.png)
Theater grads Cherie (who also has a master’s degree in French!) and Florian met in France while Cherie was studying abroad in the “City of a Thousand Fountains”, Aix-en-Provence. Florian had signed up for a language partner to improve his English and, based upon their common interests, the two were paired together. Their partnering was certainly meant to be, as they connected and eventually fell in love. Their relationship continued to grow and Florian relocated to New York City to be with Cherie.
When the time came that Florian knew he wanted to ask Cherie to be his wife, to spend the rest of his life with her, he chose a beautiful setting indeed! It had just snowed in the city, so Florian told Cherie that he wanted to see Washington Square Park covered in fresh snow. After they walked around for a while, he pulled Cherie away to a quiet spot and there, even in the snow, Florian got down on one knee and popped the question! Cherie said ‘oui!’, of course!
A gorgeous winter scene set the stage for the magical proposal, however the two chose to hold their wedding in the warm summertime. Friends and family from the US and from France gathered together in the community of Cape May Court House, NJ to celebrate the couple on this special day. Yes, it did rain a little but that only added a genuine feeling of joy and a ‘realness’ to the day, the smiles and the laughter only grew as the showers came down.
Cherie and Florian readied for the day in separate suites with their wedding party at their venue, Abbie Holmes Estate. The groomsmen dressed into summery gray suits, with Florian’s best man helping to perfect his tie for him. Cherie’s bridesmaids had fun dancing with Cherie and toasting the couple, wearing lovely floral robes before putting on their long, matching sage dresses. Cherie had her makeup and hair styled by Salon Kink, and her gorgeous updo highlighted her beautiful glittering earrings.
With help from her mother, Cherie then dressed into her beautiful wedding gown. She wore an exquisite, light and gauzy sleeveless dress with an illusion, deep-v neckline and a delicate, sparkling belt. She was such a stunning bride!
And Florian, of course, couldn’t agree more when he saw her for the first time! The two shared a touching first look there at Abbie Holmes Estate before their fantastic photo shoot. A good friend of Cherie and a wonderful professional photographer, Alex Modisette, captured the day in photos for the couple. Cherie and Florian even cherished a short walk in the rain during their candid photo session.
In between raindrops, Florian and Cherie each walked across the garden bridge to the white-washed rustic chapel for their ceremony. During their personalized ceremony, Cherie’s brother performed one of his own songs for the couple and we all enjoyed the reading of 1 Corinthians 13:13, reminding us that the greatest gift is love. Before long, Cherie and Florian were pronounced ‘husband and wife’ and Florian kissed his bride to make it official!
Cherie and Florian’s reception was decorated beautifully by Abbie Holmes Estate, with lush floral centerpieces in white and blush and lovely green garlands overhead complementing the farmhouse style. Bright white string lights draped across the ceiling to form an illuminated canopy over the room. And separate, delicious cakes from Baked Pastry Shop were on display by the candlelit fireplace.
The couple danced into the reception room to the smiles and cheers of everyone, then transitioned into a delightful choreographed first dance together. Their toasts from friends and family were filled with both touching and funny moments, and we especially loved learning the “very French” wedding toast from everyone! And the dancing that evening was wild and fun as everyone let their hair down and packed that dance floor all night!
This beautiful wedding day had a special kind of energy, one that was simply overflowing with joy, romance and fun! Congratulations to Cherie and Florian! Félicitations à vous deux!
Photographer: Alex Modisette Photography – Seattle, WA
Floral Design: Abbie Holmes Estate – Cape May Court House, NJ
Hair Stylist: Salon Kink – Belinda Novelli – Linwood, NJ
Makeup Artist: Salon Kink – Julia – Linwood, NJ
Entertainment: DJ Marc
Cake: Baked Pastry Shop – Marmora, NJ
Officiant: Nathan Finochio – New York, NY
Venue: Abbie Holmes Estate – Cape May Court House, NJ