This romantic couple held a Catholic wedding in Brasilia’s most striking church before a Brazilian/English/Italian-themed reception in the hills… 

Larissa and Ryan met in Brazil 11 years ago. "My grandmother knew his mother and introduced us,” says Larissa. “He’s English and I’m Brazilian. After that we each followed a different path. Later, we met again in Rome, where I was living. We reunited and started dating in 2022.”  

“Our first date was at a country music festival in Brasilia,” says Larissa. “In 2022, our real first date was in Rome and we went to the restaurant Armando al Pantheon. It was amazing. The moment he entered the room, he stood so handsome and tall I could only see his smile and his eyes shining. We hadn’t seen each other for almost 9 to 10 years at that point, but that day I knew by heart that he was my husband. Without even speaking a word I already knew he was the one for me.”

A romantic proposal in Rome

“Ryan proposed on the Terrazza le Etoiles in Rome, one of my favourite terraces,” says Larissa. “We had a long distance relationship for a while between Liverpool and Rome, and he came to visit me a few times. On one of those visits he proposed. He pretended he was going to take a picture of us. There was only us there and it was magical. He put his phone on the chair to record it and told me to look at the view. Then, while I was looking at the Vatican, he asked me to turn around. When I did he was on one knee and said in half English and half Portuguese ‘Meu amor, my love, will you marry me?’. It was the best day of my life before the wedding!”

Shopping for the dress

Larissa found her dress at wed2b's Liverpool store. “My experience was very good,” says Larissa. “I went alone after trying more than 50 dresses in other stores but wed2b had my heart. The lady that looked after me instore gave me a hug when I found my dress and cried!”

Larissa chose Jules a stunning Mikado ballgown with a basque-waist bodice by Sofia Cruz. “The corset was the style I wanted,” she says. “I needed lines in my dress and wanted a French touch to it. I also added some lace on the top but, for me, what was most beautiful on this dress was the piping on the corset. It had the princess touch but was also sexy and showed I’m an independent woman! I wanted to translate my personality in the dress. This one just clicked with everything. It was perfect.”

A double wedding

The couple got married officially in September 2023 in the city council of Liverpool. “However, as my Brazilian family couldn’t come to our wedding, I wanted a celebration for them and my friends,” says Larissa. “Since, Ryan is half Brazilian too, because of his mother, we decided to celebrate in Brasilia my hometown.”

“Our second Catholic wedding was on the 14th June at the Catedral Nossa Senhora Aparecida de Brasília, followed by a reception at O Paraíso Achado, a stunning venue set in the lush forest and mountains outside Brasilia. I found it on Instagram and it became ‘The One’ when I saw the view. It also had grass and an open area, which was a great space for Italian-style communal tables.”

The big day

“I got ready with my bridesmaids; Leticia, Bianca, Victoria and Polina,” says Larissa. “The weather was a hot and sunny and my father walked me down the aisle.”

“As Ryan is English, I wanted to represent him somehow, so we asked the groomsmen to enter with the English flag,” says Larissa. “On the other side, my bridesmaids entered with the Brazilian flag. I also wanted to represent Italy, as I lived there for five years. So, I asked our orchestra to play ‘Con te Partirò’ which is an Italian classic. While we were signing our papers we listened to this song and I couldn’t help myself but to sing together. Everyone got emotional. It was very beautiful! I’ve heard from lots of the guests that this was the best wedding of their lives. We left the church to ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ by Aretha Franklin.”

A feast for the senses

Afterwards, guests were treated to plenty of Brazilian food, such as tapioca boats with dried meat, shrimp in coconuts with spicy sauce, Brazilian-style stroganoff and more. “We also had coconut water for everyone to drink and, in addition, we offered fish and chips to represent England,” says Larissa. “For the Italian theme we had gelato. For the wedding breakfast we served rice, salad, filet mignon and fish, plus for the vegetarians we had beetroot salad as well.”

“Later, we had a band called Batala with Tambores for our reception, which gave a Brazilian touch to the party. Our venue was heaven on earth. We wanted a Tuscany-style sunset with an English and Brazilian touch and it had stunning views, all trees and flowers together, creating the perfect atmosphere. We also had long tables to represent unity, Italian classic style. Plus, there were some vases to remind us of Lake Como where we had one of the best trips together. It was a dream come true.”

Stylish whites, golds, blacks, pinks and burgundies

“The colour theme was gold, white, burgundy, black and shades of pink,” says Larissa. “We had some inspiration from the film Beauty and the Beast. There were red roses on the tables and we had watercolour pictures for table numbers.”

A jazzy first dance

The couple’s first dance was to ‘At Last’ by Etta James. “Jazz and blues is something we both love, and she is one of the best jazz singers,” says Larissa. “We used to listen to this song at our home and it just gave us a good feeling. We weren't sure what to pick but when we heard this song we knew it was it!”

The best bits…

“The moment I entered the church for our Catholic wedding was the most special but also when I sang ‘Con te Partirò’ because I speak Italian,” says Larissa. 

My top tips…

“Be calm, everything will happen as it should be,” says Larissa. “Do whatever you can to make your dream come true. You won’t regret. It’s never too much. Every detail will be remembered. I would advise you to eat, as well, before arriving at the party because there are so many people speaking to you and wanting your attention that you sometimes don’t enjoy it. So, I would do my best to enjoy the party you prepared with so much care.”

“Also, hire a good wedding planner, and trust your suppliers. They have experience and will do their best for your day. Problems will happen, which is natural, do not be attached to these little problems. Go with the flow. Enjoy your day and be happy! It passes so fast that the best mementos you will have afterwards are your pictures, so choose a good photographer.”

Larissa and Ryan’s Little White Book

Photographers: Bruna Heviln, Lucas Carvalho, Lucas Fai

Videographer: Fai Films

Catholic wedding venue: Catedral Brasilia 

Reception venue: O Paraiso Wedding

Wedding dresses Liverpool: wed2b

Decor: Taylla Bastos

Wedding planning & coordination: Meudiaperfeito Cerimonial 

Live art: Zau at Arte Zauspinola, Illustra Luoliveira 

Catholic wedding ceremony orchestra: Sonho Musical 

Reception bands: Grupo Climatizar, Andresa Sousa, Batala Brasilia 

Cakes and sweets: Ivone’s Cake,  Doce Maison,  Confeitaria Briguê

Buffet: Federal Buffet 

DJ, sound, lighting & special effects: Eduardo Tanzarella 

Sweets: Cirônia, Cake Forever

Gelato: Ilgiorno Gelato 

Lighting: Inteltech Iluminacao 

Furniture: Rose Bueno Moveis, FM Locacaode Moveis, Fest Eventos

Valet, security, vans & fire marshals: Pratika Manobrista 

Open bar: Mix Drinks 

Flip-flops: Kalete Calcados 

Sparkles: Milfogos 

Photo booth: Creative Foto Cabine 

Hair & makeup: Helio Diff

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