Daniel Suárez and Julia Piquet tie the knot in a beautiful wedding in Brasilia, Brazil.
Daniel Suárez, NASCAR Cup Series driver and Xfinity Series champion, married health coach Julia Piquet in a beautiful ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil, on July 30, 2024.
The couple, who first met in 2012 and got engaged in November 2022, chose the bride’s hometown for their wedding, making it a significant homecoming for Piquet, PEOPLE confirmed exclusively.
The festivities began on Sunday, July 28, with a cocktail party hosted by the bride’s father, Nelson Piquet, a Formula 1 champion. The multi-day event saw the couple surrounded by friends and family, celebrating their union in the vibrant city where Piquet lived during her high school years.
“Being able to get married in my hometown of Brasilia is very special,” said Piquet, 32. “It’s a place that I love, and it really was a no-brainer.”
Although the couple had a clear location in mind, the wedding date was less conventional. They chose a Tuesday to take advantage of NASCAR’s two-week break during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, allowing time for travel before Suárez competes in the NASCAR Brasil Series in São Paulo on August 3-4.
“He got invited to participate in that race, which is really, really cool,” Piquet said of her husband, 32, who has raced in Brazil almost every year since 2015. Suárez expressed his excitement in a statement to NASCAR, saying, “Brazil is a country that is very close to my heart. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity.”
The wedding ceremony took place at Recanto das Aguas, a botanical garden-like venue with scenic gardens and foliage. The decorations featured green and white with hints of light pink, complementing the natural beauty of the location.
“We didn’t really have a very specific vision or plan for the wedding aside from bringing our two families together,” Piquet explained. “That was at the top of our list for both me and Daniel.”
The ceremony was officiated by the bride’s cousin, Rodrigo, and featured personal touches like two of Piquet’s nieces carrying the wedding rings down the aisle. In front of 160 guests, the couple exchanged handwritten vows.
Piquet wore a Pronovias dress adorned with sparkles and 3D flowers. “What drew me to it was the shape of the dress. It fit me really well, shaping my waist as I wanted. I didn’t want anything too sexy or too traditional,” Piquet said. “I loved that it was simple yet embellished, striking a perfect balance between everything I wanted.”
Piquet’s bridal gown was one of several outfits she wore during the celebrations. At the welcome party, she wore a long-sleeved, floor-length Bronx and Banco dress made entirely of lace. For the rehearsal dinner, she chose a cream-colored Galia Lahav gown. At the reception, she changed into a short dress from Brazilian brand PatBo, designed by Patricia Bonaldi, paired with embellished Jimmy Choo shoes.
The reception featured a first dance to Robbie Williams’ “Angels,” and DJ Gui Ramalho kept the music flowing. “The party was all about the food,” Piquet said, highlighting the importance of Brazilian cuisine. The reception included buffets and tables with a variety of foods, ensuring guests could enjoy an array of culinary delights.
The cocktail hour featured dishes like salmon tartare, black truffle shrimp skewers, and burrata pastel. The buffet included a seafood corner with caviar, octopus, shrimp, oysters, and salmon, along with antipasto cheese and cold cuts, a selection of cheeses, and chicken tacos. Guests enjoyed sit-down plates of loin with black rice and beef tenderloin medallions with mushroom risotto. Later in the evening, mini hamburgers and ham sandwiches were served as goodbye snacks.
Sweets were abundant, including traditional Brazilian wedding cookies known as bem casados and a three-tiered cake with cascading flowers.
Following the wedding, Suárez will participate in the NASCAR Brasil race before returning to the U.S. to compete in a NASCAR Cup race in Richmond, Virginia, on August 11. The couple plans to go on a proper honeymoon at the end of the year, with plans to travel around Japan and immerse themselves in its food and culture.
“We’re really looking forward to going there,” Piquet said, adding that their next chapter involves “settling into our new home, getting back on the NASCAR schedule, hopefully fighting for a championship, and just continuing to do what we’re doing.”
Piquet emphasized their commitment to each other, saying, “We’ll stay strong as a couple, grow together, and move forward in life.”
The wedding of Daniel Suárez and Julia Piquet was a heartfelt celebration, blending personal touches with the vibrant culture of Brazil, making it a memorable start to their married life.
