Se eu fosse a noiva, escolheria um casamento pequeno perto do mar.

Because this sentence is expressing a hypothetical situation: If I were the bride...

In Portuguese, after se when you talk about an unreal or imagined present situation, you normally use the imperfect subjunctive.
That is why you get:

• Se eu fosse... = If I were...

Here is the comparison:

• Se eu sou... → not correct for this meaning
• Se eu era... → not used for this kind of hypothetical
• Se eu fosse... → correct

This is very similar to formal English If I were... rather than If I was...

Escolheria is the conditional form of escolher (to choose).

So the pattern is:

• Se eu fosse... = If I were...
• ... escolheria ... = ... I would choose ...

This is a very common Portuguese structure for hypothetical sentences:

• Se eu tivesse tempo, viajaria mais.
  If I had time, I would travel more.

• Se ela morasse aqui, seria mais fácil.
  If she lived here, it would be easier.

So fosse + escolheria works together just like were + would choose in English.

Yes, exactly.

The sentence follows this structure:

• Se + imperfect subjunctive,
• conditional

So:

• Se eu fosse a noiva, escolheria...
• If I were the bride, I would choose...

This is one of the most useful patterns to learn in Portuguese for imaginary or contrary-to-fact situations.

A few more examples:

• Se eu fosse rico, compraria uma casa na praia.
  If I were rich, I would buy a house at the beach.

• Se nós tivéssemos carro, iríamos mais longe.
  If we had a car, we would go farther.

Portuguese often uses the definite article where English does not.

So a noiva literally looks like the bride, but in Portuguese that can sound completely natural even in places where English might just say bride in a more general way.

In this sentence, a noiva refers to the bride in that situation:

• Se eu fosse a noiva...
  If I were the bride...

Using the article here is the normal, natural choice.

It can mean both, depending on context.

• noiva = fiancée
• noiva = bride

In this sentence, because it talks about choosing a wedding, the meaning is naturally bride.

Useful related words:

• noiva = bride / fiancée
• noivo = groom / fiancé
• casamento = wedding / marriage, depending on context

Context usually makes the meaning clear.

In Portuguese, adjectives often come after the noun, especially when they describe a literal quality.

So:

• um casamento pequeno = a small wedding

This sounds natural because pequeno is describing the size or scale of the wedding.

If you put the adjective before the noun, the meaning can sometimes become more subjective or stylistic. With pequeno, pre-noun position can sometimes suggest something more emotional or figurative, depending on context.

For a straightforward description, casamento pequeno is the normal choice.

Perto do mar means near the sea or close to the sea.

The do comes from a contraction:

• de + o = do

So:

• perto de o mar → contracts to perto do mar

This kind of contraction is extremely common in Portuguese.

Other examples:

• de + a = da
• em + o = no
• em + a = na

So you could break the phrase down like this:

• perto de = near
• o mar = the sea
• perto do mar = near the sea

Yes, but the meaning changes a little.

• perto do mar = near the sea
• na praia = on the beach / at the beach

So:

• um casamento pequeno perto do mar
  suggests a wedding close to the ocean, maybe at a hotel, house, garden, or venue nearby

• um casamento pequeno na praia
  suggests the wedding is actually on the beach

Both are natural, but they are not exactly the same.

Yes, it is natural in this context.

It means choosing the kind or style of wedding you want. For example:

• escolher um casamento pequeno
• escolher um casamento simples
• escolher um casamento ao ar livre

Portuguese speakers also might say things like:

• eu faria um casamento pequeno = I would have/do a small wedding
• eu escolheria fazer um casamento pequeno = I would choose to have a small wedding

But your original sentence is perfectly natural.

Yes, usually you can.

Portuguese often drops subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

So both are correct:

• Se eu fosse a noiva, escolheria...
• Se fosse a noiva, escolheria...

However, keeping eu can be helpful for:

• emphasis
• clarity
• learners
• contrast with someone else

In this sentence, using eu sounds completely normal.

Because the sentence begins with an if-clause:

• Se eu fosse a noiva, ...

In Portuguese, when a conditional clause comes first, it is normally followed by a comma.

So this is standard punctuation:

• Se eu fosse a noiva, escolheria um casamento pequeno perto do mar.

If the main clause came first, the comma is often not used:

• Escolheria um casamento pequeno perto do mar se eu fosse a noiva.

Both versions are possible.

Fosse is the imperfect subjunctive of ser.

Here is the full form:

• se eu fosse
• se você fosse
• se ele/ela fosse
• se nós fôssemos
• se vocês fossem
• se eles/elas fossem

This tense is very commonly used after se for hypothetical situations.

For comparison:

• ser → to be
• sou → I am
• era → I was / used to be
• serei → I will be
• seria → I would be
• fosse → if I were

Yes. It sounds natural and grammatically correct.

A Brazilian might say it in a conversation about wedding preferences, for example when giving advice or imagining someone else’s situation.

Some natural variations might be:

• Se eu fosse a noiva, escolheria um casamento menor perto do mar.
• Se eu fosse a noiva, faria um casamento pequeno perto do mar.
• Se eu estivesse no lugar da noiva, escolheria um casamento pequeno perto do mar.

But your original sentence is absolutely good natural Portuguese.