“I feel profoundly fortunate to come from a long line of women whose grace and style, in my opinion, are simply unparalleled,” Madeline says. “The veil I wore on my wedding day is not only beautiful but also immensely sentimental since it was originally crafted for my mother’s wedding. The cathedral-length piece was made from ancestral lace that has been a part of our family’s history for decades, gracing the heads of my mother, my aunts, and even my beloved godmother as they exchanged their vows. As the veil was clipped in, I felt an indescribable connection to these incredible women who have shaped me into the person I am today.”
While Madeline was finishing hair and makeup, it unexpectedly started to rain, and at the spur of the moment, the bride decided to hop into a Toyota Scion to get to the ceremony. “This wouldn’t have been my ideal chariot on my wedding day,” she jokes. “But it added to the fun of the light rain!”
The ceremony was a true family affair. The bride’s cousin Wyatt officiated, and as he started to speak, the rain really started to come down. “I could see the penciled notes he had so carefully prepared in his Bible start to smudge and wash away,” Madeline remembers. “But in that moment, we both felt as if god was saying, ‘You’ve got this. Just speak from your heart!’”
Everyone had umbrellas that popped open halfway into the ceremony. “They say rain is lucky on your wedding day, but its presence was more than that for us—it was truly special,” Madeline says. “There’s something undeniably enchanting about rain on the beach, and that magic was palpable. As Marcial and I stood at the altar, exchanging our vows, the sudden rain shower only added to the romance. We were so enveloped in our love for each other, and the love that surrounded us, that it wasn’t an inconvenience at all. Instead, we embraced it.”
After the wedding, everyone processed to the Boathouse for the reception. There, the newlyweds thanked their guests with a champagne tower and a toast. “It was an unforgettable high,” the bride remembers. “Marcial and I were officially husband and wife, and we couldn’t wait to greet our loved ones and begin the celebration.”
Before dinner, the bride changed into a Valentino dress that had been personalized by removing the sleeves and portions of the lining to create an easy yet elevated silhouette—perfect for black tie on the beach. With glasses of champagne in hand, guests enjoyed the sunset before sitting down to a family-style dinner in the main tent, which was adorned with lush vines, twinkling lights, and candles. During the festive meal, guests started singing at the top of their lungs and dancing along to the lively tunes of the Juke Joints from ALR Music, a roaming band that kept the mood jovial and energetic throughout dinner.
Afterwards, the newlyweds had their first dance, cut the cake, and then the party really got started when espresso martinis and cigars were passed. At the peak, fireworks ignited the sky, and the bride switched into her final look of the evening: a Louis Féraud haute couture “Poisson-Lune” dress from Happy Isles. Back at the Boathouse, the celebration continued, complete with glow sticks, burgers, gigantic foam hats, and, of course, lots of music, dancing, and laughter into the early morning.
