Rita and Fuyi tied the knot during their dream ceremony in Portugal, despite finding themselves in the middle of a global pandemic
Photography: Lucho Vargas
Image gallery
Image gallery
Rui Mota Pinto Wedding Planner tells us about the couple's big day which took place in August 2020:
Tell us how they met.
They met in Japan. They were studying Japanese in the same class and started talking. The rest is a love story.
How did they choose the place to get married?
The bride’s mother knew the venue and when they took me there to give my opinion, I just said: “This is it! This is fabulous and perfect for what I envision for your day”. So it was effortless. We did not view any other venue. From day one, this was the one.
Did the couple have any special requests for their wedding?
They just asked for it to be a soft, calm wedding with live music and no dancefloor. The concept was blossom -hemed. Cherry blossom or Sakura is the symbol of love, renewal, and hope. The cherry blossom comes into the world only once a year and for a very short period. For that reason, it has become a symbol of the evaluation of life, an invitation to contemplation and stillness. We felt the blossom concept represented Rita and Fuyi’s new and blooming love, their elegance, delicacy and sweetness.
I created this concept in 2020 after the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. I did it, not only for Rita and Fuyi's beautiful love story, but as a mirror of what I was feeling at that moment in life and all that was happening in the world.
Cherry blossoms are very fragile and last for a very short time, about two weeks. So these little gems of nature, in their short life, leave a lovely message: it is necessary to enjoy life intensely, as time passes quickly and we never know what can happen tomorrow.
How did this wedding change your career as a wedding planner/creator?
Planning a wedding in a pandemic time is really different and asks for all our knowledge, concentration, know-how, and care. Mainly, it gave me even more ability and knowledge on how to deal with situations like this.
Were there any challenges for this wedding?
We were in the middle of the pandemic, and a lot of restrictions were in place. From getting documentation for the groom, to being able to get married and applying all the restrictions in the venue... it was all really hard.
Another challenge was to create a garden mood in that area of the venue, where it is all sand. So I created a big natural grass area of 400m2 to create the feeling that it belongs to the venue. It was all created from scratch and all-natural, but with the effort of my fabulous team and amazing vendors it turned out amazing.
Steal Their Style
Wedding planner: Rui Mota Pinto Wedding Creator & Planner
Photographer: Lucho Vargas
Ceremony: Quinta do Casal Branco
Catering: Restaurante Varanda do Parque
Flowers: Kefro Flores by Sandra Nogueira
Cake: Celestes & Companhia
Invitations: Love Lab
Make-up: Zé Dior
Hair: Cila Barros Academia Cabelos
Band: Gustavo Teixeira Simple Piano Bar
Lighting: Top Eventos
