Giulia Be and Conor Kennedy could have chosen a wedding that leaned entirely into Kennedy family tradition. Instead, they brought everyone to Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian singer's hometown, for a celebration that felt distinctly personal, with local culture, family rituals, and enough couture to keep bridal fashion enthusiasts busy.
The three-day affair unfolded across the city, from a samba-filled welcome party to a blessing overlooking Rio and a ceremony inside a historic cathedral. But what made the celebration particularly interesting was how deliberately the couple made it their own. A Kennedy family sporting tradition became a beach volleyball tournament, Giulia's wedding wardrobe featured designers from across the globe, and even the smallest details carried a reference to their relationship.
For couples planning a destination wedding, the celebration offered a compelling reminder that the best settings do more than look beautiful. They tell a story. Finding the right local suppliers and creative team can help bring that story to life, which is where Wedded Concierge can make the planning process easier.
The couple's relationship began virtually in 2021, after Conor's sister, Kyra, introduced them online. Giulia remembers being immediately attracted to a photograph of him. When she suffered a serious head injury later that year, Conor reached out to check on her, starting conversations that gradually became something more.
While Giulia filmed the Netflix movie Depois do Universo in Brazil and Conor continued his studies in the United States, the pair exchanged lengthy WhatsApp messages for months. They affectionately called these conversations their love letters.
When they finally met in California in 2022, Giulia joked that the situation would either turn out to be an elaborate catfish or lead to marriage. By their third date, Conor was already introducing her as his girlfriend.
He proposed in August 2024 at their Los Angeles home before they had even moved in. Giulia arrived after a difficult day at the recording studio, believing Conor needed her help with furniture. Instead, she walked into a candlelit living room as Elton John's Your Song played. Conor asked her to marry him, and she accepted before he could finish the question.
The couple legally married in Los Angeles in March 2026, before gathering their wider circle for the celebrations in Brazil.
The festivities began on Thursday, October 8, with a welcome party featuring a performance by Unidos de Vila Isabel, one of Rio's renowned samba schools. It was an energetic introduction to the city and a way for guests travelling from abroad to experience Brazilian music and celebration firsthand.
The next day brought a beach volleyball tournament in Ipanema. The idea came from the Kennedy family's tradition of organising sporting competitions around weddings, but the couple adapted it to suit their surroundings. A beach volleyball match felt far more fitting for Rio than simply recreating a family tradition somewhere else.
Later that day, the couple gathered with their families for a blessing at the Chapel of Nossa Senhora Aparecida, inside the Christ the Redeemer monument. Overlooking the city, the setting gave the occasion a particularly meaningful connection to Giulia's home.
On Saturday, October 10, they held their Catholic wedding ceremony at the historic Nossa Senhora do Carmo da Antiga Sé cathedral, followed by a reception at Instituto Brando Barbosa in Jardim Botânico.
Rather than treating Brazil as an attractive destination for a wedding, the couple made the city an essential part of the experience. The music, sporting activities, ceremony locations, and celebrations all reflected the place Giulia wanted to share with the people closest to them.
Giulia's wedding wardrobe was practically a destination itinerary in itself, with custom looks from Spanish, Brazilian, American, and British designers. Each outfit suited a different part of the celebration, giving the singer room to experiment with her personal style throughout the weekend.
For the opening festivities, Giulia wore a custom creation by Spanish designer YolanCris. The look featured a statement cape embroidered with personal references, including the couple's matching tattoo and Leo constellation.
The design was a fitting introduction to the wardrobe that followed. It combined a dramatic silhouette with intimate details that meant something specifically to the couple, rather than relying on embellishment for its own sake.
Giulia also wore a design by PatBo, the Brazilian label founded by Patricia Bonaldi, a longtime friend and collaborator. Including a Brazilian designer was important to the singer, who wanted her wedding to reflect the fashion and creative talent of her home country.
It was a thoughtful choice within a wardrobe that otherwise travelled across several international fashion capitals.
For the blessing, Giulia chose a custom Calvin Klein gown with a minimalist silhouette and sheer opera-length gloves. The brand had worked with her for several years, making the collaboration feel like a natural extension of her personal style.
