This wedding has it all. A romantic Parisian proposal that lead to the French-inspired, black tie soiree. Stunning images from 4Eyes Photography that warm the heart. A stunning couple at the center. A breathtaking floral design from Belle Fleur. And a Gatsby-esque feel that this Fitzgerald fan is eating up. I promise your smile will start out big and just get wider with every glance. Make sure to do a few facial exercises before visiting the full image gallery!
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It was late September, early Fall and my parents had planned a trip for our family to spend some time in Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Philip had approached me and delicately explained that he needed to travel to Paris for a couple of days prior to joining my family in Italy so that he could attend a work meeting that had been arranged on his behalf. Well, my love of Paris was no secret at this point so naturally I was beyond delighted to tag along on Philip’s work trip if it meant spending some time with him in the “City of Lights”. I had fully prepared myself to spend the day wandering around Paris alone, and even made plans to lunch with a friend of mine who lives there, but when we woke up that first morning in Paris everything changed.
Philip leapt out of bed with no sign of jet-lag and disappeared. I was still bleary eyed and half asleep, so I told him to wake me when our breakfast arrived and I rolled over to catch a few more Z’s (ha!). Next thing I knew Philip pounced on the bed like a playful puppy dog, snuggled up beside me and said, “Well, I had better tell you why I really brought you to Paris…” He got down on one knee beside the bed and asked me to marry him.Our breakfast arrived shortly after my tearfully happy and resounding “Yes”, so I trotted over to the closet to throw on a sweatshirt and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror – Holy moly! My wild newly cut bangs were sticking straight up in the air! I ran back into the bedroom, threw myself into Philip’s arms and said, “Babe, you proposed to me while I looked like this?! You really do love me!”.
The rest of the day couldn’t have been more perfect. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day in Paris. We meandered around the city, enjoyed a relaxing boat ride on the Seine, and finished the day off with a bottle of champagne and a cozy dinner in a romantic bistro. The very next day we traveled to meet my family in Italy and we were greeted with huge smiles and big hugs. We spent the next week in Positano, glowing, as it all sunk in. A dream come true.
Although the Pierre Hotel in NYC is now a Taj hotel its roots are French, and I am a complete Francophile. After the Paris proposal I thought it would be cool to keep a French/Parisian theme, and I couldn’t resist the old world charm and appeal of the Pierre. Philip and I both love to get dressed up, and we so rarely have the opportunity to, so when it came time to decide what kind of wedding we wanted to have we thought it would be great fun to make it wedding black tie. I must say, everyone looked absolutely stunning! The men were beyond handsome in their tuxes and the ladies were breathtaking in their floor length gowns!
We both felt like it was a real “Gatsby” moment for us. I didn’t want to get too colorful with the flowers, though I do love colorful florals, but when I think of Paris I for some reason think of black and white antique photographs, so we chose ivories, barely blushes and a hint of black with the berries. The entire evening was utterly unforgettable. A friend of mine had told me that her wedding day was the best day of her life. I must admit that when I first heard that I was dubious, but after having experienced my own I can say that Philip and I fully, and whole heartedly agree with that statement. It was truly the very best day of our lives, to this date.
Photographer: 4Eyes Photography / Floral Designer: Belle Fleur / Cake: Cheryl Kleinman / Wedding Gown Designer: Vera Wang Luxe / Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Amsale / Bride’s Jewelry: Kwiat / Venue: The Pierre Hotel