It ended up being an unforgettable experience and more amazing than we could have ever imagined!

Our wedding was broken up into three separate events: a Luau the first night, the Wedding and reception, and finally a romantic farewell picnic.

The Luau was tropical themed with huge white flags and a bomb fire on the beach. Then live music, caipirinhas, and dancing on the pool deck. The party only stopped when we all jumped in the water with our clothes on.

The wedding happened the next afternoon in a magical church built in the 18th century. An orchestra played our favourite songs and the guests were welcomed with paper fans and lemon water to refresh. The ceremony was held by a charismatic young Priest, who added English insertions so our Canadian family and friends could follow along.

The Reception took place in the courtyard of Pousada do Toque, the boutique hotel we all stayed in that weekend. The garden on its own is already beautiful, so our idea was to simply bring a little more Brazilian flare to the party. It was decorated with rustic accents, paper lanterns and tropical local flowers. The long wooden tables brought us together and helped Canadians and Brazilians strike up fun conversations and warm up for the party to come. The moon was full, the live music was great, and the drinks were cold and endless. Our families and best friends all together under the stars. We sang, laughed and danced until very late on that magnificent night. “What a time to be alive”, I thought all night long. It was beautiful and unforgettable!

Photography: Cassidy Carson Photography | Cinematography: Par Filmes | Planner: Roberta Suruagy | Floral Design: Bagatelle Decor | Cakes: Le Brule Confeitaria And Cupcakes Da Bianca | Ceremony Venue: São Miguel Dos Milagres Church | Reception Venue: Pousada Do Toque | Bride's Shoes: Carol Hung | Jewelry: Tiffany & Co. | Catering: Pousada Do Toque | Makeup Artist: Vera Murta | Hair Stylist: Jackeline Monteiro | Calligraphy: Mariana Kratka | DJ: DJ Patife | Band: Fabio Cavanha And Band | Groom's Attire: Indochino | Groomsmen's Attire: Indochino | Bridal Gown: Jane Hill | Groom's Shoes: Cole Haan | Groom's Tie: Indochino | Paper Suite: Minted

Destination weddings are always fabulous, but when you throw an “I do” celebration in the pretty little land known as Brazil, it’s what we call a destination wedding of epic proportions.  I’m talking breathtaking scenery every which way you look, lovelies.  And it’s amazing.  Throw in a bride and groom who seriously couldn’t be more stunning and an entire day captured by the ever-wonderful Weber Photography and, well.  Happy, happy Friday.  Click here for more.

From Weber Photography… Sarah and Sol’s Brazil wedding had a Classic style, with minimal decorating needed in lieu of the gorgeous scenery surrounding their venue. Their chosen location, Praia do Rosa, is a small surfing town in the state of Santa Catarina and is slowly attracting more and more attention by both Brazilian and international travelers. It was such a pleasure spending time with this beautiful couple! They were incredibly inviting and super excited to share the Brazilian culture with guests coming from all over the world!

From the Bride… We’d always thought the perfect wedding for us would be by the beach, on a perfect hot summer day, overlooking sunset by the sea. That’s why our chosen place, Praia do Rosa was perfect. Not only had I grown up going there every school holiday, but it was the first place I took Sol when he visited Brazil for the first time. The church was right by our favourite beach, so that’s where we headed as soon as the I do’s were said, and standing on the rocks watching the crashing waves under the hot sun just before the reception was an unforgettable feeling.

For our wedding reception we wanted to have a real mix of traditions as the groom is both English and Greek, and has family in Japan, and I’m Brazilian but I also grew up in England. We had an amazing eclectic mix of guests to cater for, so we had lots of fun choosing all the details of the wedding. We had the traditional set of bridesmaids, maid of honour and best man, the Greek version of groomsmen (koumbaros), the Brazilian traditional wedding godparents padrinhos and madrinhas, as well as my three goddaughters as flower girls! They all had special duties to perform, and loved taking part in the ceremony.

