Hi everyone, how are you? There’s nothing better than starting the year with a beautiful and exciting retrospective of everything we did in 2025 – and it wasn’t a small feat! Being a wedding planner is in my blood. And taking on the role of journalist to talk about myself is, at the same time, an exercise in memory and gratitude. 2025 was one of those years that we cherish – intense, generous, full of encounters, trips, projects, and stories that reinforced, once again, why I love the world of weddings and destination weddings so much. There were many flights, many behind-the-scenes moments, many “yes”s said around the world, and the certainty that I, Simone Tostes, at the helm of Aonde Casar, continue to fulfill my purpose: to inspire, connect, and tell real stories, with soul and identity. Here, I share some of the most memorable moments of this very special year – and I invite you to immerse yourself in each one of them calmly, by clicking on the full posts.
Destination Wedding programs premiere on Travel Plus (Samsung TV)
2025 began with an important milestone: the premiere of the new season of Aonde Casar’s destination wedding program on Samsung TV’s Travel Plus tourism channel. Seeing our stories come to life on video, reaching so many homes, was thrilling. The first episodes of this season were filmed at the Hotel Casa da Montanha in Gramado and the Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro , two iconic settings for those who dream of a wedding with experience, beauty, and meaning. A new format, a new way to inspire—and a huge step for the project. It’s well worth watching and reading the behind-the-scenes details on the blog.
Famtour Chez Bisutti at Club Med Rio das Pedras
Participating in Chez Bisutti’s familiarization tour at Club Med Rio das Pedras was a delightful immersion into the world of beach weddings with excellent hospitality. It was a few days of sharing experiences, experiencing the destination firsthand, and enjoying an impeccable selection of experiences. It was one of those invitations that reinforces how well the Brazilian market can create events with international standards—and a tropical soul. In the full post , I tell you all about this experience.
My talk at IADWP in Santo Domingo
Taking the stage at IADWP in Santo Domingo was one of the year’s greatest achievements. Speaking about destination weddings, the global market, and positioning at an international congress, alongside professionals from around the world, was powerful and transformative. I returned full of insights, connections, and the certainty that Brazil does indeed have a relevant voice in this scenario. On the blog, I share what this experience was like from the inside.
Academy Destination Wedding Congress, in the Dominican Republic
While still in Santo Domingo, I had the pleasure of participating in the Academy Destination Wedding Congress , an in-depth meeting about the future of destination weddings. It was an intense few days of content, exchanges, and reflections on how to create increasingly personalized and conscious experiences. One of those events that takes you out of autopilot and makes you return home different. The full account is on the blog.
Ambassador for Cartagena Wedding Dreams for the second time.
Being invited, for the second time, to be an ambassador for Cartagena Wedding Dreams was a huge honor. Cartagena is a destination that pulsates with romance, history, and identity—and the forum brings together some of the leading names in the global market. Representing Brazil in this context, again, was incredibly special. In this post, I’ll share my experience of this edition and all the inspiration it brought.
A destination wedding at Castello di Gargonza, in Tuscany
2025 also had a royal wedding—a dream wedding. Following and telling the story of Jessica and Vinicius’ destination wedding at Castello di Gargonza in Tuscany was one of those jobs that moves you from beginning to end. A medieval setting, cinematic landscapes, and a celebration full of meaning. On the blog, I share every detail of this unforgettable wedding .
FESTURIS Gramado: Luxury & Wedding Venue
My participation in the Luxury & Wedding space at FESTURIS , in Gramado, was another important chapter of the year. An environment designed to discuss experiences, destinations, and the new luxury in tourism and events. Even without a dedicated blog post, this moment deserved to be in the retrospective—and it yielded many encounters, conversations, and shared inspirations, also shared on social media ( there are posts on our Instagram page ).
VTs at the Estoril Palace and Art Legacy, in Portugal
Portugal returned to the 2025 itinerary with special visits to the Estoril Palace and the Art Legacy Hotel in Lisbon. Filming videos in these iconic hotels was a privilege and reinforced how the country continues to be an incredible destination for sophisticated weddings full of history. On the blog, I recount this experience and why these hotels enchant so many couples.
Lecture at the Dream Event in Maputo
Maputo entered my memory forever in 2025. I was a speaker at the Dream Event , an international congress that brings together professionals from different countries around the world. A very rich cultural exchange, an attentive audience, and a unique energy. Speaking about destination weddings there was more than work—it was a learning experience. The full post is available on the blog.
Table Design Exhibition in Istanbul
Ending the year in style, I participated as lead designer and speaker at the Table Design Exhibition in Istanbul, alongside the dear and incredibly talented Brazilian designer Andrea Guimarães. An event that unites design, creativity, and sensory experiences in an absolutely inspiring way. Being on that stage, alongside such incredible names, was the icing on the cake of a memorable year. On the blog, I’ll share everything about this intense and creative experience .
Phew, I think I managed to get through almost everything! 2025 was a year of movement, of encounters, and of confirming paths. Bring on 2026—with new destinations, new stories, and many “yes” answers around the world.
What did you think?
Until the next post!
Kisses,
Simone.
