Wedding venues/planners ripping off foreigners?

Wout Member

19POSTS

15 hours ago

I would really appreciate it if someone could give me good advice here.

Me and my wife (Brazilian) have been living in Europe for the last 7 years. We married recently, and wish to give a wedding party with 150 guests in São Paulo where her friends and family are located.

A year ago, we discovered that the largest castle in Holland rents out wedding venues for slightly less than 4000 euros per day. About 20 000 reais. We absolutely loved the place, but her family does not live here and things in my own family are complicated. The castle offered us a price quote per capita. It was 150 euros per person for meals, snacks and unlimited drinking on our wedding day from 1pm until after midnight. It was 50 per person for evening guests. So we calculated that we could make it happen for about 20 000 euros, or slightly over 100 000 reais.

On our annual visit to São Paulo, we looked at a few wedding venues there. We checked Palacio Dos Cedros. Which looked nice but nothing like the castle in Holland as the size was 10x smaller and it had no gardens. I asked for a price quote via whatsapp and they sent me a quote of 104 000 just for access to the facilities. No meals included, no decoration nothing. This is 5 times what the castle in Holland asked.

I also contacted a different venue. They wanted to know my name, my profession and my budget for the wedding. I gave them a large budget of 250 000 reais to work with, but I wish not to spend it. They wanted a one hour videocall with me to convince me of their services, and then proceeded to give me a price quote for exactly the maximum budget of 250 000 reais that I prefer not to spend. It is twice the budget of what a wedding at the Dutch castle would cost.

Then I found a Brazilian wedding planner with top reviews. He wanted a "bate papo", another Teams conversation. He also asked what our budget to work with was, so I told him 250 000 reais but I prefer to stay much lower. I mentioned the exaggerated price quotes to him and said that I believe I am paying gringo tax. He said it is common in Brazil, and he would avoid it by doing the negotiations for us if we hired him.

At the end of the conversation he said that his fee was 20 000 reais. We are allowed to pay 10 000 up front and the other 10 000 shortly before the wedding. I agree with his price, but only after we have price quotes of wedding venues we actually like. I want to pay him for his time now, and start paying his fees AFTER we have a price quote + location that we agree with.

He now says that he needs his 10 000 deposit before he even starts talking to wedding venues. I can't help thinking that he receives a commission from caterers that he has partnerships with, and I do not want to pay for that. I wish to seek my own caterers, and I want to contract him for arranging everything with them. But he insists that he only works with caterers that he knows (and likely gets a commission). I believe he wants the 10 000 now to lure us in so we don't have a way out if we don't like the price quotes.

I find it all very sketchy and I have absolutely no confidence in anybody I spoke with. They know we make our money in euros or dollars, and they all seem to charge us 50% gringo tax.

Is there a way to avoid this?

Kind regards

See also

Marriage in Brazil - Guide
Application Went Straight to MJSP Without PF Biometric Invitation - 10 Replies
Updating RNM with New Passport – Process in Brazil - 6 Replies
Carnê-Leão - 15 Replies
Brasilian CREDIT CARD REWARDS programs - 0 Reply
Higher education certificate accredited by MEC for Naturalization. - 32 Replies
Navigating friendships as an expat in Brazil - 2 Replies

abthree Brazil Expert

6491POSTS

14 hours ago

08/02/26 @Wout. That sounds like a ripoff to me, too.

What used to be my go-to site for weddings appears to be in permanent "manutenção" (it happens -- it's the internet, after all!), but I'd recommend consulting sites like these, not to trust automatically but for a reality check, and for potential vendor contacts independent the individual who seems to have targeted you:

https://lapisdenoiva.com/

https://www.casamentos.com.br/

Two other pieces of advice:

When someone asks, "What's your budget?", tell them "Whatever gives us the service we're looking for at a fair price" and stick with it . If they press you too hard for a number, walk away; they're just looking for a payday.

Let the Brazilian -- i.e. your wife -- do the talking. Brazilian accent = no gringo tax. She speaks their language, and I don't mean just Portuguese.

Best of luck!

Wout Member

19POSTS

14 hours ago

@abthree

Thanks. I have used that casamentos website before. Palacio Dos Cedros is on it and I believe it says that it's 30 000 for the venue. So I contacted them via whatsapp. The man said that the page on the casamentos website is very outdated and the price is now 104 000.

I really want to have a wedding party in São Paulo for my wife and for my mother in law, but I am sick and tired of Brazilians looking at me like a hyena to a dead horse. And every new person I talk to, trying to convince me that they are genuine. They are all looking to win the jackpot in their own unique ways. By selling me a "package" without disclosing what the cost of every aspect is in detail, or by making me pay an expensive deposit before I even have a price quote or a location.

I consider contacting a "sala de festas" in the name of my mother in law, who is 80 years old and black, to avoid the rip offs. We can say that the event is for her birthday so there is no wedding tax and no gringo tax.

She lives in São Paulo so I can let a friend do the negotiations and go there with her.

2 members reacted to this post

hagece8690 Active member

55POSTS

14 hours ago

@Wout

So you want someone to work for free, before you can decide whether or not you will pay them ?

A "retainer" or "deposit" is a common term used to show "good faith", of which it seems you have none, on the part of the party wishing to obtain the goods and services of the other.

You, yourself, "personally" cannot avoid the gringo tax until you actually live here a few years, and know those in your local bubble with whom you have done business. Let a local do the footwork for you on the following terms..........

The phrase "wedding mafia" is used thru out the world to describe these service companies. Organize it all once you are here, and do not disclose the nature of the engagement, say it's just a party, and use the most unassuming reason you can think of. Never disclose your budget to anyone either, and negotiate like you are buying a car. If you have a Brasilian who can do it for you even better. My wife organized our wedding here all by herself one part at a time.

Good luck.

1 member reacted to this post