Question 1

When is the RSVP deadline, and how do I respond?

Accepted Answer

Once you've received an invitation, your name can be used to respond to the form found here. This is where you can let us know who is able to make it to which events and your selections for dinner on the evening of the wedding. The deadline to respond is September 29.

Question 2

What's the dress code for the wedding?

Accepted Answer

First, remember that Ian says nobody is allowed to wear white (or even off-white) except for Bruna. Don't argue.

Question 3

Do you have a gift registry?

Accepted Answer

We have a gift registry on a Brazilian site that has a translate button for English-speakers.

site.lejour.com.br/bruna-e-ianGiven the complexities of an international wedding, this registry works by allowing guests to select items with specific values and "purchase" them online, with the proceeds going directly to the couple. Rather than delivering physical items, the couple will be able to view who the gift is from and what was selected, ultimately deciding when, how, and where to follow through with the selection at a later time. Guests can also leave a note for the couple upon checkout, which can be helpful for special requests or messages. For purchases made with cards emitted outside of Brazil, be on the lookout for a specific tab during checkout.

Question 4

Do I need a visa to visit Brazil?

Accepted Answer

For passports from the EU, no need.

For passports from the United States and Canada, yes.

We'll provide full info and instructions with the invitations, but if you want to apply now, you can do so by clicking here.

Keep in mind that you must print out and show the paper copy of your visa at the airport passport control when you arrive in Brazil. Believe it or not, having it on your phone is not good enough.

Question 5

Can I bring a plus one to the wedding?

Accepted Answer

We expect to invite your partners to the wedding, yes, but this will be made clear in your specific invitation.

If you are looking to book flights right away and you're not sure about your plus one, get in touch with Ian and Bruna.

Question 6

Are children allowed at the wedding?

Accepted Answer

Because our venue has limited capacity and is not well-equipped to accommodate children, the initial planning of our wedding has been for an adults-only celebration with just the children of close family.

We understand that it's not always possible for parents to make long distance and/or long duration childcare arrangements, so please get in touch with us directly if you need to discuss options. Our venue has a fixed limit on children, which we need to respect, so we ask that you not bring kids who have not been previously confirmed.

For any confirmed newborns and babies, our intention is to prepare an indoor space to accommodate them during the outdoor ceremony. We ask for the understanding and cooperation of the parents so that one of them stays with the child in this special area. From there, it will also be possible to watch the ceremony through the window or on TV.

Question 7

When should I buy flights? What should my itinerary be?

Accepted Answer

A good booking window is typically between 50-80 days before the wedding, but it may depend on where you're coming from. You should start looking now to get an idea, and feel free to book far in advance to lock in your flights.

GIG is the international airport for direct flights coming from outside of Brazil, and for many connections. If you’re entering Brazil via a different city such as São Paulo, you may have the option of flying into Rio de Janeiro’s domestic airport, SDU.

(If you will be making a connection in Brazil and the overall price and timeline of your itinerary is the same, pick SDU over GIG simply because it’s closer.)

Keep in mind that layovers aren't so bad before or after long-haul flights, especially when you have lounge access. The lounges in Brazil are pretty great, so double-check what your options are.

For arrivals, the perfect itinerary would have you arriving Wednesday, November 4. This would allow you to settle in and make it to the early-bird event on Thursday, November 5.

If that's way out of the question, you can still try to land in the morning or early afternoon on Friday, November 6, and that would allow you time to rush over to the welcome event.

Of course, arriving Saturday morning and yolo'ing your way to the wedding is also an option.

For departures, anything in the evening or late-night on Sunday, November 8 would allow you to make it to the farewell event that morning.

We won't have anything else planned, so it's up to you if you want to stick around in Rio and enjoy some of the things we recommend.

Question 8

Where should I stay? Will you be recommending specific hotels?

Accepted Answer

We are still in the booking process for our welcome and farewell events, so we can only make a guess that they will occur somewhere near our home in Leme, with Copacabana and Ipanema being a close second and third.

When it comes to Leme, its small size comes with a similarly small selection of hotels in the area. These are Windsor Leme Hotel, Arena Leme Hotel, Novotel Rio de Janeiro Leme, Hotel Hilton Copacabana, and Regency Park Hotel.

