Happy Sunday!  I hope everyone is having a great weekend!  This weekend we are relaxing, recovering from jet-lag and getting ready for the week ahead.  Last Sunday, we were on our way from Itatiba where we attended the most epic Brazilian wedding for Camila and Guilherme at Fazenda Dona Carolina, to Salto for lovely eveing with family friends in their home.

First, I will get to our marvelous trip to Itatiba.  This beautiful town in the Brazilian countryside is the backdrop to Fazenda Dona Carolina, a hotel, coffee plantation and cachaçeria that is  named after Dona Carolina, “an abolitionist and Republican who took over the property administration after her husband’s death, freed all farm slaves before the Abolition in 1888 and gave them 593 acres of land.”  It is a gorgeous compound painted white with beautiful blue shutters.  On the grounds there is a lovely pool, 3 restaurants, a cachaçeria, a zip line, wonderful hikes and a lake complete with Capybara, a guinea pig like animal that typically weigh 146 lbs.

The wedding on Saturday was atop a hill at Sunset in front of the most perfect little chapel.  The ceremony was so full of love, and emotion, I could not help but dab my eyes.  After the ceremony, off we went to the party in the cachaçeria that had 3 bars, delicious food, a candy bar, awesome music, romantic decor, and it went until 5am!  Brazilians really know how to party 🙂  We woke up to a post wedding brunch with the newlyweds, then headed to the pool for one last swim before we left for Salto.

We packed up and headed off to Salto to visit with my mother in law Cindy’s close friends of 30 years, Denis and Pilar, who are more like family than friends.  They invited us into their home, cooked us a yummy Brazilian dinner, and we spent the night looking through photo albums looking back on 30 years of friendship, and some hilarious pictures of Roger and his brother Chris as kids.  People in brazil are the most welcoming and hospitable that I have met in my travels, and Denis and Pilar are the perfect example.  In the morning, we headed back to the city to get ready for our flight home…the trip really flew by!

Here are some photos of Itatiba and Salto, enjoy!

Fazenda Dona Carolina

Capybara!

Welcome Party:

With Camila, the bride

Outfit Details ::

Dress :: Flynn Skye (similar)

Shoes :: Valentino

The ceremony 🙂

Outfit Details ::

Dress :: Alexandra Grecco

Top :: For Love and Lemons

Shoes :: Jimmy Choo

The Party!

with Beatriz and Joao Luiz, Mom and Dad of the groom

dancing the night away

Gorgeous!!

Off to Salto…

Chris with Nina

Outfit Details ::

Dress :: Forever 21

Hat :: Janessa Leone

Sandals :: Havaianas

Roger in his Brazilian swimwear circa ’92