NASCAR's Daniel Suárez Marries Health Coach Julia Piquet in Brazilian Wedding: 'Cherishing This Moment' (Exclusive)

The couple, who first met in 2012 before getting engaged in November 2022, tied the knot during a ceremony in the bride's hometown of Brasilia

NASCAR Cup Series driver and Xfinity Series champion Daniel Suárez and health coach ​​Julia Piquet are married.

The couple, who first met in 2012 before getting engaged in November 2022, tied the knot during a homecoming of sorts on Tuesday, July 30 in the bride's hometown of Brasilia, Brazil, PEOPLE can exclusively confirm. Over the course of the multi-day event — which kicked off on Sunday, July 28 with a cocktail party hosted by the bride's father, Formula 1 champion Nelson Piquet — saw the couple surrounded by friends and family.

"Being able to get married in my hometown of Brasilia, where I lived for four years during high school, is very special," Piquet, 32, tells PEOPLE, adding that the capital city is where her father and much of her family lives. "It's a place that I love. So, it really was a no brainer."

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While the location of the ceremony was an obvious choice for the couple, the wedding date — particularly being a Tuesday — was admittedly "a little unusual." But the two had to take advantage of NASCAR's two-week break during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. And it also allowed both the couple and their guests from the United States time to travel back and forth from Brazil before the groom races in the NASCAR Brasil Series from Aug. 3 to Aug. 4 in São Paulo.

"He got invited to participate in that race, which is really, really cool," Piquet says of her husband, 32, who has competed in the country almost every year since 2015. In a statement to NASCAR, Suárez said, "Brazil is a country that is very close to my heart [and I feel] very fortunate to have this opportunity."

Of course, before Suárez takes a lap around the "historic" race track at Autódromo José Carlos Pace, he got to say "I do" to Piquet during a beautiful, family-filled ceremony — with decorations in green and white with hints of light pink — designed to match the scenic gardens and foliage surrounding the venue at Recanto das Aguas.

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"It's just a beautiful botanical garden kind of place," Piquet tells PEOPLE, revealing that she and Suárez "didn't really have a very specific vision or plan for the wedding" aside from bringing their two families together. "That was at the top of our list for both me and Daniel." 

She adds, "It's a really unique opportunity to have everyone together in one place at one time. So, we’re really cherishing this moment that we have all our family together."

With that in mind, their ceremony was officiated by the bride's cousin, Rodrigo, who Piquet says is "a very important person in my life," while two of her nieces were tasked with walking the wedding rings down the aisle. At the altar, in front of 160 guests, the couple exchanged "very special" handwritten vows.

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The bride, who wore a Pronovias dress adorned with sparkles and 3D flowers incorporated into the embroidery, was escorted down the aisle by her father to the Skott song, "Overcome." Her four bridesmaids wore pale pink dresses while Suárez's four groomsmen matched with light pink ties.

"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 says, adding, "I loved that it was simple yet embellished, striking a perfect balance between everything I wanted."

The bridal gown was also just one of several outfits she wore throughout the week, with Piquet donning a long-sleeved, floor length made-to-order Bronx and Banco dress with a long train made entirely of lace and a pair of Yves Saint Laurent cream platform heels during the welcome party. During Monday's intimate rehearsal dinner for the couple's family — which included those who traveled from Mexico where Suárez was born and raised — the bride wore a stunning cream-colored Galia Lahav gown paired with simple cream heels.

For the wedding reception — where the bride was excited to dance the night away — Piquet changed into another look, a short dress embellished with beads, curls and fringes from Brazilian brand PatBo by designer Patricia Bonaldi and a pair of matching embellished Jimmy Choo shoes from their Bridal Collection.

For their first dance, Piquet and Suárez were excited to make their debut as a married couple to the Robbie Williams song, "Angels," while DJ Gui Ramalho kept the music flowing during the party. (Additionally, DJ Ana Chris performed during the welcome ceremony.)

In addition to dancing, the party, which Piquet says she was the most excited about, was all about the food. "When you come to Brazil, one of the big things is just the food, right? The food is so good in Brazil," the bride gushes, revealing that she and Suárez "wanted to make sure that we really gave our guests a treat when it came to the food."

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Accordingly, the reception featured buffets and tables with food for the entirety of the night, allowing the couple and guests to pick and choose whatever they wanted to eat.

The feast was kicked off with a cocktail hour featuring salmon tartare, black truffle shrimp skewers, breaded shrimp with mint sauce, tongue Paki dumplings and burrata pastel (a famous Brazilian pastry) among other delicacies served by waiters.

The buffet, meanwhile, consisted of seafood corner with caviar, octopus, shrimp, oysters and salmon while the antipasto cheese and cold cuts section included deconstructed raw beef tartare, dry-cured ham, beetroot hummus, crispy chickpeas and filet mignon tartare. There was also a selection of cheeses, an entire parma ham sliced for guests, as well as a chicken taco section and a variety of fresh fruit, artisanal breads and pão de queijo, something specifically requested by the groom.

Guests were also treated to sit-down plates featuring loin with black rice, mixed peppers and crispy kale as well as beef tenderloin medallions with a portobello reduction served with mushroom risotto. Later in the evening, goodbye snacks included mini hamburgers with accompanying sides and ham sandwiches made with cheese bread.

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When it came to the sweets, there was no shortage of options, including traditional Brazilian wedding cookies known as bem casados as well as a three-tiered cake with flowers cascading down the sides.

Following the wedding, Suárez will participate in the NASCAR Brasil race before they have to return to the U.S. so that he can compete in a NASCAR Cup race in Richmond, Va. on Aug. 11. But the couple, who says they already live the "married life," does plan to go on a proper honeymoon at the end of the year, with plans to travel around Japan and immerse themselves in the food and culture.

"We’re really looking forward to going there," Piquet says, adding that their next chapter as a couple "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."

The bride adds, "We'll stay strong as a couple, grow together and move forward in life."

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