A Brazilian Wedding

Groom Lucas and Bride Juliana

I went to Brazil two summers ago (2013) to a small city called Chapecó, which belongs to the state of Santa Catarina for a six week internship teaching university students English at Unochapeco. I was staying with a Brazilian host family and I had the chance to accompany them to a Brazilian wedding. I was super excited to attend this wedding because I have never been to a wedding from other cultures apart from my own, which is modern Chinese weddings. The wedding was held at Florianopolis,  the capital city of Santa Catarina, which is a state in southern Brazil. This wedding, I was told was not a traditional Brazilian wedding because it was held in a hotel next to the ocean instead of a church and had green carpet instead of red for the bride to walk down the aisle with. Nevertheless, I have experienced a wedding different from the western or chinese weddings that I am accustomed to. The wedding was held late in the afternoon instead of in the morning. Guests arrived at around five o'clock in the afternoon but the wedding ceremony did not officially start until six o'clock, early evening. 

The father of the bride walking her down the aisle

The groom and bride were a beautiful couple and I could tell how much they love each other  by the way they looked at each other. The wedding ceremony lasted around an hour and after that guests were seated for dinner prepared by the hotel. The dinner was buffet style, which is quite different from what I was used to. There were many choices in the buffet and I enjoyed eating seafood that the city is famous for. After the appetizer and the main course, the cake was passed out by the waiters. The cake was in a beautiful aqua colour and on the top of the cake, the bride and the groom was seen kissing while standing on surfboards. The beachy and seashells themed cake reflects the couple's passion for surfing, a sport they enjoy doing together, which also ties in with their beach themed wedding. 

Wedding Cake

“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mark 10:6-9)

Partying the night away

One of the major differences between the weddings that I am used to and a Brazilian wedding is the dancing after dinner. The Brazilians sure know how to party and enjoy each other's company. After dinner, the dance floor was 'opened', so to speak by the bride and the father of the bride. Their duet was followed by the famous duet dance of the groom and the bride. The groom and the bride's duet was one of my favourite part of the whole evening, it looked as though it was from a movie. After their duet, they were joined by their close friends to a humourous dance choreo that celebrates the groom and bride's relationship as well as their friendships with others. After this mini performance, the dance floor was officially open for all ages. Family and friends, youngs and olds danced the night away to celebrate the couple's special day. Overall, this Brazilian wedding was a very pleasant one and I had a blast. 

Bride and Groom's dance duet

The bride enjoying her wedding

The wedding ceremony completed, the groom walked with the bride hand in hand