The dress took around 20 sketches to refine before the team arrived at the final design. Its clean lines and understated elegance also recalled the famously pared-back bridal style associated with Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.
Against the sweeping views of Rio, the look offered a quieter counterpoint to the more elaborate designs in Giulia's wedding wardrobe.
The main wedding gown was perhaps the most dramatic of the collection. Giulia commissioned British designer Harris Reed after sending him a direct message, never expecting such a quick response. He replied within minutes, and the pair spent the following eight months developing the look, with Giulia travelling to London several times for fittings.
The finished gown featured a high neckline, long lace sleeves, and a fitted silhouette that flowed into an expansive train. French lace from the historic house Solstiss added intricate floral detailing, while a custom veil extended the look into a sweeping statement of its own.
Giulia drew inspiration from 1970s romanticism and even referenced the futuristic elegance of Padmé Amidala's costumes in Star Wars. The result balanced vintage romance with a more theatrical, couture sensibility.
Her after-party look continued the collaboration with Reed, accessorised with pieces from Tiffany & Co.'s high jewellery archive. Custom shoes by Brazilian brand Luiza Barcelos completed the wardrobe, while personalised flip-flops gave guests a comfortable option once the dancing began.
While Giulia's wardrobe involved an international roster of designers, Conor's suits were made by Vasco Vasconcellos, the Brazilian tailor who has dressed Giulia's father for years.
The connection began early in the relationship. Giulia explained that taking someone to the tailor is one of her father's ways of showing affection, and introducing Conor to Vasconcellos was among the first things he did when they met.
Her father and brothers accompanied Conor throughout the process, making the suits part of the family's involvement in the wedding rather than simply another wardrobe decision.
It also created a lovely contrast between the couple's approaches to dressing. Giulia's gowns were developed across international fashion studios, while Conor's suits were rooted in a personal relationship with a Brazilian craftsman.
For the bridesmaids, Giulia gave her friends freedom to choose their own dresses within a navy blue and dark green palette. The approach allowed each person to express her individual style while keeping the overall wedding party visually cohesive.
For the Catholic ceremony, Father Victor Pimentel Pereira allowed the couple to exchange personal vows alongside the traditional ones. Giulia said the opportunity was particularly meaningful because not every priest permits couples to add their own promises to the service.
She walked down the aisle with her father to Nessun Dorma, the famous aria from Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot. It was a deeply personal choice, as the piece comes from her favourite opera by her favourite composer.
The music gave the entrance a sense of occasion without relying on a conventional wedding march. For Giulia, being escorted by her father and arriving at the altar to a piece she loved made the moment feel like a childhood dream realised.
The ceremony combined the structure of a traditional Catholic wedding with details that belonged specifically to the couple, from the music to their personalised vows.
After the ceremony, the celebrations continued at Instituto Brando Barbosa, where guests were welcomed into a reception featuring a photo booth, a tarot reader, and a lively dance floor.
The atmosphere was designed to show Conor's friends and family how celebrations unfold in Brazil. Personalised flip-flops offered a practical touch for guests ready to spend the evening dancing, while the reception gave the couple space to enjoy the party after the formality of the cathedral.
The three-day format meant the wedding did not have to rely on one event to do everything. There was time for family traditions, a religious ceremony, a proper introduction to Rio, and a reception built around having fun together.
Reflecting on the weekend, Giulia described the wedding as a labour of love and expressed gratitude to everyone who travelled to Brazil to celebrate with them.
Giulia Be and Conor Kennedy's wedding is a reminder that a destination celebration becomes more memorable when it has a point of view. Their weekend was not simply a series of beautiful venues and designer outfits. It brought together the Kennedy family's traditions, Giulia's Brazilian roots, and details that reflected the couple's relationship.
From a beach volleyball tournament to a couture gown inspired by 1970s romance and Star Wars, the celebration managed to feel polished without losing its personality.
For couples planning their own wedding, the lesson is to start with what matters to you. A meaningful location, a family tradition reimagined, a favourite song, or a designer who understands your vision can become the detail guests remember long after the celebration ends.
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