celebrate our casamento

The year was 2013, Bela and Pat were freshmen at Hofstra University, both studying film at the time. We made eye contact at a party and couldn't stop talking all night. Since that night, our paths kept crossing and our friendship kept growing. Our college hangouts included bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, TV show obsessions, and long train rides to our internships. Pat loved to knock on Bela’s dorm window to ask her to get coffee and she’d always agree even though secretly she didn't even like coffee back then. It was a classic tale of two best friends falling for each other! We started officially dating in 2015 and moved to NYC after college. We made some of the best memories in the city and now we live in our home-sweet-home Connecticut — where we also got engaged!

We know what you're thinking...where are these crazy kids taking us? ​ When you have families from two different countries, wedding planning gets a bit tougher! With Bela's side of the family coming from Brazil and Pat's side coming from U.S., we had to find a way to make it all work. ​ Portugal offers the right balance of travel and logistics, without losing the cultural element. Just like Brazil, Portugal's main language is Portuguese (with a tweak in accent)! It's common for Brazilians to have ancestry originating partly in Portugal, like Bela's family. Think of Portugal to Brazil like Britain to U.S. ​ We have been visiting Europe every year for our anniversary, so it means a lot to be getting married there! ​ Uniting our family, friends, and cultures is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us so thank you to everyone for making our dreams come true.

30-40 mins away within the Lisbon district is a seaside town called Cascais. Cascais is often referred to as the “Portuguese Riviera” as it has a beautiful beach promenade that gives access to several protected beaches in the bay and is excellent for a relaxing stroll or just having drinks or a meal in one of the many bars and restaurants that line the boulevard. Our wedding venue will be in Estoril which is a town in the municipality of Cascais. Estoril is a 7-10 min car ride from Cascais' main historical center. We recommend staying in either Cascais for great sight-seeing or Estoril's resort town to stay close to the venue. These are the beaches in the area: https://letsgotoportugal.com/cascais-best-beaches/