When one thinks of a wedding in Goa it is very likely that the first thing that comes to mind would be a beach wedding somewhere under the coconut trees, and while many people do come to Goa for a destination wedding on the beach, some people actually live in Goa and don’t need to travel far to have a wedding at an exotic location.

The long period of Portuguese rule has left an indelible influence on the original style of this small state and a large percentage of its population is Christian. The countryside is dotted with many beautiful churches and Old Goa has some incredible old cathedrals. Many families still live in their ancestral houses built in the typical Portuguese style, and as a matter of fact even I live in one of these houses in north Goa now, but this is another story.

The bride’s family still owns the old family home not far from Panjim city and regularly visit on family vacations. The old Portuguese house is full of memories and feelings. Wondering through the huge rooms I could almost hear the generations of people that used to live there and spending the time with the entire family there in the hours before the wedding was an unforgettable experience. It was only natural for Analisa to come here for her wedding and be led to the altar of an incredible church on the hill.

The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is located in the heart of Panjim on the hillside overlooking the entire view of the city and built in 1540 it is one of the oldest churches of Goa. The wedding took place just after Christmas and before the New Year and the church was beautifully decorated. The scene of the Nativity and little Jesus in the crib was created at the bottom of the stairs and was so colorful that it almost looked a part of Disneyland.

The wedding itself was simple and beautiful. Having documented such a huge variety of Indian weddings it was beautiful to see an Indian Roman Christian wedding in it’s full glory. Bride’s maids and best men in suits, children holding flowers in their hands and the whole feeling of the magnificent church was quite a change for me.

The wedding reception was held at the garden of the Cidade de Goa where we finally got our share of decorated coconut trees. It was a total fun that lasted well into the night. It was truly awesome.