As the old saying goes, “life is short – eat dessert first”. It’s a rule I’ve always lived by. So why should marriage be any different?
Renato and I have always had an unconventional approach to our relationship and our lives in general. We’re often living in different countries, which some people can’t seem to wrap their heads around. Instead of saving to buy property, we were travelling around the world gathering experiences and memories to last a lifetime. Instead of climbing the career ladder and locking myself into a high-intensity, permanent job, I’ve channelled my energies into cultivating a lucrative career contracting in writing/editing/marketing roles, sometimes working remotely in Brazil. It’s all about deciding what your priorities are and realising that it’s your life, and you have choices.
The same goes for getting married. Why do it like everyone else?
So, we’re getting hitched in the same place where our relationship first began – a village called Jericoacoara in the state of Ceará. We’ve rented a palatial beach house in front of the sunset dune and that’s where we plan to celebrate, along with a handful of our nearest and dearest people from Brazil, Australia and the UK. We’re not using rings, our celebrant is helping us create a ritual involving glass bottles and sand. Guests have been encouraged to wear flip flops – because we certainly will be. (Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not a big fan of shoes.)
We’ve also dispensed with the notion of a honeymoon – instead, the honeymoon started weeks ago in London and Paris, and it will continue all the way up to the wedding ceremony and beyond. And instead of doing it alone, we’re bringing family and friends along for the ride.
Our first stop in Brazil was São Paulo…
Here we spent a few nights in the upscale suburb of Jardins. We didn’t have any firm plans, we just thought we’d wander the streets and see where the weekend would take us. A highlight of our time in the city was stumbling across Capim Santo in Jardins. It’s a restaurant that is owned by the same people who own Capim Santo pousada in Trancoso, and when we walked inside, we felt like we’d been transported to Bahia. Rustic-chic decor, wicker furniture, lush gardens, soft lighting, all against a backdrop of gentle samba music – the only thing missing was the warm, sea breeze. Even with the chilly winter weather, we curled up by a heater and ate outside. We enjoyed strong pineapple caipirinhas and lemongrass-flavoured brigadeiros, a Brazilian dessert made from cooked condensed milk. Pure bliss.
Another highlight was visiting the Piano Bar at Terraço Itália, on the 41st floor of the Edifício Italia. With its overpriced drinks, wood panelling and chandeliers, it feels rather out of place in the sketchy neighbourhood of República. But once you see the panoramic views across the city, you can’t help but fall in love with the place. São Paulo may not be typically beautiful, but what it lacks in beauty it makes up for in scale and size. The skyscrapers stretch out to the horizon and beyond and when you’re up that high, you can easily forget the chaos that awaits you down below. It costs R$35 per person to enter the bar, and a capirinha may cost you R$37 and a beer R$22, but the views are well worth it.
On Sundays in São Paulo, the main thoroughfare of Avenida Paulista is closed to traffic, allowing it to fill with the city’s many tribes and subcultures. Drummers drummed, buskers busked and Hare Krishna devotees bounced up and down and chanted… It’s amazing what joy can spring up in a city when space is created for it.
And now we have come to Florianópolis to spend time with our dear friend Patrícia and to reconnect with this wonderful city, where we once lived for over a year. Next we head to Rio de Janeiro, where we will meet up with family from Australia and friends from London. It’s my family’s first time in Brazil, in fact for most of them, it’s their first time travelling to a foreign country. Fingers crossed they all love this place as much as we do!
Thinking of getting married in Brazil? Find out more on our sister site Live In Brazil.
