Brazilian Wedding Customs - Pre-Wedding Festivities

Brazilian Brides Enjoy a Spa Day the day before their wedding. Photo courtesy of PortoBay Hotels and Resorts.   The festivities of a Brazilian wedding begin before the day of the ceremony. All three pre-wedding events center around the bride. First comes the Chá de Cozinha (kitchen shower). Next is the Chá de Lingerie (trousseau party). Finally, the day before the wedding is the bride's spa day.  

Kitchen Shower

It used to be that the only the bride and her female friends and family members attended the kitchen shower. Now, these parties can also include the groom and his friends, as well. This party is typically held a month before a Brazilian wedding. Either the bride or her closest friend organizes the party. Each guest brings a gift specifically for the bride's kitchen. This event brings the bride together with her closest friends and family members. It is a wonderful time to chit chat and catch up on all the gossip that she's missed while preparing for her wedding. And it's a time to be showered with love and useful items for her home.  

Trousseau Shower

The trousseau shower is a far more intimate gathering. It is definitely girls only, and it typically takes place not more than a week before the wedding. The bride and her very closest friends gather in one of their homes. The women enjoy cocktails and appetizers, as the bride opens her gifts. These gifts can include lingerie or other fun items for the bride to secret away for her honeymoon.  

The Day Before a Brazilian Wedding

Brazilians take the serenity of their brides seriously. To this end, families reserve the day before the wedding as their Spa Day. The bride, her mother, and her closest friends and attendants take the entire day off from wedding preparations. Instead of attending to details, they spend their time pampering the bride (and themselves). The day might begin with a facial. Next, they might go to the local masseuse for a deep, relaxing massage. Following this, a luxurious luncheon. Then on to the beauty parlor for hair and makeup preparations for the next day. Though they may return home in the early evening, they continue to ensure that the bride feels absolutely zero stress for the rest of the night. This way, she is ready and rested, knowing that all the details are handled and all she needs to focus on is preparing herself for the next day's festivities.