Bela and Anna with wedding guests outside Grove House.

Bringing Three Cultures to the Table

For Isabela and Anna, the starting point was never a particular wedding style or a set menu. They wanted a day that felt bright, generous and full of life, with elements of both of them running through it. One bride is British, while the other brings both Portuguese and Brazilian heritage, so food became the obvious way to weave those influences into the day. Familiar flavours, favourite dishes and small details appeared throughout.

Grove House in Roehampton was the setting, its terrace and gardens making the most of an August wedding. The food started as soon as the ceremony ended. Guests headed outside for photographs and confetti before settling on the terrace for drinks and canapés. Coxinha lollipops with paprika aioli and micro coriander brought Brazilian flavour. Bolinho de bacalhau, salt cod fritters loved in both Portugal and Brazil, came finished with garlic aioli, charred lemon zest and seaweed salt. The brief was clear on one point: apart from the bottles kept back for dinner, the champagne should keep flowing all afternoon.

PenniBlack team setting the tables for guests.

While guests enjoyed the terrace and the champagne, the PenniBlack team had two hours to turn the ceremony room into a dinner setting for 131 people. The bridesmaids’ flowers and ceremony posies were gathered and rearranged into 23 bud vases for the tables. That gave them a second life rather than replacing them with another set of arrangements.

By the time guests came back inside, the room was unrecognisable. White linen covered the long tables, with raspberry pink and orange napkins bringing colour alongside the flowers. The wedding breakfast was designed around sharing rather than individual courses arriving one plate at a time. Pão de queijo came to the tables with dips and citrus-dressed greens. Alongside it were platters of Serrano ham, chorizo, Manchego and Parmesan, and grilled aubergine with soy and maple.

For the main course, salmon coulibiac with citrus and herb basmati rice was served alongside slow-braised beef short rib with chimichurri and a sun-dried tomato and basil tarte tatin. Bowls of roasted garlic and herb potatoes, heritage tomatoes with bocconcini and grilled Mediterranean vegetables rounded out the spread.

The menu drew on different influences without trying to make everything fit one cuisine. Just as importantly, the way it was served changed the feel of dinner. Platters were passed around, people helped themselves and conversation carried along the tables. It suited a wedding that was never meant to feel too formal.

Brazilian touches continued after dinner with brigadeiros. Bem casados, the small cakes traditionally given as wedding favours in Brazil, were waiting for guests later in the evening. Then came speeches, cake and plenty of toasts.

By the end of the night, the ceremony flowers were back on the tables, sharing dishes were still being passed around, and British, Portuguese and Brazilian flavours had all found their place. For Isabela and Anna, it was about bringing the people and things they loved together around the table.

Whether you’re celebrating one culture or three, we’d love to help create a menu that feels like yours. Get in touch with the PenniBlack team to start the conversation.