This Sweet Bucks County Wedding Combined Brazilian and Persian Traditions

Rachel Galvao and Rameen Vafa at their Hotel du Village wedding / Photography by Hope Helmuth Photography

When Rachel Galvao and Rameen Vafa tied the knot, it was important to them that their nuptials honored their heritage: Rachel is Brazilian, and Rameen is Persian. So, on a beautiful May day, they embraced wedding traditions from both cultures, adding a few modern twists of their own. The resulting ceremony and reception, captured by Hope Helmuth Photography, “really felt like our cultures and families became one,” Rameen says. Read their story below.

Rachel and Rameen bonded over their shared love of sweets — growing up, his parents owned a bakery, and on their first date he took her to try Gran Caffe L’Aquila’s gelato for the first time. The memory of going there for their first date was so special to Rachel that she ended up having her medical school graduation dinner there two years later. “Both of our families love baking and enjoying desserts together,” she says. “So sweets have always held a special place in our hearts.”

The couple, who now live in Connecticut, met at a time when they were both growing disillusioned with the dating app scene. Rachel was thinking about quitting the apps when Rameen’s profile caught her eye — he spoke three languages and owned an adorable Yorkie. Three years later — following their sugar-fueled first date — Rameen popped the question during a walk on Addison Street, a popular proposal spot. He started reminiscing about their first date, how they’d walked and laughed, gelato in hand, around Rittenhouse Square, and Rachel had a feeling what was coming next.

Their ensuing wedding, held at Hotel du Village, a French-inspired château in New Hope, beautifully blended their two cultures — and their love of anything, well, sugary. Guest received with their escort cards a bem casado, a dulce de leche and vanilla sponge cake confection typically given as favors at Brazilian weddings. “It was so meaningful to incorporate this tradition into our wedding, and beyond that, we had so much fun designing the display together,” says Rachel of the dessert cart, which was covered in vines and inscribed with the message “Love is sweet.”

During the outdoor ceremony, the couple sat at a sofreh aghd, a decorative table that’s a typical part of Persian wedding ceremonies. It’s filled with books of poetry, fruit to symbolize abundance and joy, and candles to represent energy; their florist, A Cottage Gardener, surrounded the table with peonies, roses, ranunculus, and delphiniums in pastel pinks, blues, and oranges. They incorporated Rachel’s heritage as well, with love poems read by family members in Portuguese alongside ones in Farsi.

Their cousins draped a veil over their heads and sprinkled them with sugar, to “shower our marriage with sweetness,” says Rameen. And the couple dipped their pinkies in honey and shared it with each other, in another nod to Rameen’s heritage. Rameen’s sister surprised them by hiring live wedding painter, Steph Morac, to capture their first kiss.

For the reception, Rameen’s father made their wedding cake; Persian and Brazilian desserts were served as well. Among the other highlights: Custom bar signs encouraged guests to “Be Salamati!” and “Saúde!” — “cheers” in Farsi and Portuguese, respectively.

The couple danced to Michael Bublé’s and Ivan Lins’s “Wonderful Tonight” and Michael Bublé’s “Sway,” starting with a slow dance and shifting to a cha-cha, all choreographed by the groom. (He was a member of Penn’s Latin Dance Troupe while attending college.) Guests then hit the dance floor and partied to Brazilian, Persian, American, and Latin music.

In a twist? Rather than ending the evening with sweets, the couple went with something savory: Food truck Spuddy Buddy Fry Factory stopped by to serve late-night snacks.

THE DETAILS
Photographer: Hope Helmuth Photography | Venue & Catering: Hotel du Village | Cake: Elegance Bakery | Planning & Design: Kristina Wittig | Florals: A Cottage Gardener | Bride’s Gown: Enzoani from Bridal Reflections | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Azazie | Hair & Makeup: Jazmin Rae Bridal | Groom’s Attire: SuitSupply | Rings: Bernie Robbins Jewelers (bride); Cartier (groom) | Entertainment: Blue Line Quartet (ceremony music); DJ Taso (reception DJ) | Brazilian Sweets: Fabi Finos Doces | Invitations: April Lynn Designs | Transportation: Logan Inn and Golden Plough Inn | Videography: Alenka Films | Officiant: Ghazal Saadat-Lajevardi (cousin of the groom) | Sofreh Aghd: Designs by Mitra | Live Wedding Painter: Steph Moraca Fine Art | Rentals: Vision Furniture Event Rentals | Food Truck: Spuddy Buddy Fry Factory

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