This Day is all about Luiz n Natalia - the follow up

I had to take a minute to write a quick follow to Luiz Henrique and Natalia's big day.   Yes time has passed and they have settled into their quaint two bedroom apartment in Goiania.   We joined some friends there a couple of days ago for coffee and to see the new place.  During our visit the wedding was brought up and they mentioned how they liked the blog post I had written. Natalia needed a little help with translation but good for her Luiz Henrique speaks English fluently.  The conversation continued on about the similarities and differences there were from weddings in the United States that I help plan.   It started with the ceremony and I again shared how not knowing exactly what was said,  it seemed like every Catholic wedding ceremony I had been to before.  We then discussed what was written about the reception and I mentioned that there is traditionally a cake cutting as part of the evenings festivities in the states.  They shared that this was part of the original plan but  somehow the wedding planner dropped the ball and forgot it.  They were also supposed to have time to toast each other and drink a glass of champagne as husband and wife.  Similar to the toast given by the best man in the U.S.A., this ceremonial gesture

of sharing a glass of champagne between the newlyweds is reserved for the new couple.  I asked if maybe I had missed it but was informed no,  it was missed by the planner as well.  Luiz Henrique and Natalia said these were two regrets of the evening which were supposed to be in the hands of  the wedding planner.  They also pointed out my observation of too many photos during the reception was accurate as well.  All the newlyweds wanted to do is dance and enjoy their guests and it seemed like the photos went on and on.   In the end they had a wonderful evening with no major mishaps and plenty of pictures to remember it with.  The young couple are both happy with how the evening went and were pleased that I enjoyed their evening of celebration honoring the beginning of their lives together as husband and wife.

This day is all about Luiz n Natalia - The reception

The wedding ceremony is over and all the guests slowly file out of the church.  I am sure Luiz and Natalia are taking a deep breath and are plenty ready to continue on and have a great night.  This is when the wedding planner's job really begins but again I am just here to participate and fortunately no work for me tonight.  We all load into vehicles and bump and squeeze down the roads of Mineiros to the reception venue.  A plain building with a circle drive to drop people off before heading to park the car.  This is useful tonight as an occasional shower blesses the evening cooling it down a bit.
In the wedding invitations there was a little card which invited us to the reception and this ticket is

taken at the door by two gentlemen who obviously work for the venue.  We enter the large banquet hall which is decorated with lavish linens and ornate table centerpieces.  I think to myself that this would be like any reception in the U.S.  The venue is simply gorgeous.  At the far end of the room just beyond what is obviously the dance floor is a small riser with a white table topped with a four tier cake, framed by pink flower spheres and platters filled with what only could be Brazilian sweets.  Before I can go investigate a little closer we find a seat to call ours for the evening and visit with family and friends who are already seated and some that arrive shortly after us.

The DJ begins to play some soft music allowing the guests to talk for a while.  By American standards,  this would be a large wedding with clearly over 300 guests but not quite 500.  The tables are filled and soon the newly Mr. and Mrs. Luiz Henrique Brito enter the room and are introduced to cheering and applauding and "We are the Champions" being played by the DJ.   I asked the groom later of the significance to this musical choice but he simply states with a chuckle that they both love the song.  The reception is official kicked off by the first dance of the newlyweds and shortly after the dance the buffet is open.  Guests begin filtering through the food lines filling their plates with bread, meats,

The Bride n Groom with his family

pastels,  panelinhas (small pans), and salad. All cooked to Brazilian perfection and no one should have left hungry.  Of course the wait staff brought beverages to the tables and people just enjoyed the evening catching up with each other.  I watched as the wedding coordinator buzzed around making sure the food was replenished at the buffet,  tables were cleared around the ballroom,  and she even helped the photographer find family members for photos by the cake table from time to time.

Speaking of the photographer,  they spent the evening filling the riser with different combinations of people for a quick photo and then on to the next group.  The wedding party, the bride's family, the groom's family,  the extended families,  all the bridesmaids, all the groomsmen and on and on.  Heck even Luiz and I had our photo taken with the newlyweds and once these photos were finished, the photographers dispersed into the crowd for additional candid shots.  I thought to myself that such a large portion of the couples evening was taken by these photos and in the United States many of them would have been done prior to the ceremony or at the church right afterwards.  In the end primarily the same photos were taken as I would expect back stateside just during the reception.

After the first dance and everyone has had a chance to eat, the dance floor begins to fill with guests grooving to the sounds of the DJ.    Everyone was having a good time and on occasion someone from the family even dragged me out to shake my groove thing a little.  No line dance or chicken song but some good classic American songs mixed with Brazilian favorites filled the evening.  Half way through the night the bride tossed her bouquet to all the

single ladies whom had scurried to the dance floor in hopes of catching it.  Shortly after the new husband joined his wife at the cake table for a couple of speeches or toasts.  They were in Portuguese and with all the crowd talking I had a hard time interpreting. These were  the only customs I noticed during the evening.   At least the only ones that I am aware of.  Oh wait.  a Brazilian custom which I almost forgot was when several of the groomsmen took the groom around to the different table throughout the ballroom asking men to contribute money for the couples's honeymoon.  If you made a contribution,  the groomsmen would cut a piece of the groom's tie for you as a souvenir of sorts. After this brief interruption, the rest of the

evening was filled with dancing and fellowship with family and friends.  Soon the night was at an ending point and upon leaving we noticed a beautiful coffee station complete with an elegant floral arrangement.  Not sure how we missed it on the way in and maybe it was not there but what a nice ending to a wonderful evening.  I cannot wait to be invited to another nuptial celebration in Brazil.

