Any is a jeweler, documentary photographer, and Maker Specialist at Etsy. She crochets well, plays the castanets poorly, and wears a tool belt proudly.
Bernardo and I had been married and living in New York for six years when we decided to have a wedding in our home country, Brazil. I expected long-distance planning to be hard, but the real challenge was planning a unique, handmade celebration in a culture where glitz, glam, and grand budgets are in style. The one thing we really wanted was to get together with the people we love and miss and take pleasure in being with them.

I didn’t expect for it to be so hard to find local wedding professionals who understood that “handmade chic” is not an oxymoron. Our biggest challenge was finding the right person to decorate the venue, which was a historic building from 1904 brimming with original details. Eventually, things started to come together and I realized that there are plenty of couples in Brazil (not to mention the world) who want an authentic wedding experience without all the cookie-cutter glamor – regardless of style or budget.

The custom ceramic cake topper from Melabo was my very first wedding purchase. It sat atop a naked cake decorated with succulents from my grandma’s garden. We also served traditional Brazilian wedding pastries called bem-casados, which my sister Daniela and our sister-in-law Tania baked, filled and decorated with friends and family. We topped them with custom glitter hearts from Moose Art.
Our paper cut invitations were created by my friend and Etsy Admin Nicole Licht, whose magic hands cut every little flower and line of text. The result was professionally photographed and printed, and the original paper cuts are now being transferred to our ketubah, where they will frame the Hebrew text handwritten by Aliza of Ketubah Graphia.

Some of my favorite handmade touches were my hair piece and shoe clips, which my mom made from a 1930s brooch and earring set using shoe clip blanks and a nifty brooch hair comb converter. To break the conventional look of my dreamy lace and tulle gown, I wore somewhat unusual jewelry, like a large green ring that belonged to my grandma, and red beaded earrings created by Gaslight Original Beadwork.

The ceremony and event were in some ways handmade, too. My youngest brother, Davi, played chauffeur; my other brother, Andre, was our officiant. Many people don’t know that Jewish weddings don’t need to be officiated by rabbis, so we jumped at the chance to have someone close to us perform the ceremony. The groom and my brother-in-law, Shai, translated and transliterated the prayers, and I wrote the ceremony myself, jokes and all. Two days before the wedding, my brother, my husband, and I crammed together in a bedroom in my mom’s apartment with a glass of water for the wine, a scrap of tulle for the veil, and a tablet for the siddur, and practiced a couple of times. We were ready.

Everything turned out beautifully, with smiling faces and wet eyes. The guests laughed at the jokes I wrote into the ceremony, and my brother did not improvise a song-and-dance bit, as he kept teasing he would. I think my threats worked. Thankfully, everything else worked, too.
Wedding planning by Ana Paula Lopes of Alleanza Eventos; photography by Fer Cesar and Cheng NV; hair and make-up by Ju Friedrich; decor by Atelier 16.
108 comments
Timor cohen from TIMOHANDMADE said 5 years ago
מזל טוב !! :)
Anastasija Zolotarjova from MapleApple said 5 years ago
Beautiful story!
Patrick from EdelweissPost said 5 years ago
My husband and I had two weddings too: The first with hundreds of guests at an old vaudeville theatre in Minneapolis, and then a second legal ceremony on our 2-year wedding anniversary right after same-sex marriage was legalized in Minnesota. Both were dreams come true.
Samantha Hughes from HappyMoonPads said 5 years ago
I love the custom cake topper! Awesome story, thanks for sharing!
Ann Cosgrove from acbcDesign said 5 years ago
Such a beautiful wedding, love the matching heels and socks!
IKA PARIS from ikabags said 5 years ago
Beautiful story!
Laura and Ryan from cubits said 5 years ago
Wow that's a gorgeous wedding. I wish I had more succulents in my own bouquet.
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 5 years ago
Wonderful wedding and great story!
VelvetRevived from VelvetRevived said 5 years ago
How truly beautiful! Congratulations!
AGORAA from AGORAA said 5 years ago
Beautiful story! Beautiful wedding!
Terry from Parachute425 said 5 years ago
So beautiful! Lovin' the shoes and socks. Congrats on the wedding and doing it your way.
Maykers Leather from Maykers said 5 years ago
Love your matching greens! And the cake topper just perff!
Renata and Jonathan from RenataandJonathan said 5 years ago
So beautiful! Congrats :)
Cestpourbibi said 5 years ago
Hummmmmmmm bem-casados, que delícia! : )
Leda Design from LedaDesign said 5 years ago
Such a beautiful wedding! Congrats!
