"Dia do Sim" ("I Do Day") is an annual event in Brazil meant for couples who cannot afford to have a wedding, and in 2014, couples got married in record numbers.

Almost 2,000 couples were married in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday at an indoor sports venue, notes the BBC. It was Rio de Janeiro's biggest mass wedding, and was attended by about 12,000, which includes couples, guests and organizers. Local authorities promoted the event, and volunteer civil judges conducted the ceremonies.

Even though the ceremonies were not held in a church, a Roman Catholic bishop and a Christian evangelical pastor were present to bless the couples.

Luciana dos Santos, 30, woke up at 5 a.m. to get ready for the day's events. She straightened her hair, put on makeup and her white dress and slippers, according to Globo, because it was a few hours until she would marry Alessandro Teixeira, 33. The two would take the "I Do Train" to the venue.

"There's nothing traditional about our relationship," dos Santos said. "We've been together for 17 years, and we have a son. We're taking advantage of this opportunity to regularize our situation."

Emerson Moraes, 34, and Ana Rosangela Azevedo, 31, had been together for four years, and the two decided to get married earlier this year. The two got up at 6 a.m. to be at the event.

Moraes explained that the event was a little overwhelming.

"There are so many people here, and I think we will be here for a while, but I'm very happy," he said.

"Dia do Sim" is a project of Rio de Janeiro's judiciary. It promotes free community weddings through the department of sustainability. The event was created by judge Raquel de Oliveira.

Related