My bridesmaids’ dresses were designed by Joelho Roxo, a collective artist’s group– belonging to my bridesmaids’ and me! They were then beautifully tailored by Suzana Vargas.

Our cake had a special twist. As the wedding cake dolls, we had Japanese daruma given to us by the grooms brother, who lives in Japan. They are special lacquered paper dolls on which you draw one eye as you make a wish, and fill in the other eye when the wish comes true. The ritual, followed by the cake cutting, was even more romantic than wed wished, and we got to keep the bride and groom dolls to always remind us of our wishes!

Another personal touch were the lembrancinhas, small wedding gifts we shared with our guests. We collected sand from our two favourite beaches where the wedding took place, and filled small glass bottles with half of each type. The two types of sand were different colours, and we knew that just like us, as time passed, they would mix together and become one. We also picked small shells from the beach and attached them to the ribbon around the bottles, adding our own design of tags with the wedding date and location. We had so much fun making the hundred or so bottles and were happy everyone could take a piece of paradise home with them.

The beach scenery from the wedding venue was even more spectacular as sunset came and the candles were lit. We had a great lounge arrangement which allowed all our wedding guests to circulate and get to know each other better and by the time we hit the dance floor everyone spoke the same language! Our first dance was to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, which means a lot to us, and my bridesmaids performed an amazing choreography to our favourite night out song, That’s Not My Name by the Ting Tings, as well as two very romantic songs sang by one of them, who had rehearsed all the way from Ecuador.

The speeches were a very emotional time for us, as we wanted to express how grateful we were for all our friends and family who had travelled from all over the world to share our special moment, and especially to my mother, who had, like us, always dreamed of the perfect wedding… it was the perfect moment for us to let everyone know we had had the best day of our lives, and we couldnt have been happier!

Photography: Weber Photography- Cory Weber | Cinematography: Eleven35 Productions- JohnPaul Morris | Wedding Coordinator: Bartira Venturella Soares | Floral Designer: Bartira Venturella Soares | Cake: Patricia Goedert | Ceremony Venue: Igreja Sagrada Famlia | Reception Venue: Pousada Vida, Sol e Mar | Entertainment: Concorde Eventos, Edgar Ghedin | Bridesmaids' Dress Designer: Joelho Roxo | Ceremony Dress: Ronald Joyce | Reception Dress: Phase Eight

I’ve been kind of obsessed with the idea of visiting Brazil ever since a good friend of mine spent two months soaking in the amazing landscape and culture.  He said it was awesome… and after seeing this sweet affair captured by Alem Photo, I agree whole-heartedly.  A fun-filled day set against the beautiful Itapema Beach, it’s drop-dead gorgeous blooms from Clari Decorações meets a laid-back, yet elegant vibe meets one of the most stunning brides you will ever see.  Join me in the gallery for all of the pretty.

From the Bride… Our ceremony and reception took place on the beach of an oceanfront restaurant in Itapema, Brazil.  We rented a wooden deck and a tent, which, in combination with the decorations created a wonderful ambience. We were both so thrilled! The reception was on-site, at the restaurant, immediately following the ceremony. We had a beautiful reception, filled with flowers, the finest seafood of South Brazil, and a wide range of delicious desserts. It was an incredible night, everyone looked so happy and we saw all our guests enjoying the party!

Dave and I like to travel and live abroad. Subsequently, there were guests from the United States, China, Colombia and Brazil. They were able to experience American and Brazilian cultures in one big event. In both the ceremony and reception, we kept some Brazilian traditions, while adding some American flair to almost everything we did. As an example, instead of the classic garter toss, Dave followed a Brazilian tradition of being blindfolded, spun around, and placing a tie over the head of one of the bachelors, who move in a circle around him.

As a graphic designer, I loved creating the plans and layouts for my own wedding. Things went very smoothly with my wedding decorator as I gave her a clear picture of what I wanted, so she was able to do her job of making it all possible. It was breathtaking to see all of mine and Dave’s work come together just as I had imagined.