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 5 years ago
Gorgeous!!! Congratulations!!!
Lili from Sedula said 5 years ago
Love all the personal touches :) way to original and true to yourself !
BarDulce from BarDulce said 5 years ago
Wow, all of it - stunning!
Amy from fieldtrip said 5 years ago
beautiful wedding - gorgeous attention to all the details!
Cristy Ramos from ArtisanBathandBody said 5 years ago
Such a lovely beautiful story!! Thank you for sharing your wedding with all of us! Wonderful tips to learn here too! Unique, original and gorgeously elegant touches!! Congratulations!!!
Adrienne from DabAndDabble said 5 years ago
Love that bouquet! Lovely touches of color and the use of succulents throughout! Best Wishes!
Oshrat from theLowerEarSide said 5 years ago
Beautiful story!
CrochetKnit30 from CrochetKnit30 said 5 years ago
Very lovely! Congratulations!
Fybur from Fybur said 5 years ago
Lime green socks and shoes added to the spirit! Congrats!
Natalia from KMalinkaVintage said 5 years ago
Wonderful wedding!
Clare and Richard Kapin from VarietyArtworks said 5 years ago
so beautiful!
Deeksha Lakshmi from TheColorWagon said 5 years ago
Beautiful wedding and creative story boarding. Congratulations!! I loved the succulent topped cake!!
Neomi Goldbaum from neomig said 5 years ago
Mazal Tov - All the best.
Neomi Goldbaum from neomig said 5 years ago
Your paper cut deco is just grand! Tell a little bit about it!
Dig Deep Vintage from digdeepvintage said 5 years ago
I love Etsy! This is soo amazing!
seasidecloth from seasidecloth said 5 years ago
So lovely !
Genise Park from genisepark said 5 years ago
Lovely, just lovely! Best wishes to you both!
Hillary from Sparkleandswirl said 5 years ago
Beautiful wedding! Congratulations!
Angel from SymbolicImports said 5 years ago
So Beautiful, thank you for sharing!!
Steve from UpstateWoodwork said 5 years ago
Very Beautiful and Inspiring. Always nice to get inspiration for the items in my shop. Congrats on the feature and the wedding!!!
Janice Grzyb from OnTheWrist said 5 years ago
What a wonderful story. Everything looks beautiful. All the best to you Any and Bernardo. Janice P.S. I love the green shoe and sock combo!
messinabella from BandBEstate said 5 years ago
beautiful wedding, congrats!
etcetrix from etcetrix said 5 years ago
Your special touches are so warm and lovely. As are the gorgeous photos. It's all so delightfully quirky, personal and meaningful- everything standard issue cookie cutter weddings aren't. Best to you both and thanks for sharing this!
Stef Bauer from oneeyedgirls said 5 years ago
This is so lovely!! Great celebration with great photographs... Congrats and love the neon green touch!
valentina zhurbich from ItsyBitsyBabyToes said 5 years ago
Lovely!
Natallia from econica said 5 years ago
Mazal Tov! and congrats!!
PetiteRobeNoire from PetiteRobeNoire said 5 years ago
Ani, what a lovely wedding. I love your shoes and your husbands socks - the color made me squeal with delight. Plus the interior space where you held your reception - beautiful. You forgot to tell us where you sell your jewelry. Did you design that lovely ring - looks like a green stone, is it? Let us know where we can see your creations. And too, where you found that wonderful ring.
Yin Yin Wu from LoveGemStudio said 5 years ago
So romantic! Congrats!!
casa deboneca from casadeboneca said 5 years ago
Best wishes ! Felicidades ! love the neon green socks and heels !
VINTAGE NOW from ESTATENOW said 5 years ago
Beautiful Story, Love and romance lives.
Valeria White said 5 years ago
Awww.How VERY Beautiful!!!!!
katherine Lenz from 214EVER said 5 years ago
WHEN I SEE A GIRL GET MARRIED, I AM SO EXCITED, NO REASON AT ALL, SOMETIMES, I MIGHT BE MOVED TO TEARS IF I SEE SOME PICTURES SHOT AT THE WEDDING, SO REAL FEELING THAT I JUST CAN NOT CONTROL IT. I THINK THIS IS BECAUSE I AM DOING THIS KIND OF BUSINESS AND THE FRIENDS AROUND ME ARE GETTING MARRIED AND EVERYTHING IS SO PERFECT AROUND ME. THANKS EVERYONE THAT TRUST ME AND GOOD WISHES TO THE NEW COUPLE.