Wedding Show - Goiania Style

While in Brazil – I have had the privilege to attend two exhibitions of fashion. One was a wedding show (Noivas um Festa's Bridal Show) where my friend Tacia Magna Viana Pires was showcasing her talents in creating hand written invitation. The other was CASACOR Goias 2011(www.casacor.com.br) an exhibition on interior design. In this blog I will be talking about the first and I hope you enjoy my perspective. If you do and don’t want to miss the second, make sure you subscribe to my blog so you receive notices when I post. OK enough with the self promotion on to the evening.

Luiz arrives home and we quickly get ready for a cocktail reception a friend of his (Tacia Magna) has invited us to. I am not sure what the “event” is, but I am always game for dressing up and attending these kinds of functions. After a small bite to eat (there is always food at cocktail receptions so should keep it small, but you just never know what that food will be…right?), we drive to Ambientar (a local venue in Goiania) and park a short distance away. We stroll through the neighborhood with a few other people, all heading to the exhibition. When we get closer I realize it is a wedding expo and since I am in that industry back in Atlanta, I am excited to see what the city has to offer. The show Noivas Em Festa  Twitter,  Facebook Main Page is celebrating it’s 6th edition and tonight is highlighting over 50 professionals in the high end bridal market. With Valet out front and a welcoming red carpet, it is very similar to productions I network at in Atlanta.

We walk up to the front door and meet Tacia who has our ticket. She leads us into the venue and down the stairs to her stylish table.(Tacia Caligrafa - Official Photo from the night) It is nicely arranged with the hand written invitations displayed.  Each invitation was created with simply magnificent and graceful calligraphy. Even though it is written in Portuguese, I am intrigued by the flowing lines of the ink. They are so so precise, I almost cannot believe they are hand written. After a short visit with Tacia we begin to browse the different vignettes set up throughout the space.

The showcase is a representation from all the usual suspects like decoration, photography, buffet, ceremonial garments, shoes, cakes and pastries, invitations, furniture rentals, travel agencies, beauty salons, special car rentals, just to name a few.  ( See Exhibitors) Of course the vignettes highlighting the decorators draw my attention. These creative table displays could easily be found at the NACE Table Trends back in the states. (NACE Atlanta / Table Trends)

We make our way through the vendors to the courtyard checking out the many cake displays and possible hotel stays along the way. To my surprise many of the vendors did not want me to photograph their displays. This amazed me as they had put so much work into their creation and it was obvious I am not their competition (speaking only English and being from the U.S.). Even if I did intend to use their ideas, for me imitation is the best compliment I can get. (and you just never know where you photo will end up and get more attention) But it was their choice and I honored it only taking photos where the vendor said pode  (pronounced "pod-jee" it is "you can" in Portuguese). We made our way to the courtyard after about thirty minutes and the luxurious courtyard is filled with people, displays, food stations, bars, and a runway. I quickly notice a display up the little hill and to the right so I lead us in that direction.

This vignette is by far the winner of best design in my book (even though it is not a competition) It was the table designed by Valeria Junqueira (Website). To simply describe it as clear, clean and green. The design had nothing simple about it. With a variety of delicate white flowers suspended above the clear head table adorn with tall vases of white orchids and the same delicate white flowers overhead.  Plenty of fresh greenery added for the perfect accent to the clear see through elements. Around the head table were positioned the guest tables. Decorated with a fresh garden look adorned with tulips, yellow roses, greenery, and push pin mums in the center. They were lush and overflowing with the details of life. I spent quite a bit of time just looking and admiring the vignette.  Ever second discovering a new detail in the design.

  

Let's head back inside the building (not literally - just in my blog) to a table display which I have to acknowledge and give it honorable mention in my book (again, not a competition) I had noticed it as we walked through earlier and would describe it as dark and delicious.  With its black disco chandeliers above the elegant gold plated table and chairs. The details of the chairs competing for your eyes attention with only the black tableware and red accents of roses and napkins. How can you go wrong when you give people these colors to feast their eyes on. It was definitely an eye catcher. Unfortunately I could not find who’s table design it was.

But since this is not a decoration show, I had better spend some time on the rest, so lets head back. In the courtyard Luiz bumps into some friends who we hang out with the rest of the evening. It is always good to friends from our pasts. There is a large crowd of people gathered around the food stations and bars. (sound familiar?) we head towards the sushi bar to grab some nid bits to eat. The sushi tastes wonderful and I can see why everyone has gathered around. You also can’t get far before you are done eating it and need more.

A short while later the music starts. Singer White Sang Nila takes the runway along with her band. As they begin to play my first impression has nothing to do with what I hear but of how the singer is dressed. Isn't this an upscale cocktail party? If it is as I have witnessed then she has not dressed to the occasion. Her white unflattering dress with a gray scull on the front barely covered her bum.  It's shortness is only amplified by the tall boots she is wearing.  I don’t want to be a hater, but with the mismatched scarf adorning her neck, it looked like she ran through someones closet grabbing what ever she would find to wear. As she was singing I could not get past the outfit she was wearing. Maybe this is her style but I would expect to find someone a little more upscale at an event like this.

We hang out a little longer as Luiz caught up with his friends and I continued my people watching and creating stories in my head about who these people are in the wedding industry. I again wish my Portuguese was further along because you just never know the contacts I could have made. But it is what it is and the night is over and we head home to the comforts of our home. Another wonderful evening full of friends and beautiful things to see. The post for CASA COR Goias will be done shortly - check back and in the meantime check out my other posts.

Interior Design - Goias Style - COSA COR

(Read "A day in the Country")

(Click here for More Photos from the night)