Fourteen people came from America to see us say “I Do” and I wanted to make sure that everything would look perfect for them, since they had come all the way to Brazil. Our American family and friends loved the atmosphere and the joy that the Brazilian culture brought to the reception party. Likewise, our Brazilian guests were amazed with all of the American details we added to our big day!

[dotted]

Wedding Photography: Alem Photo | Ceremony Venue: Itapema Beach in Itapema, Brazil | Reception Venue: Recanto da Sereia Restaurant in Itapema, Brazil | Wedding Cinematography: Mottiva Filmes | Wedding Coordination: Agape Cerimonial | Floral + Event Design: Clari Decorações | Catering: Recanto da Sereia Restaurant | Wedding Cake: Eveline Maia | Dessert: Menta Pura | Macarons: Les Amies Macarons | Music: Tiago Catafesta | Wedding Stationery: the bride Perfetto | Wedding Dress: Yolan Cris Barcelona | Bride’s Headband: Black Tie São Paulo | Bride’s Shoes: Macy’s | Hair + Makeup: Juliane Friedrich

Save the Date gone glam, this film by Par Filmes is the epitome of chic. It’s cinematography with style, and sweet as all get out. Can you imagine getting something like this to announce the day a couple was tying the knot? It’s just beyond. It’s all style and sweet sentiments, so get cozy and get ready for some serious heart fluttering…

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/43348329?color=f7ebe4 600 337]

From Par Filmes… This is Kelly and Felipe, and they will marry on September 29th. They work together at a fashion brand, and they asked us to make them a save-the-date film inspired by vintage cinema and fashion editorials. We loved this idea and booked a real vintage hotel room at Belo Horizonte, a big city in Brazil. Finally, to make everything still more special, the groom wrote a letter to his bride, but she didn’t know anything about it beforehand. It was a real surprise!

Carol and Renato of Par Filmes / Location: Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Up next in our lineup of goodies is a perfectly sweet beach wedding that is instantly going to cause a little pain in your heart for those warm summer days. Daniel Nobre was there to capture all of action on the sands of Tabuba beach in Ceará, Brazil. For even more of this South American beauty, head to the gallery. Sandy, beachy goodness awaits your click.

see more of the beach festivities here!

We are a Brazilian-American combination, and we live in Washington, DC. We met each other almost three years ago in DC, It was love at the first sight and since then we have been together. Last year we got engaged in Negril, Jamaica and one month later we had our civil wedding in Vermont, where Johannes grew up. It was so beautiful and sweet, with a few good friends and his family. We tried to keep it simple and the wedding was all DIY. I bought my dress (from the 30’s) at a vintage store and we had an adorable morning/afternoon with our loved ones. But we decided to have another, bigger wedding in Brazil on the beach near where I am from, so all of my family and friends could attend. We made the wedding invitations ourselves, and they featured one of Johannes’ woodcuts. Our second wedding was August 7th and it was a dream. We rented a beach house at Tabuba Beach, Ceará (Brazil) and the ceremony was on the beach around twilight. I was wearing a custom made dress by a Brazilian designer who is a friend of mine. Johannes brought a seersucker suit from the U.S and was wearing a pink tie that I gave him. For the entrance, we had an accordion-solo and everybody was very emotional. During the wedding we did the “sand ceremony” which is very common in Brazil. The bride and the groom mix colorful sand, representing the two lives that are being made one. After the ceremony we had a reception at the house with live music, DJs, a fruit cocktail bar and a lot of fun. We wanted the wedding to have a fun and festive vibe, nothing too formal. We also tried to keep the rustic atmosphere and have spontaneous pictures, and we passed out buttons with cute caricatures of the two of us.

Photographer: Daniel Nobre / Ceremony Location: Tabuba beach – Ceará, Brazil / Reception Location: Beach house – Tabuba beach, Ceará, Brazil / Wedding Dress: by designer Silvania de Deus, from Brazil / Wedding Sandals: Calvin Klein