Ode Stories Weddings

Could you tell us how the idea of creating Ode Stories was born, and what inspired you to now combine celebrant and wedding planner roles?

Ode Stories was born from a deeply personal and human impulse: the desire to transform love stories into experiences lived with presence, beauty, and truth. For three years, as a celebrant, I felt that the ceremonies I created had a soul of their own — one that deserved to be accompanied by equally authentic and intentional settings. The narrative was there, it just needed the environment to elevate it.
The transition into wedding planning was natural. It felt like completing a circle: combining words, aesthetics, emotion, and logistics to create celebrations that breathe coherence and sensitivity in a holistic way. Ode Stories has become the space where I can honor love in a complete way, from writing the ceremony to curating every detail.

Your philosophy of “celebrating with intention, soul, and presence” is very present in your communication. What does “conscious luxury” mean to you in a wedding?

To me, conscious luxury is not excess — it is essence. It is seeing a wedding as a ritual, a moment worthy of time, silence, truth, and beauty.

Conscious luxury is choosing less, but better. It is valuing presence. It is creating unforgettable experiences where every detail has meaning and every decision is guided by what truly matters to the couple. It is the luxury of feeling.

What led you to transition from celebrant to wedding planner?

It was the desire to align the depth of words with the aesthetics and atmosphere of the day.
As a celebrant, I enter the most intimate part of the couple: their story, the gestures I observe, the vulnerability I witness. Over time, I realized that this sensitivity could — and should — extend to the entire celebration.
Today, by combining both roles, I can create weddings that are more coherent, emotional, and conceived as complete works of art.

Why did you choose to focus on intimate weddings, elopements, and destination weddings instead of large/traditional events?

Because I believe in the power of intimacy. In smaller weddings, glances are not lost, emotions are not diluted, and love is experienced without distraction or rush.

Elopements and micro weddings allow what large weddings rarely do: presence, depth, and freedom.
And Portugal, with its golden light and poetic landscapes, becomes the perfect backdrop for these kinds of celebrations.

Which personal values guide the way you work with couples?

Deep listening, intention, authenticity, aesthetics, humanity.
I work with an attentive heart, with rigor and sensitivity.
I believe every couple deserves a safe, beautiful, and truthful space to celebrate their own essence.

How do you balance the logistics of planning with creating an authentic and emotional symbolic ceremony?

Logistics provide structure. The ceremony gives soul. For me, both coexist without rivalry.

I plan meticulously so that, on the day, nothing disturbs what is essential. I write deeply so that every word, pause, and gesture reflects the couple’s emotional truth. It’s a balance between precision and poetry.

Is there any place in Portugal that you consider the “perfect backdrop” for an Ode Stories ceremony? Why?

Portugal is made of places that feel like verses.

But I have a special connection to Sintra, for its mystical aura; to Alentejo, for its immense quietude; to the Atlantic coast, for the force of the wind and the infinity of the sea; and to the Douro Valley, where the vineyards shape the landscape like lines from an ancient drawing.
Each offers a different kind of poetry, and each couple finds a reflection of their own story there.

How do you create symbolic ceremonies? Do you write texts from the couple’s story, include special rituals, music, personal touches?

Yes, everything starts with a deep, sensitive, and personal interview. It’s a moment of true listening and connection between the three of us. This is how I discover the essence, contrasts, and small gestures between them. From there, I write the ceremony as if crafting a living poem, with intention, lightness, and artistry in every word.

I include rituals or personal touches only when they make sense and are specifically requested by the couple, never for aesthetic obligation. I follow a structure that adapts to each couple. But every ceremony is unique because it is born from the couple themselves, not from a static, inflexible model.

What moves you the most at a wedding? Is there a moment you never tire of experiencing, even after many events?

The moment they exchange vows. There’s such pure vulnerability, such truth that cannot be explained. Even after countless ceremonies, this moment still gives me goosebumps as if it were the first.

How do you handle the responsibility and intimacy of celebrating unions, and how do you maintain that balance?

With absolute respect for the story entrusted to me. I never forget that I am entering a sacred, emotional, and unique territory.

And with humility, because it is a rare privilege to witness love so closely.

Has any ceremony become a milestone in your career? Why?

Yes. Interestingly, it was only the second ceremony of my life as a celebrant: Mel and Diogo Piçarra’s union.

Before that, I had only officiated my brother’s wedding. The emotion of that day was so immense and overwhelming that I honestly wondered: “What if I feel this way every time? What if the emotion paralyzes me? What if it’s too much?” But I decided to move forward with that fear, seeing it as a sign that I was where I should be.

Mel and Diogo’s ceremony confirmed it: I felt such deep truth in that moment, such genuine and pure devotion, that I realized this work is not about controlling emotion, but about allowing it to flow through us with grace and purpose.

That day marked me forever! It was when I understood that celebrating love stories is not a job — it is a vocation, it is my mission.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned when working with couples from different cultures?

That love changes language but not truth. Each culture adds new layers, new ways to express affection, but the human essence is the same: the desire to be seen, chosen, and celebrated.

How would you describe your planning and decor style in three words?

Elegant, intentional, poetic.

What advice would you give to couples who want to fully personalize their day?

Listen to yourselves. Forget trends. Choose only what makes your hearts beat faster, not what would please others. Authenticity is always the most beautiful element of any celebration.

How do you balance the couple’s wishes with your artistic vision?

I see the creative process as a dialogue. My vision exists, but only to serve the couple’s truth, never to overpower it.

Before imagining any aesthetic detail, I listen to what they value and what moves them. Only then do I design, with the lightness of interpretation and the sensitivity of translation.

I would say the balance comes from the couple’s soul giving direction and my artistic vision giving form. I merely guide the way so that everything reveals itself with elegance, coherence, and depth.

Where do you see Ode Stories Weddings in the coming years — in Portugal, internationally, with new services? Can you share?

I see Ode Stories growing organically and elegantly, always maintaining its essence: intimacy, intention, beauty.

I see more destination weddings, international partnerships, and perhaps a creative studio dedicated exclusively to ceremonies and sensory experiences.

But always with the same focus: celebrating love as art and truth.