SewnNatural from SewnNatural said 5 years ago
What a stunning wedding and beautiful story - loved this feature - thanks so much for sharing these handmade details. Your cake is fantastic!
Nancy from PiacereMioPaperie said 5 years ago
What a super experience. Married twice to the person you continue loving!
Tania from chiquiita said 5 years ago
Loved everything! Your shoes and his socks called my attention, lovely color!!!
Dorothy from JewelrybyDorothy said 5 years ago
What a beautiful wedding! Loved your story, Any!
Donna Libby from LibbysCharmingDesign said 5 years ago
Awesome! Loved your bouquet, the green socks and shoes, too. Everything so cute! Crammed together in a bedroom to practice-glass of water for the wine-scrap of tulle for the veil and a tablet for the siddur. Cute! Glad you could share your love with family and friends this way. Congrats!
Aquila Stanley from AquilaDesigns said 5 years ago
Very sweet & you will have these beautiful photos forever! Love your beautiful green shoes too! congrats!
peppybaby from PeppyBaby said 5 years ago
Beautiful story!
glitterandstones from glitterandstones said 5 years ago
Beautiful wedding! Thank you for sharing:)
julie long gallegos from GaslightOriginalBdwk said 5 years ago
Superb photos and beautiful decor - everything! Just inspired! So glad for you!
Aristocrafts from Aristocrafts said 5 years ago
What a beautiful wedding and an even more beautiful story <3! I'm in love with your invitations! Congratulations to you both!
William Minchew from DreamCatcherMan said 5 years ago
What an inspirational story! I am working on some items for a wedding right now, I think the hardest part is figuring out the exact way the bride and groom would like their decorations to look! Thanks for all of your tips, I will use some of them. Congratulations to both of you. A very beautiful Wedding!
Bemiqi from Bemiqi said 5 years ago
Best wish!
Yael Berger from TheJoyofColor said 5 years ago
מזל טוב love it , especially your green shoes and the groom green socks !!!!!! what a killer , and the cake with the succulent, and the beautiful place and colors i'm sure it was so joyful
Aga from AgasJourney said 5 years ago
Huge congrats and best wishes to you both!
Ellen from vintagelinensplus said 5 years ago
Adorei a historia! E com "bem casados" ! Perfeito!!!! Felicidades ao casal!
Mia Sie from Crafitaria said 5 years ago
Lindo!!! Do local aos minimos detalhes!!! Sucesso e felicifades p vcs!!
anee from Anee said 5 years ago
Thank you for the kind words, everyone! Obrigada! @Neomi: Nicole Licht, a fellow Etsy Admin, created a Valentine's Day campaign for us a couple of years ago, using paper cuts. I fell in love with it and asked her to create a wedding invitation for us using the same technique. (You can see the original Valentine's video here: http://vimeo.com/36705472) @PetiteRobeNoire: The green ring was not my creation, alas! It's a silver piece from the 40s or 50s that my grandma gave me a few years ago. I know she never envisioned it to be bridal jewelry, but she was glad I wore it for my wedding! As for my own creations, I currently sell them in my Etsy shop. Just click on my avatar and you'll see the link in my profile. I am happy to share more details! Ask away :)
IsabellesAttic from IsabellesAttic said 5 years ago
love the details and uniqueness of your wedding! thank you for sharing.
Agnieszka Niechwiedowicz from SzkatulkaAmiJewelry said 5 years ago
Beautiful wedding :)
Lenny Mud from LennyMud said 5 years ago
I love so many things about your special day- from the caketopper to the chartreuse shoes! You made a beautiful bide and hope you guys continue to have a long and happy life together! Mazel!
Anne from plumcreek22 said 5 years ago
so beautiful------Felicidades and Mazel Tov~~~~~Anne
Orly A. from OrlyLa said 5 years ago
MAZAL TOV ! You seem like a cool couple!
Som from somsstudiosupplies said 5 years ago
Congrats!!
Andy Cheng Nv said 5 years ago
Parabens Any. Felicidades e sucesso para voces!!! Ficou lindo o post!
Kim from PaperTraits said 5 years ago
Definitely Handmade Chic! It's all about the meaning behind the details - you accomplished that in such a cohesive style - lovely! Cheers to you both!
Jennifer Richardson from NamePlateDepot said 5 years ago
Thank you for sharing... stunning pictures
Darlene Jones from RomanceCatsAndWhimsy said 5 years ago
I love everything about your wedding! It was perfect. The wedding cake topper was hilarious - just loved it. Congratulations.
