Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel

Belmond's Copacabana Palace has faced Copacabana Beach from Avenida Atlântica for a century, and the Michelin Guide awards it two Keys. There are 140 rooms and suites in the main building and 68 suites in the renovated Pool Wing, each with a private balcony. A semi-Olympic pool sits at its centre, with a spa, a tennis court and seasonal beach service.

What sets it apart for a wedding is scale and polish together. There are 14 event rooms across 2,200 square metres, holding anywhere from ten to 500 guests, and the hotel even has its own theatre. The team hosts religious, civil, symbolic and LGBTQIA+ weddings and works with trusted local suppliers.

Pick from a long list of grand rooms, including the Golden Room, the Noble Room and the Crystal Room, with capacities from ten to 500. Food is led by executive chef Nello Cassese, and menus run from canapés to plated or buffet dinners. Civil ceremonies are possible once the legal paperwork is in place, alongside religious and symbolic options. Ask the team about ceremony spots by the pool, the capacity chart for your numbers and timings for the evening.

With 208 rooms and suites across the main building and the Pool Wing, the whole wedding can sleep under one roof, and some suites come with access to a private pool on the sixth floor. Between celebrations there is sailing on Guanabara Bay, private tours to Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf, and afternoons on the wild beaches west of the city.

Rio's international airport is 28 km away, about 35 minutes by car, and Santos Dumont, the domestic airport, is ten minutes away. A seasonal kids club helps families.