Brazil is a medley of African, European and South American cultures, which has been mixing and fusing for over five hundred years and with that fusion comes diversity, vibrancy and colour, all of which are represented at the Brazilian wedding celebrations.

Brazilian weddings are full of folklore, colour, feasting, dancing to Samba music, food and drink in abundance and merry-making into the small hours of the morning.

Like most other cultures the wedding starts with a proposal by the groom to his intended. However, before he receives an answer of acceptance he has to ask her father for her hand in marriage, ok so far. However, he has to prove his manhood by first taming a wild donkey and if successful the girl’s father will give his approval for the engagement to go ahead, this tradition is called ‘Bumba Meu Boi’ (no explanation is given for if he fails).

Once the proposal is accepted both parties wear a gold band as an engagement ring on the third finger of the right hand with the date of the marriage engraved on the inside. Then on the wedding day the rings are switched to the third finger of the left hand. If the ring or rings fall during the ceremony this is seen as a bad omen as it is believed that the marriage is doomed to failure.

Before the wedding the bride holds a cha de panela (casserole tea) where the guests at the party bring kitchen utensils as gifts for the new home.

On the day of the wedding the bride sews small pieces of paper at the hem of her wedding dress with the names of all her unmarried friends to bring them luck in finding themselves a husband. The wedding dress and grooms outfits are usually hired for the day for reasons of economic and the bride must arrive ten minutes late to her wedding.

The groom will create himself a flag for his wedding day which the groomsmen either carry or pin a small version in their button holes instead of a flower. He is not allowed to see the bride in her wedding dress until she arrives at the church. One of the most distinctive features of Brazilian weddings is that the signing of the marriage licence is integral to the wedding ceremony and is actually signed during the ceremony.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen are not chosen until the actual day of the wedding. Usually three couples are chosen, married or single all of whom gather around the Alter during the ceremony.

The tables are not usually numbered be rather each table is named after a city in Brazil and at the reception the bride and groom present his father with gifts and visa versa. A variety of food and drink is prepared in huge quantities and the guests are expected to eat and drink until it is finished before they can leave. No Brazilian wedding reception is complete unless and until the national anthem has been played. At he beginning of their honeymoon the groom is required to pick up his new wife and carry her over the threshold, making sure that his right foot enter the room first.

Brazilian weddings are an important social event, filled with customs and rituals; however the most important concern of the family it to ensure that the wedding day is a most memorable one for the couple.