They are both from the amazing Azores islands, they share the love for travel, for the beach and for an unique music festival called Maré de Agosto that takes place in the island of Santa Maria.

 

This is one of those incredible stories, that makes me feel so happy to be alive. My mother was born in Santa Maria, so I can say I have an “Azorean rib” as they call it, and both my parents met each other at this music Festival in 1984. Legend says (and sorry mom and dad), that I was “made” under the stars the following year, at the same music festival, and if you make the math, 9 months later, here was yours truly.

So every two years, it is my “life duty”, to fly to Santa Maria, and spend 3 days at Praia Formosa, the beach where the festival happens, and celebrate love and music as a token of my gratitude for being on this planet.

Over the years, and because I have dozens of cousins who with me visit the island in the Summer, we have gathered an incredible and unique group of friends, and it was in 1998 that I witnessed love happening again.

The weather was warm even for 6am, the water was that perfect Azorean temperature that can keep you swimming for hours, and we were laughing and goofing around. The last survivors of another amazing night were leaving or enjoying the sunrise, and we all ran into the ocean, with life in our hearts and a sense of freedom like no other… and Bruna and André kissed for the first time.

I wasn’t even a wedding photographer by then, so I could have never said the typical “I wanna shoot your wedding one day, ha!”, but there they were, another Maré de Agosto couple.

Throughout the years, we kept coming back for Maré de Agosto, and I would see Bruna and André stronger and stronger as a couple.

After André’s proposal two years ago, I never said anything, but being a wedding photographer by then, I secretly wished they’d call me to be the one telling their story… And one day, they did!

It made everything make sense. I shared the same love they shared for the island of Santa Maria (even though they are from São Miguel and Terceira island), I shared the same love they did for Maré de Agosto, I was there when they gave their first kiss, and being present in this moment would kinda close a cycle we didn’t know we had going on.

I was so happy my heart could burst into tears, and I knew I had to do a job I’d be proud of.

So after their engagement shoot at Santa Maria (which you’ll see soon), and spending a great summer celebrating their last festival as boyfriend and girlfriend, we flew to Terceira island, to what would be an epic wedding day.

It rained the day before, and I confess we were a little bit scared.

A big storm was threatening to hit the central group of the Azores islands and we just kept looking at the forecast over and over… but as we woke up, a double rainbow said “hi” to us, and we all felt during breakfast like the weather was blessing this day. And it really was.

As a side note, while eating my cheese toast and homemade coffee at this little corner café, me and my team met Luis Gil Bettencourt, who sat with us and told us stories of how he helped creating Maré de Agosto festival. We shared our love for it, and I told him my parents story. When we left, we were ready to kickass telling the story of this wedding, and we just couldn’t wait! Luckily for us, a little bird (aka the maid of honor) told us the groom had gone to the beach for a dive with his brother, and we ran over there, since this should be captured as how an amazing wedding day in the Azores should begin.

From sight seeing along Serra do Cume, to Azorean traditional food, to a representation of everything that made their relationship unique, to an epic first dance…

I can also say that after six years shooting weddings I feel like I finally have the team I have always wanted for Starling. On this day, Hugo Sousa and my husband Miguel did an unbelievable cinematic work, and I couldn’t be more proud to have shared this experience with them…

 Cheers to you, Bruna and André.

May your life always be filled with love, adventures and music. And may I keep spending Marés de Agosto with you both, and see your love grow!

Thank you for having me… us, in your special day and thank you for making us feel so welcomed and loved.

Thanks for visiting my blog again!

Love,