The group proceeded down to the town square of Fajãzinha, where a wine bar had been set up. “Each guest had a wine glass with a Portuguese scarf tied around it, which Kate had embroidered with their names,” Grayson says. The priest, local townspeople, taxi drivers, and shepherds all joined the celebration.
When guests arrived at the reception, a handwritten letter from Kate awaited each of them at their respective place settings. “Kate is the only person I know who would handwrite four-plus-page, personal, heartfelt letters to 29 people expressing her gratitude for their role in helping her become the woman she is today,” Grayson says.
Once speeches kicked off, the couple were both brought to tears when Grayson’s mother took the microphone. “She hired a genealogist and began the speech by reading the names of Grayson’s ancestors who had lived on Flores, including multiple couples who had been married in the very same church where we had said our vows just hours earlier,” Kate says. “We had no idea, and it made the entire day feel even more special.”
The group eventually migrated to the circular stone roof of an old atafona (traditional mill) and danced under string lights, drank wine straight from the bottles, and partied into the night on the makeshift dance floor (“with a constant fight for who was on aux”). The after-party moved to the pool, where everyone swam and danced until 6:30 in the morning. “As proof that I was having the best night of my life, I managed to roll my ankle and just kept dancing,” Kate says.
Looking back, it was these moments of friendship and family they say they’ll remember most. “I think an underrated part of a wedding is that while you’re marrying the love of your life, you’re surrounded by the people who were your entire life first,” Kate says. “One of my relatives, who hadn’t flown in decades because he was afraid of flying, got on a plane because I was getting married. My mom pressed three of the groomsmen’s suits when they wandered into her little stone house looking for help… They say your wedding sets the tone for your marriage, but I hope that week sets the tone for the rest of our lives.”
