Carolina + Jordan | Multicultural Modern Fairytale Wedding

A love story spanning hemispheres and cultures celebrated with a renewal of vows against the lush tropical backdrop of Rio de Janeiro, bedecked with crystal chandeliers and elaborate arrangements of pink lilies, orchids, and roses.

As a teenager in her native Brazil, Carolina began praying to St. Anthony for her future spouse. Years later while studying in Savannah, she met Jordan online.

While fleeing from a hurricane, the seemingly unlikely couple found they had more in common than they originally thought. 

Despite the challenges of immigration, families on different sides of the globe, and differing faith traditions, Carolina and Jordan were ultimately able to celebrate their relationship in grand fashion in the presence of all their loved ones.

From the Bride:

I was never a girl who dreamed of her wedding, but I always knew I was going to marry a good husband.

That is because I was born on the feast day of St. Anthony (June 13th), who in Brazil is considered the patron saint of matrimony, or the “matchmaker saint.” 

(As a fun fact, that is why Brazilians celebrate Valentine's Day June 12th, a day before St. Anthony's feast, in which all the single women can lift prayers to St. Anthony to find their significant other!)

As a devout, cradle-Catholic, once I got to my teenage years, I would pray to St. Anthony every year to help me find a good boyfriend.

But I was a dreamer and a hopeless romantic, so no real boy actually met all my expectations. I would go on dates, but I never seriously “dated” anyone.

Jordan and I met when I was 21 and he was 26. It was my second year of college in the United States. 

I had only had one previous relationship, which had left me heartbroken. By then I had given up on idealizing the perfect man.

Instead, I put all my hopes and dreams on Jesus himself—He was the only one who could truly fulfill me and love me unconditionally.

Once I learned to lean into my relationship with Christ, the world around me got so much easier. 

Jordan and I met online, and our first date was in a cute coffee shop in Savannah. He was a pretty laid-back, open guy. Despite having totally different backgrounds and personalities, I discovered we had a lot in common,  

He had a military background; I was an artist. He was practical; I was a dreamer. He was from cold, upstate New York; I was from tropical Rio de Janeiro. 

But we shared the same values and had similar goals in life. We were attracted to each other in that sense—our views of the world really aligned. 

Also, his stepmom was Brazilian, and his father had lived for a few years in Brazil and even knew how to speak Portuguese! What are the odds?

A few days after our first date a hurricane hit Savannah, and we all had to evacuate the city. Jordan and I met again in Atlanta, while running away from hurricane Matthew, and spent the entire weekend together exploring the city. 

When it was time to go back, he asked if I wanted to keep seeing each other. On our following date, he asked me to be his girlfriend. And I actually said no! 

I was still getting to know him, I had just gotten out of another relationship, and I wasn't ready to commit. 

But then I realized: Isn't that what dating is for? To discern things before you're ready to commit to something bigger?

The second time he asked me to be his girlfriend, I said yes—and the rest is history.

We dated for a year, my family came to visit from Brazil to meet him, and the following year we got engaged. Jordan also went to Rio de Janeiro to meet the rest of my (big) family and see my hometown. 

Because of logistics (my family living in another hemisphere) and immigration (I was an international student when we got engaged), we had to split our wedding celebration into different steps. 

For immigration purposes, our civil marriage was completed first in Forsyth Park in Savannah. It was a gorgeous, but COLD day for us Brazilians! Our families finally met for the first time, and it was all very intimate. 

We exchanged vows in front of the beautiful Forsyth Fountain and a street musician even started playing the wedding march and “The Girl From Ipanema” (a famous Tom Jobim song) totally impromptu!

Our nuptial Mass was celebrated six months later, as soon as I graduated college, and we were ready to move in together. 

My family came from Brazil, and it was very intimate once again. We had a wonderful priest who accompanied us during marriage prep. 

To exchange our marriage vows in the Church, I wore a gorgeous, but simple, floral summer dress. We celebrated afterwards in a beautiful restaurant on River Street.

We decided to have our wedding reception and renewal of vows in Rio because, if there is something we Brazilians know how to do, it's throw a good party.

For the renewal of vows, we went as grand as it could be! I'm a huge Disney-princess fan, and I wanted to have a gorgeous and romantic ceremony.

It turned out perfect, and we finally had all my family and friends to celebrate with us.

Since our marriage, I have seen the power of the Holy Spirit blessing our relationship. Jordan, who was raised Baptist, was finally baptized just months before our second anniversary, and our marriage officially became a sacrament!

I am eager to raise a loving, bicultural family. Praise God and St. Anthony for my marriage! 

I still thank my patron saint every day.

Photography: Aszmann | Nuptial Mass Location: Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Savannah, GA | Renewal of Vows and Reception Location: Casa das Canoas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Bride’s Dress: Airé | Bride’s Veil: Rosa Clará | Bride’s Crown: Ateliê Priscila Gamino | Engagement Ring: Verragio | Wedding Bands: Brilliant Earth | Hair & Makeup: Marcelo Hicho | Orchestra: Delfim Moreira Orquestra