Saturday, December 20th. Our wedding day. Yes, 5 days before Christmas. I will have no problem remembering my anniversary 🙂
Theme
I’m blessed to have a bride who loves aviation almost as much as I do. She chose to have an aviation themed wedding, she chose the colors (blue, creme, white, gold), she chose the invitation design and she arranged the reception. We are the opposite – I am logical and analytical and she is very creative and artistic.
She did an amazing job with the theme and design for the reception 😀
We chose Orlando as it is just myself, Buddy, and our two kiddos, Toshi and Calli, here in Kentucky. Andrea’s life has been in Orlando since 2021, with her Brazilian friends and church family. The wedding and reception was at Andrea’s church – Graca Fellowship Church.
Since the congregation is Brazilian, like Andrea, we had a Brazilian wedding. The service was in Portuguese, with an English translator for myself and my relatives and friends who came. If you’ve ever been around Brazilians, you know they are very outgoing, loving and caring. They treat you like family. Just the opposite of my introverted, reserved, only-child self. It’s been an adjustment for me, but she and her daughter are worth it.
Wedding
I finally got to wear my Army Officer Mess Dress uniform for my wedding 🤵♂️ Took me until I was retired, but I still fit quite well. The benefits of staying in shape 🏋️♀️ Andrea, of course, looked amazing and elegant 👰🏻♀️
The service was officiated by Pastor Andre Loyola. His lovely wife, Renata, is also a pastor at the church and led the prayer for our marriage. One thing is for sure: a confident, Brazilian lady Pastor who is passionate about her prayer talked faster than anyone I’ve ever heard 🗣️ The poor translator had a little difficulty keeping up. It was actually rather funny. I wished I had a “Slow” sign 🔻 so I could have held it up for her to slow down a little 😀
The reception, of course, was Brazilian food. We also predicted the attendance right at just over 100. Those small things you worry about when planning – how many meals for the caterer? With the reception at the church, it was alcohol free, but we didn’t need alcohol to enjoy ourselves. It was lovely and festive (90+ Brazilians all talking it gets REAL festive).
Andrea’s close friends, Tamara and Simon, were her bridesmaid and the one who walked her down the aisle. My brother Shane, accompanied by his girlfriend Jeanine, was my best man. Shane and Jeanine really enjoyed meeting all of Andrea’s Brazilian friends. They had a great time and took advantage of the Universal Resort attractions during their mini-vacation there. Andrea’s daughter, Amanda, is a very sweet and bright young girl. She was also our ring bearer. Now it’s Buddy, myself and two Brazilian ladies in the house, along with my kiddos Toshi and Calli. Talk about life changing!
Wedding Night
Andrea and I spent our wedding night at the Caribe Royal Resort. I loved the Christmas tree and decor. Beautiful.
An amazing day with an amazing lady. Our next chapter in life begins.
Photographer
I want to make special mention of our photographer, Su Florentino. Not only is she Andrea’s friend, but she is an incredible Brazilian photographer in Orlando. Very flexible, great attention to detail and she captured so many special moments.
Back to our adventures in our next post.
Buddy and Jordan