Sophie & Patrick About their Big Day & Love Story:
We were introduced to each other by a mutual friend at a college football game in 2012. There was some chemistry, but he lived in Louisiana and I was in Houston (4 hours drive) so I’m not sure either of us thought it would go anywhere serious. We ended up staying in touch after that game and, shortly after, he flew me out to New Orleans to take me out on a real date. 2 weeks later, I returned the favor, this time he came to Houston. We realized pretty quickly that there was something special so we kept up with that cadence and for the next 2 years we did the long distance thing. You learn a lot about each other when all you have is the phone. You can’t hide behind fun activities or cool experiences, you actually have to talk to each other. After 2 years he got a job opportunity in California. This was a make or break moment for us and I decide to trust my instincts and join him. We haven’t looked back since.
For my birthday in 2017, we did a sunset hike on our favorite trail in Santa Monica. At the top of the trail, overlooking the ocean, he got on a knee and asked. It was just the two of us and was perfect.
We really wanted the day to be just the two of us sharing a special, private moment while making a commitment to each other. We planned to celebrate with family down the road (to make it US official), but for that moment in Paris, we wanted it to just about us.
Since we didn’t have a wedding, it was all about the pictures and the dress. For my dress, the thing I cared about most was finding one that was timeless and elegant – like Paris. And for pictures, we wanted to capture the romance of Paris but in a way that was true to our relationship. I wouldn’t call us romantics in a storybook sense, but rather we love to laugh and tend to be a bit quirky, so it was important that the day was about having fun with each other and that our playful demeanor came through in pictures.
We wanted to get married shortly after we got engaged, so the 6 months it typically takes to get a dress wasn’t going to work. I had to find something off the rack, which limited my options. Luckily BHLDN had so many beautiful dresses, and there were so many that I could have worn. I narrowed it down to 2 dresses that I thought could compete with Paris – one was beaded with a 1920s vibe and the other was a simple strapless lace gown with a cathedral train. I guess I’m a sucker for trains and that’s the one I chose. It was the perfect look for Paris.
For accessories, I wore diamond bracelets that I already had and my “something borrowed” was a pair of earrings from a friend. I also had my great grandmother’s antique blue sapphire ring which coupled as “something old and something blue”. For flowers, we stopped by a shop down the street from our hotel (Hotel Raphael) the night before and put together a simple bouquet.
Besides exchanging vows, my favorite part of that day came after the pictures and ceremony were over. We did the ceremony first thing in the morning so we still had all day to celebrate. I changed into a short white dress so that I still felt bridal, and we wandered the streets of Paris; popping in and out of cafes, drinking wine, and checking out artwork. With the nerves behind us, we were able to truly enjoy the day with no plans, no agenda, just soaking it all in. Paris itself has always been special to me because my mom is Parisian and my parents actually got married there too. I’ve always been proud to be half-French. It was my husbands first trip there and I wanted him to feel a connection with the city too, it was a successful endeavor. Other than following in my parents footsteps with the wedding location Paris and my great grandmothers ring as a heirloom, it was all about making new memories between the two of us.
After our ceremony, we spent the rest of the week in Paris, then 4 days on the Amalfi coast followed by 3 days in Rome. There was a lot of wine, even more food and amazing energy. Just overall it was an amazing experience.
Our advice: What makes the day perfect is the commitment and moment between the two of you. All the other details and festivities are nice, but at the end of the day, it’s about the two of you. Try to keep focused on that and everything else becomes a bonus.
