Brazil is the fifth biggest country in the world with over 200 million citizens. It has a long history and tradition that is attractive to many people that live outside of their country. It is not a secret that Brazilian people are friendly. When you visit this country, you will see that people there are always ready to sing and dance. More precisely, they are always ready to make unforgettable moments when celebrating something. One of the things that are different from most parts of the world is – the wedding.
Let’s say that you are an American who is invited to attend the Brazilian wedding. This probably means that you are not familiar with the customs associated with Brazilian weddings. Well, in this article, we will share a couple of valuable pieces of advice that will prepare you well for this sort of event.
Get Comfortable Shoes
The wedding ceremony at church is not as short as you probably think. It lasts at least 45 minutes. However, this would not be a problem if you are sitting all the time. However, during the ceremony in the church, people are standing all the time. Your legs will start hurting you if your shoes are not comfortable.
Besides that, we already said that people in Brazil love to dance and sing. After the ceremony ends, there will be a celebration with a lot of dancing. You won’t be able to sit all the time and that’s another important reason why your shoes need to be comfortable.
Pick the Nice Clothes
Well, this is not maybe a big difference from the wedding from all parts of the world. Still, the style of people is different. For example, let’s start with the bride. It is important to say that brides in Brazil do not pick the bridesmaids’ gowns. So, the other guests have some specific way of dressing as well. For example, matching tuxes and dresses is not something you will be able to see on Brazilian weddings.
Once again, we suggest you get comfortable clothes as well. Keep in mind that the weather in Brazil is warmer. This especially counts if you need to attend the wedding during the summer. A lot of dancing, walking, and standing is waiting for you.
Hairstyle
Logically, this part of the article is dedicated to women. Let’s imagine one scenario. You went 2 days before the wedding because you wanted to visit people that invited you. Besides that, you wanted to walk around the city and visit some places. That means you will have to find a salon in Brazil where you can design your hair as you want.
We suggest that you decide on the hairstyle you want to have at the wedding while you are at home. This was always a challenging decision to make. Still, what if the barber in Brazil has a completely different vision of how your hair should look? What if he is not familiar with the trends that you follow?
Our advice is to always bring a photo of you where you have a current hairstyle. That will make things a lot easier. We do not want to say that something negative will happen. Still, it is better to be prepared for this as well, isn’t it?
Get a Really Nice Present
Well, this is a complex thing in Brazil because you are never sure if the married couple is going to like something or not. Be happy if the Brazilian groom and bride have a gift registry. You would at least have directions. Still, if something like that doesn’t happen, you will have to be creative.
Well, some of the most common gifts that married couples get in Brazil are appliances, housewares, and kitchen supplies. Still, there is one important thing that we need to mention. Whatever you plan to get as a gift, it is necessary to get flowers as well.
The reason for that is simple – flowers have a significant and special meaning in Brazilian culture. People send flowers in Brazil for various reasons. For instance, if a person wants to express love to another person, he will send flowers. Besides that, if he wants to apologize for something, he will do the same.
Because of that, flowers simply need to be part of the gift if you want to show respect to the groom and bride. If you do not know where to find the perfect type of flowers, then you should visit abcFlora to see which options you have. For example, the so-called Corsage Orchid is one of the most famous National Flowers of Brazil. They also call it queen of the orchids because of their fragrance and beauty.
Prepare to Bring Cash
As we said, Brazilian tradition is special and there are some “rules” that you need to know. Many of you probably think that you don’t have to bring cash to the wedding. You would maybe need it for a taxi, but that’s it. Well, things are different in Brazil if a bride happy couple wants to respect the tradition.
There are two different traditions in Brazil. One of them is the so-called Passar a Gravata. In this case, the best man goes from guest to guest with a tie. He will ask the guest to donate money that a couple will use for the honeymoon. In return, the guest will get a piece of the tie.
The second thing that you should maybe expect is Passar o Sapato da Noiva. Well, the point is actually the same. Guests are donating money for the honeymoon. Still, this time women or women are collecting money in the bride’s shoe.
We do not want to say that you need to donate a fortune. Still, it is always good to have a couple of dollars in the pocket when you come to the wedding.
Try to Participate in the Preparations
Brazilians do not hire businesses that will help them organize the wedding (at least most of them don’t). The entire family is willing to help with preparation. We suggest you participate in the preparations because it can be quite fun.