Intimate City-Chic Wedding in Brooklyn, NY

Josette and Kevin initially met online where their immediate connection soon had them planning their first date.

“We had an amazing first date that lasted for hours and became pretty inseparable soon thereafter,” Josette fondly recalls. When it was time to take their relationship to the next level, Kevin found the perfect proposal opportunity during a trip to Paris, where under the late evening stars at a romantic cafe, Kevin asked Josette for her hand in marriage. Read all about their love story, proposal, and experiences in their intimate city-chic wedding in Brooklyn, New York.

Bride & Groom: Josette & Kevin
Occupations: PR Executive & Supervisor
Wedding Date: 9.20.19
Wedding Location: 501 Union, Brooklyn, New York

How did you meet? Kevin and I met online before it was en vogue. We had an amazing first date that lasted for hours and became pretty inseparable soon thereafter.

Tell us about the proposal. We got engaged at around 1 a.m. in the morning on June 13, 2018, in Paris. After getting to the Eiffel Tower too late to get to the top that evening, we went on a hunt for food at near midnight Paris time (our body clocks were still on NY time). After settling in at a back table on the sidewalk of a cafe called Le Buci enjoying our food and wine and people watching. I was talking mess about moving to Paris and living a simple life while scrolling through pictures when I looked up and was super shocked! It was going on our third day in Paris and the ring was burning a hole in his pocket. I was wondering why every time we were leaving the room he always had to go back for some reason or the other.

What was the wedding shopping experience like for you? My gown was called Drail by Pronovias in a color called Optic White. It’s funny because I always said I never wanted a white dress then ended up with the whitest of whites and loved it! I fell in love with this dress the first time I tried it on during my first shopping trip at a trunk show at Nordstrom, but you’re supposed to shop around (or so they say). I did Kleinfelds as well but ended up saying yes to the dress (funny enough the woman who helped me was previously at Kleinfeld’s and on the TLC show for a number of seasons!) during the third shopping trip at Pronovias. The dress was a crepe fit and flare with an illusion front and back with beautiful buttons going down the back. The cape (yes, the cape!) was dramatically long and gorgeous covered in flowers. The cape was my favorite. I had my reception outfit custom made by D. Auxilly NYC and that was an ivory lace and satin jumpsuit with a full tulle train.

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? We are both of Caribbean descent (Trinidad and Barbados) and wanted to have that reflected in the day as well. Our food featured West Indian favorites like Pholourie and mini Rotis during cocktail hour and Estoviched snapper as one of the entrees. We also had costumed dancers with bright beautiful feathered costumes and a DJ that kept people on the dance floor waving their flags to a mix of soca, reggae, and hip hop.

Wedding Party Gifts: Bridesmaids – personalized totes, makeup bags, pajamas, and wedding jewelry. Groomsmen – personalized whiskey glasses and leather toiletry bags.
Gifts for Each Other: watches – Movado (hers) and Raymond Weil (his)
Ceremony Entrance Song: “At Last” by Etta James
First Dance Song: “You’re all I need to get by” Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell

What is your best memory from your wedding? The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. It felt intimate despite the nearly 140 people and was very personalized to us and told a story of our relationship. Standing up there holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes while we shared our vows was a memory to last a lifetime.
The second favorite memory was hearing the crowd scream as the carnival dancers came out and the epic fete that ensued!

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? The wedding day will be a focus as you try to plan a “perfect day,” but don’t lose sight of each other and that beyond the day, you need to plan for a solid marriage. Ignore the noise and tune in to each other.