KinderKlipz from KinderKlipz said 5 years ago
Felicidades aos dois! Que lindo casamento, adoro os apontamos verdes! Beijinhos
Fields Of Vintage from FieldsOfVintage said 5 years ago
How divine.
ccavellucci from ccavellucci said 5 years ago
One of the most beautiful and unique weddings I have ever seen. I wish I could marry my husband again to have this approach to the ceremony... maybe on the 25 anniversary, who knows?? All the best for you two, Any!! <3
Linda from lovelygifts said 5 years ago
Lovely! Congrats!
Nicole from Crackerjackarma said 5 years ago
Absolutely beautiful all around ~ deep in tradition with love for each other that shows in the photographs and details planned. Happy journey's !
Faye Champlin from FMCstudio said 5 years ago
So many beautiful touches! I like the matching socks & shoes in such a bright pop of color and the glittery hearts for your pastries. Your invitation is beautiful and what a unique way to get a completely custom piece, but still make it possible to send a version of it to every single guest. More than anything else, what a great way to celebrate with family and friends, and spend time enjoying each other's company.
Nora Hessayon from leahrosedesigns said 5 years ago
Gorgeous and beautiful story. I love all the handmade touches. Reminded me of my own wedding which was more years ago than I care to remember. We had no money and did everything ourselves. What a lovely idea to have your brother stand in for the rov makes the ceremony seem so much more personal.
tilisa from PandoraBracelet said 5 years ago
I like your design very much https://www.etsy.com/shop/PandoraBracelet? Ref = si_shop
Elaina from VenusInPiscesSoap said 5 years ago
Mazal Tov! Beautiful wedding, beautiful story, beautiful couple!
Sujata from TreasuredMemoryLane said 5 years ago
Great story! Beautiful small touches to make everything special. Every thing is so well put together.
Prayer Notes by Cynthia from PrayerNotes said 5 years ago
Wonderful story and beautiful wedding~ Much joy to you and Bernardo!
Beard Oil from BeardOil said 5 years ago
This is Great!
Jaime Diehl from VincentVdesigns said 5 years ago
Gorgeous! Lovely share! Glad to see an update to the wedding blog.
Amy Gan from fulldress said 5 years ago
I wish you happy forever!
lemongrasssoap from lemongrasssoap said 5 years ago
The avocado green shoes were stunning. That bouquet was ethereal. What a gorgeous wedding. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Tamy M from TamsCorner said 5 years ago
I adored the shoe with the socks color match ! they pop out ! AMAZING, that's what I call differently brave! Congrats and wish all your days are filled with colorful happiness. Tamy
Barbara Broadfoot from FootlessDesigns said 5 years ago
What a wonderful story!! Lots of whimsy and personalized touches. I agree with Tammy M- the matching sock/shoe colours made me smile. I really like that you were able to get so much of the "little things" that matter from fellow Etsian artists. Congrats!
Wendy Lu from DreamDressy said 5 years ago
wow, so romantic wedding. Happy forever!
Nilda Balieira said 5 years ago
great story! Congrats !!!
Megan -n- Chuck from MelaboWed said 5 years ago
Nice topper guys!! xo
More Cowbell from uncommonvintage said 5 years ago
Gorgeous! I love the shoes and matching socks and the cake with the ceramic topper and succulents.
Laura from compassionmalas said 5 years ago
Congratulations, Any! It looks like a beautiful ceremony, with every touch perfectly personal. All the best to you and your husband.
HappyHound from HappyHound said 5 years ago
Simply beautiful!
SilverMoth from SilverMoth said 5 years ago
What a beautiful wedding! Congratulations!
Caroline from AnchorRoad said 5 years ago
Gorgeous! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!
Buttercup from ButtercupDeco said 5 years ago
Lovely :)
Jess Timmons from Syldenn said 5 years ago
I love the simple cake with fresh fruit and succulents. Divine. Mazal tov!
Julia Dely from ZuppaAtelier said 5 years ago
Que lindo, Any! Parabéns!
Judy li from JUDYMADE1 said 5 years ago
Sweety bridal,wish you happy ! and you're very beautiful!
Linda Rosenfeld from EmbroiderybyLinda said 5 years ago
Mazel tov for your beautiful wedding.
YZfashionbridal Inc from YZFashionBridal said 5 years ago
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
Koren Kwan from GarasuWonderland said 5 years ago
beautiful and romantic~
HappyEverAfter from FairyParadise said 4 years ago
What a sweet wedding! Congratulations!
Rebecca Blevins from RaccoonValleyRouge said 4 years ago
Beautiful! In love with that cake!