This was a day that started early because there was much to get ready and a wedding between two people that come from two different countries and live in a third one does involve some logistics!
Right from the beginning it was clear that the groomsmen and bridesmaids were going to be an important element during the day, but it was only as the day unfolded that it became clear that many of the fun things that happened were their doing. Everyone's high spirits were visible and the dancing started early, at the barber shop! :D
The bride and groom decided to share a "first look" before the ceremony, which is something that I love but I don't always get the chance to do. For them it was a bit of time that they had to be able to enjoy the surprise of seeing each other for the first time, dressed as bride and groom, and so that we could make some beautiful pictures before the bustle of the ceremony.
After that we headed to the ceremony location and it was here in particular that I started to notice the variation of spoken languages, mainly between portuguese and french but also with a lot of english in between.
The ceremony happened among the trees at Quinta dos Lagos, which seemed ideal since Rita and Benoit share a love for vegetation which is also connected to the work that they do, and because of that, trees were center stage in the decor that they picked.
There were several surprises during the rest of the day, with the groomsmen and bridesmaids taking the "stage" often and doing everything, from choreographing dances, singing, etc. There was even "The Sound of Music"! Yes, the Julie Andrews kind! Rita's father managed to get all their guests, young and not so young, even the ones that knew nothing about music, to play one of the songs of the movie (that she and her sisters used to sing often) with some very special flutes that were handed out to everyone.
In this mix of people from lots of places (there were more that ten different nationalities among the guests) one thing was constant, the will to share a day of happiness with the bride and groom, and this was therefore one of the weddings that I've attended so far in which the most dancing was done! At a point even a stormtrooper from Star Wars joined the party!
The party lasted until late and the good memories shall last much much longer! Here are some pictures.
