Luciana moved from Brazil to Portugal 15 years ago. She first worked in restaurants and later in a Chinese shop. Always outgoing and friendly, she loves working with people. While working in the shop, her favorite section was always party decorations. This passion connects deeply with her roots.

“In Brazil, people love to celebrate everything; every day is a reason for a party“, she explains.


One of the biggest celebrations in Brazil is the 15th birthday, marking the transition from childhood to almost adulthood. In Brazil, people spend a large amount of money on celebrations, sometimes even taking out loans to make the party unforgettable.

“Here in Portugal, people don´t party as much, but celebrations like baptisms, birthdays and especially children´s birthdays are still important traditions.“


Ludecor - turning celebrations into a business

Seeing a strong demand for party decorations, Luciana took an event decorating course and decided to open her own business. She rented a small space in Lagoa, where she provided various decorations rentals and helped people with the organisation of parties.

The beginning wasn’t easy. Many times, the money she earned was just enough to cover materials. She maintains a friendship with her colleagues from the Chinese shop where she used to work and luckily, when they decided to leave their space, they offered it to Luciana. She said yes, as she saw the opportunity to grow her business and finally have a space to store everything she needed! This is how Ludecor, an event venue, was born in 2023.


Today, she organises weddings, civil ceremonies, baby gender reveal parties, baby showers, birthdays and more. In Ludecor, up to 150 guests can be seated comfortably.

Luciana is happy to provide full support with the organisation of your party in Ludecor or any other location. The full setup venue can be rented with or without catering services. Ludecor has a fully equipped kitchen in case you would like to prepare your own food or bring in your preferred suppliers. Luciana can recommend trusted catering, photography and entertainment, including face painting and more. She also rents decorations, organizes both indoor and outdoor parties and rents her venue for different occasions. Balloons, toys, flowers, confetti, banners, tableware - anything you can think of to make your celebration special!


The main highlights are handcrafted, detail-oriented decorations, with a personalized touch, floral designs, themed setups, customizable backdrops and stands in a variety of colours.

Looking ahead, Luciana dreams of creating an outdoor space, especially for children’s parties, which are very popular. Her vision is also to have this space open a few days a week as a supervised play area where parents can safely leave their children for a few hours.


When I visited Ludecor, Luciana gave me a tour. I was amazed by the variety of decorations she has. Even if you request something more specific that she doesn´t have in stock, she will try to source it for you at an additional cost. Luciana and her daughters welcomed me warmly, they prepared fruit and Brazilian cakes for me, together with a traditional drink, Guaraná, which I had never tried before.

A family business

Luciana has two daughters who help her run the business. The venue has two floors, with the upper floor serving as a storage space to keep party decorations of every kind. Her younger daughter helps to keep the space organized. One part is organised by colour – since many clients request a whole party in a single theme or color palette.

Her older daughter creates beautiful custom paper decorations, such as invitations, personalized stationery, cake toppers, muffin toppers, guest gifts and much more, designed by any theme you can imagine. These are especially popular for children’s parties where families often want everything to match their children’s favorite characters like Paw Patrol, Stitch, Bluey, or Frozen.


For wedding and adult celebrations, current trends include rustic, forest and nature-inspired themes, with beige and earthy tones.

The Algarve has a large Brazilian community and at first, Luciana had mostly Brazilian clients, but today her customer base is split about 50/50 between Portuguese and Brazilian families.

Luciana enjoys restoring old furniture, which then makes a great addition to her event decorations. She also loves going to the beach, though her busy schedule doesn’t allow for it often, as she prefers to be present at events to support her clients whenever needed.

A better life in the Algarve

Luciana is grateful for the life her family has built in the Algarve: “In Brazil, we didn´t feel safe anymore. Back in our hometown, many people work just for food. There is a lot of crime and poverty and I didn‘t want this for my daughters, who were little when we decided to move. Moving here was the best thing that could have happened to us. My husband still works in his profession but I am planning to expand the business and possibly employ him too. Many times I need his help but because of his work, he travels a lot. We feel safe and comfortable in the Algarve and our daughters have better possibilities for their future here. Our families have visited us and while they miss us in Brazil, they are happy for us and the life we’ve built.”

Creating memories that last

Organising an unforgettable birthday party takes time, energy, and creativity, but the memories created are worth it.

Whether you’re planning a superhero-themed party for kids, a romantic engagement party, or a grand event to celebrate a wedding, Ludecor and Luciana are ready to help you bring your vision to life.

Luciana Guimarães Dos Santos Cardoso

R. Dr. Ernesto Cabrita 18, 8400-387 Lagoa

Instagram: Ludecor.pt