Débora & Jonathan
Saturday- September 5 - 2015
Binha, Beicinha, Bebessauro -- these are all the sweet names Jonathan calls her. Born and raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Debora came to San Francisco in May 2012 to study English after completeing her degree in Business Administration. Previously working for FIAT, Debora took a 6-month break to relax and enjoy life in the USA. Little did she know that her 6-month stay would be extended much longer.
Born and raised in Saint Marys, Pennsylvania, Jonathan moved to San Francisco in October 2012 to advance his career as an Electrical Engineer in the Silicon Valley tech start-up environment. A month after moving to the bay area, he met Debora at the beach by his apartment and his world was forever changed.
...on November 18th, 2012, on the beach in Pacifica, CA. It was a pretty, sunny day. We talked, walked on the beach, and when we realized, four hours had passed since we started talking. Since then we share and talk every day.
Jonathan picked an interesting place for our first real date. The Stinking Rose, a restaurant which all dishes are full of garlic. Of course we just talked that day; however, we saw that there would be many more dates in our future.
Jonathan went to Brazil in May 2013. He met Debora's family and saw all the sights of Belo Horizonte and places from Debora's childhood. Together they toured the colonial mining city of Ouro Preto as well as the modern paradise of Rio de Janeiro.
We went back to our beach in Pacifica. Jonathan took Debora there for a picnic, but he had much bigger plans than just eating sandwiches together. When she was looking the other way, he pulled out the ring and asked Debora to marry him. She immediately said yes!
at eight o'clock in the evening.
Das Haus Eventos, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Reception to follow the ceremony at the same location, featuring a live band, open-bar, buffet dinner, and dancing into the wee hours of the night.
Both raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. They have been married for 32 years and have six children. Marcelo runs the family business. He produces custom furniture and also has storefront. Ivete, after being a stay-at-home mom for 18 years, went back to work helping with the family business as well. They are really happy for having Jonathan as part of this big family.
Born, raised, and residing in Saint Marys, Pennsylvania, Susan & Michael are eager to take their first trip to Brazil. Happily married 31 years and counting. Michael works as a Financial Advisor, Susan as an HR Manager. Jonathan is the eldest of their two sons. They are happy to welcome Debora into the family.
The oldest sister of the Bride. Aline has a graduate degree in Business Administration. She owns a factory, R&A Chinelos Personalizados, which makes sandals in Belo Horizonte.
The youngest sister of the Bride. Lívia has an associate degree in Chemistry, and she is in her junior year of studies pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry. She works as a Chemist Assistant at ArcelorMittal.
Friend of the Bride. Lidiane is a Geographer and loves travelling. Along with her parents, she runs her family business, a graphic design studio and print shop.
Friend of the Groom, he has been friends with Jonathan since they worked together at General Electric in Saint Marys. Currently working as an Electrical Engineer and living in Maryland, he makes frequent trips to visit Debora and Jonathan in San Francisco.
The youngest brother of the Bride. He is in his senior year in high school at San Francisco School, in Belo Horizonte. He loves playing soccer, both on the field and on PlayStation.
The oldest brother of the Bride. He holds graduate degrees in Strategic Management & Logistics, and is continuing his studies as a 3rd-year law student. He works as General Financial Manager.
Das Haus Eventos / Rua José Rodrigues Pereira, 739 - Buritis / Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais / Brazil
Our reception will be in the same location and begins immediately following the ceremony. Enjoy the open bar, hors d'oeuvres, a buffet dinner, and cake (of course). Bring your dancing shoes, we'll have a live band for your listening pleasure.
Dress Code: Formal / Black Tie Optional.
Brazilian weddings are celebrated on a much grander scale than those in the USA, so be prepared to continue well into the night. In fact, continental breakfast will be served for anyone who stays well into the evening.
Opened in October 2014, Das Haus features over 5000 sq ft of party space on two levels. Situated at the edge of the city, Das Haus offers stunning views of both the cityscape of Belo Horizonte and mountainous terrain from which the city takes it's name.
Other notable amentities include air conditioning, elevators, and for those making the long drive, rest assured that we have ample parking reserved on-site ;-)
We are organizing a variety of activities for you to enjoy on the days leading up to and after the wedding so you'll get to experience the best of Brazil's 3rd-largest city during your stay. More details will be available before arrival and will be shared with all confirmed guests ahead of time, but for now here's a teaser of what we have planned.
We'll enjoy Brazil's favorite past time: Soccer. Come cheer on Cruzeiro at Mineirao, one of the biggest stadiums in Brazil and host of 2014 World Cup.
We'll take a day trip to Ouro Preto, a city thats about 60 miles outside of Belo Horizonte. During the colonial period, Ouro Preto was a famous gold mining village. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage site and quite well-preserved.
Take a tour of Belo Horizonte and really get to know Brazil's third-largest city. In the evening, we'll have a meet-up for dinner and drinks in Savassi (walking distance) from the hotels.
Enjoy a traditional Brazilian BBQ of endless meats and cool drinks as we hang out and relax /recover from yesterday's celebration.
Brazil requires US citizens to apply for a tourist visa prior to traveling, but don't worry, it's a painless process and we've prepared everything you need to know and put it here.
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There's an infinite number of ways to get to Belo Horizonte. While most major US airlines fly into Brasilia, Sao Paolo, and Rio de Janeiro on a daily basis, the only non-stop flight from USA to Belo Horizonte is operated by American Airlines from Miami International Airport. We've prepared some suggested itineraries and other info about getting to and from BH.
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Feel free to stay wherever you'd like, however we've found a few hotels which we think our guests would enjoy the most. They are well-located, safe, and reasonably-priced.
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Some good things to know about traveling to, from, and within Brazil based on Debora & Jonathan's own experiences, as well as some links to other useful resources.
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Maid of Honor
Ana Ribeiro
Sister of the Bride. She is in her junior year studying Information Systems. She also works as at R&A Chinelos Personalizados as Office Manager. A strong supporter of Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, you can find her at the stadium on game day.
Best Man
Joseph Georgino
Brother of the Groom, Joseph lives in Saint Marys, Pennsylvania and is going into his senior year at Penn State University where he is studying Chemical Engineering. He enjoys spending his time going to the gym and playing various musical instruments. Currently he's working on learning Portuguese.