On April 2, 2016 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, my nephew Jason married the love of his life, Fabiola. My husband Floyd and I were guests at their wedding. It was a wonderful and unique experience to be a guest at a wedding and not the officiant! Fabiola chose the church where her parents were wed 34 years ago to pledge her love to Jason. It's a Catholic church rich with artifacts that help define the church and it's doctrine. There were three weddings held at the church April 2 so Fabiola and the other two brides selected the flowers that would adorn the church for all 3 weddings. Beautiful! Since the cost was shared, the brides could be extravagant in their selection of flowers. There were several customs that I would like to see incorporated in the "right" wedding I officiate in DC/VA/MD. The first showcased the mother-of-the-bride and the groom's father. My brother escorted Fabiola's mother to the altar. The second custom is the mother-of-the-groom escorting her son. Unfortunately my sister-in-law wasn't able to attend so I had the honor of walking Jason down the aisle to the altar. The next custom allows the bridal party to recess to the back of the church forming a greeting line for the bride and groom who then follow. A car was waiting for Jason and Fabiola to take them directly to the reception venue. Their guests greeted them at the reception and all of the family photos were taken in the atrium of the reception venue. The reception was great fun and everyone over the age of 21 enjoyed the national drink of Brazil, Caipirinha (Portuguese pronunciation: [kajpiˈɾĩj̃ɐ]) ).
