Brazil | You May French Kiss The Bride

Apr 2014

Thaís and Filipe are Brazilian and about to experience a big change: they’re moving to Mexico. They are also in the middle of the organization of their wedding, a wedding that will take place on the beach in Tulum once they’re there. What they didn’t know is that another kind of wedding was planned in secret for them, on the day of their civil marriage in Brazil by the bride’s sisters. The whole idea was to give the opportunity to some of their friends who wouldn’t make it to Tulum to get a taste of what they were going to miss. I’ve always thought I’d kill the person who’d organize a surprise wedding for me—that’s because I’m kind of a control freak—, but I think their pictures made me change my mind. I mean, have you ever seen a bride that emotional? The photos were taken by Mariana Magno out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

So, surprise wedding, yes or no?

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The word of the photographer.

As a photographer, I’ve had my share of emotions, but this wedding stands in my top 10 of the most emotional weddings ever.

At home, everything was taken care of by Thaís’ sisters; Thaís didn’t even know what she was going to wear! They gave them headphones and took them to the church, that was already decorated and full of people waiting for them. When they arrived, they recognized the place by its smell, but had no idea how beautiful everything was and how much friends were waiting to witness their love with them.

It was one memorable moment of joyful tears! Even I had to get it together so I wouldn’t sob! It was so good to be able to be there and capture so much love, to see so many open-hearted people, in a place that’s so special for the bride & groom. I was literally able to feel the love and affection in every detail.

Apr 2014

Maria Clara + Amance

French-Brazilian Wedding in Rio de Janeiro with a Pom Pom Aisle and a View on the Corcovado

Amongst all the cities I’ve visited, Rio de Janeiro is one of my favourites. It’s even on our top list if we ever decide to move to Brazil some day. Sure, as for any city, there are pros and cons… and maybe there are even a bit more cons than pros when it comes to Rio. But what can I say, who’s never fallen for the bad guy? Rio is a fantastic city, that mixes nature and urban landscapes in a strange and beautiful way. And of course, there’s the sea! Maria Clara and Amance got married in the neighbourhood of Santa Teresa, with a view on the Corcovado, the city and its surroundings. Needless to say I love their venue, but I also particularly love the pom pom aisle they created for their day! Photos by Fábio Moro.

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The wedding took place on July 20th, in Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The venue was Recanto do Barão which it is a large house surrounded by a beautiful garden.

I don’t know if you know Rio, but from Santa Teresa you have a great view of the city: we could see the Sugar Loaf, the Corcovado, some beaches.. astonishing!

Amance and I met in Rio. He was here to study, on an internship program. He came from Lyon and, coincidently, I went to Lyon 2 weeks after meeting him, also to an internship program. When I came back, he was still around and we satyed together for a while. After he finished his studies here, we stayed 2 years making trips Rio – Lyon, Lyon – Rio. Then finally, we decided it wasn’t funny at all and Amance came to stay definitely in Rio :).

The entire wedding was planned in 3 months only, and it was crazy to do so many things on such a short time. My mother helped me a lot on this.

Name one thing you regret…

My first wedding planner was very, very bad. I regret I lost time with her. But fortunately we found other great vendors afterwards. So, honestly, I don’t regret anything. Everything was so perfect! Maybe I could just have arrived earlier; I had the make-up and hair done at the wedding venue and since I arrived late, we didn’t have much time to take much making of pictures.

… And one thing you’re really happy about/ proud of.

I am very happy to have accepted the challenge of making an entire wedding in such a short time: venue, decoration, dress, invitation.. There are so much things to do, and I though it wasn’t possible to make it all in 3 months. I really wouldn’t be able to do it without my family’s support before and during the wedding planning: they encouraged me to do it and helped me a lot with vendors. I am very grateful to them for having encouraged and helped me on this, because a wedding reception is just awesome: you have all you friends and family there to see your new beginning with the one you love. Amance’s family and friends also came, and it was rewarding to see both families together. All the good energy around and the genuine best wishes from our friends and family made this day much more special than I could imagine. So, I would say to everyone who thinks about the cost and hard work to make a wedding: it’s really worth it!

The word of the photographer.

From my point of view, it was a very romantic wedding, with the specificity that it united two persons from different countries. The attention was also drawn on the very delicate decoration, that reminded of the union between France and Brazil. The choice of the venue was fundamental because of the fantastic view on Rio de Janeiro. I can say that I had just what I needed to document a beautiful wedding story: love, delicate touches and a beautiful view!

Mar 2014

Letícia + Uelinton

Skydive Wedding with a Ring Exchange on the Plane and an Actual Parachute Jump

What’s more natural for a couple of skydivers than to get married on a plane, right before a parachute jump? This was the wedding of Letícia & Uelinton. Lucky for them, the bridesmaids and groomsmen are all skydivers—if not instructors or world champions in their discipline—and could fly up in the air with them. They had a reception with appetizers & cakes on the ground for the non-skydivers, but the actual wedding is considered to be that moment in the sky, when they exchanged their rings and then skydived for the first time as a married couple. How romantic?

These photos were taken by a husband and wife duo that I had the honour of meeting, several times actually (because we liked each other a lot!), Fabio and Julia of Duo Borgatto. For the story, Fabio did some skydiving lessons so it was ok for him to go with the couple! They’re both gonna be in France from June 20 until July 23 before possibly moving over here for good in 2015 (YAY!!), so if you’re still looking for a photographer to shoot your wedding, search no longer!

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