Copacabana is the tourist central of Rio for hotels, so there's too many options for us to evaluate and recommend. Google Maps and Booking.com will help you there. Get in touch if you want us to double-check your location before booking.

Question 9

Should I stay near the wedding venue? Will the reception be at the same place as the ceremony?

Accepted Answer

Although the ceremony and reception will be at the same place in the neighborhood of São Conrado, all other events during the week will be elsewhere, so we do not recommend staying in the close proximity of the venue.

If you're looking to enjoy the rest of Rio (and the beach) during your visit, we recommend staying near us in Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema, or Leblon.

We've written some more details about these neighborhoods on the homepage.

Question 10

What is the best way to get to my hotel from the airport?

Accepted Answer

Uber, 100%.

Whether you're landing in GIG or SDU, the Uber app will guide you through the booking process.

If you're staying in near the beach (Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema), expect your Uber to cost between 12-30 USD / 10-25 Euro depending on your fare and arrival time.

Uber in Brazil has three tiers: UberX, Comfort, and Black. There is no Uber XL, but Uber Black tends to offer the largest cars in the area.

When in doubt, take Uber Black.

Question 11

Should I rent a car?

Accepted Answer

In almost all cases, no.

UberX, Uber Comfort, and Uber Black are safe and affordable via the Uber app. There is no Uber XL, but Uber Black tends to book larger vehicles.

Question 12

Will transportation be provided to the wedding venue?

Accepted Answer

This is still TBD, but it's definitely not necessary, so we think it's unlikely.

We will probably create a "let's Uber together" signup sheet or something so that everyone can coordinate amongst themselves.

The wedding venue is only 8 miles or 13 kilometers from our home neighborhood of Leme. Via Uber, this generally takes 20-30 minutes and costs roughly 8-15 USD / 7-13 Euro.

The venue has a gated entrance where Uber drivers will enter to drop you off, and a receptionist will check for your names on the guest list and direct you to the ceremony.

Question 13

Will parking be available at the wedding venue?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the venue has limited space for vehicles, and there will be a valet.

Question 14

I found a nice looking hotel in Barra da Tijuca, should I stay there?

Accepted Answer

Due to the fact that all of the events will be in Zona Sul, we strongly recommend against staying in Barra due to the traffic and overall inconvenience. Also, if it's your first time in Brazil, you won't want to miss out on a more authentic Rio experience.

Question 15

Why is the website "Ian and Bruna" instead of "Bruna and Ian"?

Accepted Answer

This is a good question with several answers.

First, you'll notice that Bruna happens to be on the right side in all of the pictures on this website, and even though it would still be obvious who is who either way, we felt like the design looked weird when we wrote Bruna and Ian underneath the wrong person.

Second, the brunaandian.com URL (which also takes you to this website) doesn't parse very well when reading because "Bruna" ends in the letter A and "and" starts with the letter A (and we felt that the double vowel looked a bit clunky). Likewise, the Portuguese version of brunaeian.com (which does not take you to this website) would've been even more chaotic with four consecutive vowels.

Third, whenever you add "ian" to a word (in English), you risk making it look like a suffix that indicates some kind of origin, profession, or philosophy. (Examples: Egypt > Egyptian, Magic > Magician, Orwell > Orwellian.) Thus, we didn't want anyone to confuse Ian and Bruna with The Brunaandian Theory of booking a destination wedding five months in advance.

Lastly, we felt like IB was better than BI for the logo. (Do you like our logo? Are you actually reading this? Did you know that we love you?)

Question 16

Should I bring my laptop, jewelry, and other valuables to Rio?

Accepted Answer

It's certainly up to you, but there's generally no point in bringing valuables. If you need to bring a laptop or work computer, it's best to keep it in your hotel.

Question 17

Is Rio safe?

Accepted Answer

In Rio, you're often as safe as you decide to be. We recommend deciding to be safe all the time.

For example, don't go walking late at night down streets you don't know, don't leave your cell phone on the table at a restaurant, and don't leave your valuables unattended on the beach when you go in the water.

Remember to get in touch with us if you want to double-check that your hotel or other accommodation is in a safe area.

Question 18

Will vegetarian or special dietary meals be available at the wedding?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we expect there to be a joint vegetarian and gluten free option for each dish served at dinner.

your questions answered