There are weddings that look beautiful in photographs, and then there are weddings that seem to have their own cinematic universe.
Ricky Montgomery and Jess Joho’s Brazilian wedding falls firmly into the second category.
The singer, known for songs including “Mr. Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook,” married his longtime partner in Brazil at Pousada Pedra Azul, trading the usual wedding-white formula for something moodier, theatrical and deeply personal.
The aesthetic lands somewhere between a gothic romance, an old Hollywood love story and a particularly elaborate garden party. There are crimson curtains, a heart-shaped stage, candlelight, dramatic floral installations and a bride who looks like she wandered straight out of a vintage bridal portrait.
But beneath all the styling is a story that makes the wedding feel much more meaningful.
In his post about the wedding, Ricky called Jess his best friend and said he had spent a month in Brazil getting married to her, adding that he would be talking about the day for the rest of his life. He also gave Jess much of the credit for bringing the celebration together, saying she did as much work as a wedding planner.
Jess’s own reflection makes it clear just how personal the weekend was. She spent more than a year planning the three-day wedding in her home country while completing a master’s program and navigating the challenge of planning in limited Portuguese. For her, the wedding became a way of reconnecting with family, culture and the people who had shaped her life.
And somehow, all of that ended up looking very, very chic.
For couples planning a destination wedding of their own, the same lesson applies early on: the magic is often in finding the right combination of place, people and details. Wedded Concierge can help connect couples with trusted venues, suppliers and wedding experts, making the process of turning a very personal idea into an actual wedding a little less overwhelming.
Pousada Pedra Azul sits in Domingos Martins in Brazil’s Espírito Santo region, close to the Pedra Azul mountain and surrounded by the landscape of the Serra Capixaba. The property describes itself as having a rustic-luxury aesthetic designed to integrate with the surrounding nature, and it also offers spaces for weddings and other celebrations.
The ceremony appears almost tucked into the landscape, with dense greenery and mountain scenery forming the backdrop. The contrast between the wild garden setting and the carefully constructed ceremony design makes the photographs feel especially dramatic.
The wedding aisle was covered in deep red, leading toward a raised ceremony platform framed by towering floral arrangements.
The flowers brought together dusty pinks, pale blue and lavender blooms, warm peach tones, burgundy accents and trailing greenery. Each arrangement was wrapped in loose white fabric, giving the floral structures a slightly undone, theatrical quality.
But the most unexpected detail is the way the ceremony was framed.
White draping was arranged around the space to create an enormous heart-shaped opening. Through it, the couple could be seen standing against the greenery and hills beyond.
It is dramatic. It is romantic. It is also just a little bit theatrical, which feels exactly right.
The deep red aisle, white draping and lush vegetation create a colour palette that feels more like a gothic stage set than a traditional garden wedding.
Jess’s wedding dress is one of the biggest stars of the photographs.
The gown features a structured corset-style bodice with delicate floral embroidery and thin straps, paired with a soft, flowing skirt that creates a beautiful contrast between structure and movement.
She wore long white gloves for the ceremony, adding an unmistakably vintage touch. Her veil stretches dramatically behind her, with delicate detailing along its edges, while a jeweled headpiece sits across her forehead.
Then there is the hair.
Jess wore her blonde hair in defined, voluminous curls that frame her face and give the entire bridal look a distinctly old-Hollywood quality. With the jeweled headpiece and long veil, the effect feels almost like a modern interpretation of a 1940s or 1950s screen siren.
The dress itself also has a high slit, which becomes particularly noticeable in the couple’s black-and-white photographs. One image catches Jess walking beside Ricky with the skirt revealing a sparkling strappy heel underneath.
It is a tiny flash of modernity in an otherwise vintage-inspired look.
Ricky’s look was equally theatrical.
He wore a black tuxedo with a distinctive white bow tie and white shirt, finished with a white pocket square and a small white floral boutonnière. The slightly extended, tailcoat-like silhouette gives the outfit a romantic period feel without turning it into costume.
The couple look particularly striking together because their outfits create such a clear visual contrast.
Jess is all flowing white fabric, curls and pearls. Ricky is almost entirely black, with only the white bow, shirt and flowers breaking up the look.
It makes their portraits feel immediately cinematic.
One of the most memorable photographs shows the couple standing together inside an enormous heart-shaped opening made from gathered white fabric, with rich red curtains behind them.
It looks like a theatre stage designed specifically for a wedding.
Ricky and Jess stand facing one another in the centre, with the bride's long veil trailing behind her. The image manages to feel romantic without becoming overly polished because the couple themselves remain the focus.
It is also a clever example of how a ceremony backdrop can completely change the mood of a wedding.
Instead of a conventional floral arch, the couple created an entire visual frame around themselves.
Away from the ceremony structure, the couple's photographs become much softer.
They walk through lush gardens surrounded by oversized tropical foliage, sculptural plants, flowering bushes and winding paths. In one image, Jess walks beside Ricky in her gown while the greenery almost completely surrounds them.
The dress moves beautifully against the garden, with the flowing skirt catching the breeze and the veil trailing behind her.
The setting is particularly effective because it does not feel overly manicured. The landscape is dense, slightly wild and full of texture, giving the photographs a sense of place rather than making them look like they could have been taken anywhere.
Inside the reception, the mood shifts from garden ceremony to candlelit gothic dinner.
Deep red fabric drapes across the ceiling, while cream-coloured fabric is gathered above the room. Hanging globe lights add a warm glow, and tall white candles fill ornate candelabras throughout the space.
The tables are dressed in rich red velvet-like linens, creating a dramatic backdrop for the towering wedding cake.
And what a cake.
The multi-tiered white cake rises behind the couple in several ornate layers, decorated with elaborate sculptural details that make it look almost like a piece of antique architecture. Red flowers scattered around the base add another hit of colour.
The entire room feels intimate, theatrical and slightly mysterious.
This is perhaps the most interesting part of Ricky and Jess’s wedding.
Yes, the photographs are spectacular. Yes, the red curtains and heart-shaped backdrop are going straight onto the wedding mood board. And yes, Jess’s vintage-inspired bridal look deserves its own Pinterest board.
But the meaning behind the weekend gives all those details more weight.
Jess described the wedding as a form of “re-rooting” in her culture, family, friendships and the two halves of her life that had previously felt separate. She wrote about the vulnerability of asking loved ones to travel halfway around the world and the overwhelming support she received from the people around her.
The couple were also married twice during the weekend, with Jess crediting their priest, Morgan Sung, and priest-in-law Rebecca Roland for keeping them grounded in what mattered.
Ricky, meanwhile, said this was the best weekend of his life. That might be the sweetest detail of all.
The best thing about Ricky Montgomery and Jess Joho’s Brazilian wedding is that it did not seem interested in fitting neatly into one wedding aesthetic.
It was gothic without being gloomy. Vintage without feeling dated. Romantic without becoming overly sweet. Dramatic without losing its intimacy.
Most importantly, it was deeply connected to Jess’s relationship with Brazil and to the people who made the journey to be there.
The red carpet, the flowers, the gloves, the dramatic veil, the heart-shaped stage and the candlelit reception all created the visual world.
The family, friends, culture and history gave it the reason to exist.
And that is what made this particular wedding feel less like a styled shoot and more like a real love story with very good production design.
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