Monique and Antoine had a sweet and sophisticated elopement at the awe-inspiring San Francisco City Hall!
Monique and Antoine were first introduced by their mutual friend and Monique’s bestie, Tiffini. Years before they were introduced, Monique often hung out with Tiffini, who was dating Antoine’s brother at the time, at Antoine’s house. Somehow, their paths never crossed, proving there’s a right time for everything.
Even though Antoine visited home regularly, our paths never crossed. It’s incredible to think that we were so close to meeting for years, yet fate had a different plan, bringing us together at just the right time.
– Monique
Monique and Antoine had an immediate connection on their first date, and exactly one year later, Antoine proposed.
To celebrate their first anniversary, Antoine made dinner reservations and booked a hotel. Antoine held Monique’s bags and gave her the room key, so she’d be the first to enter the room and see what was awaiting her. Flowers and rose petals lined the floor, leading to a glowing sign that read, “Will you marry me?”. Antoine got down on one knee and, after a heartfelt proposal, Monique said, “Yes!” without hesitation.
Coterie member Kareem Virgo of REEM Photography beautifully captured the couple’s radiant love and joy as they took in the grandeur of the ornate and awe-inspiring San Francisco City Hall, to the spot where they exchanged vows and entered a new chapter of their lives together.
Your wedding day is your day. Celebrate it in a way that feels right for you. We chose to elope because it was what we truly wanted, and we have no regrets.
– Monique
See the sweet and sophisticated details of their elopement at San Francisco City Hall below!
- Couple: Monique & Antoine
- Occupations: Antoine is a Mental Health Therapist, and Monique works in HR for the Los Angeles County Probation Department.
- Wedding Date: September 17, 2024
- Wedding Location: San Francisco City Hall
How it started…
Our mutual friend, Tiffini, set us up on a blind date, and we instantly hit it off. After our first date, we both texted her to say how grateful we were that she had introduced us. Exactly one year later, Antoine proposed.
Some things are meant to be…
To protect our union and dating experience, only our close friends and family knew we were together. We chose to keep our relationship completely private on social media and didn’t post about being a couple until after we were married.
When Antoine and I first started dating, we were both upfront about where we were in life and what we were looking for in a partner. Being in our early 30s, we had a clear understanding of our desires and intentions. Antoine expressed that he was dating with the intention of marriage and was very purposeful throughout the dating process. We both agreed to keep our relationship off social media and simply enjoy the journey together. While we were hopeful that we had found “our person” and that our relationship would lead to marriage, we also understood that life is unpredictable and wanted to avoid the extra pressures that social media can bring.
On September 17, 2023, we visited the Museum of Love, where we participated in an exercise to write down our 2024 goals as a couple. The very first thing we wrote was, “Get married.” When choosing our wedding date, we were flexible and simply selected an available date. It wasn’t until a few weeks before the wedding that we realized we had unknowingly chosen September 17, 2024—exactly one year from the day we wrote down our marriage goal. It was a powerful reminder of how intention and manifestation truly work.
As our relationship grew more serious, around the six-month mark, we began discussing our timeline for marriage and where we wanted to elope. Since my lease ended in October 2024, we decided to get married in September 2024. Everything fell into place, and we stayed committed to our plan. Antoine proposed in May 2024, and we eloped in September 2024. From our first date to the day we got married, it was exactly one year and four months.
The proposal…
To celebrate our one-year anniversary, Antoine made dinner reservations and booked a nearby hotel for the weekend. When we arrived, he carried my bags and handed me the room key. As I opened the door, I was greeted by a breathtaking display—flowers and rose petals lined the floor, leading to a glowing sign that read, “Will you marry me?”. He then got down on one knee and gave the most beautiful, heartfelt proposal. Without hesitation, I said yes.
Wedding style…
Antoine wore a classic black tuxedo with a crisp white button-up shirt and a black bow tie. I wore an ivory Kitty Chen wedding gown—a sleeveless, mermaid-style dress with a dramatic train and a corset-style back.
The shopping experience…
Although I live in Los Angeles, my family is in New York, so I flew there for my bridal shopping experience to share that special moment with them. My mother, grandmother, aunt, and cousin joined me. The moment I tried on the dress, they all started crying, and I instantly knew it was the one.
Memories…
From the beginning, we knew we wanted an intimate elopement. Sharing that experience with our closest loved ones made it incredibly special. Seeing each other for the first time was a highlight. The night before, we were filled with excitement and nerves, but the moment we locked eyes on our wedding day, all of that melted away, leaving only joy and love.
After our wedding, once we were back at the hotel, we decided it was finally time to share the news—we were married! We spent the next few hours soaking in all the congratulatory messages, seeing posts from our friends who had been part of our journey, and enjoying the surprise reactions from some of our more distant friends who had no idea.
Advice for engaged couples…
Your wedding day is your day. Celebrate it in a way that feels right for you. We chose to elope because it was what we truly wanted, and we have no regrets. If possible, consider pre-marital counseling or having a trusted mentor as a support system. Most importantly, no matter what challenges arise during the planning process, always remember that you’re a team.
A few days later, while on our honeymoon in the Bahamas, we posted a fun video about how we “popped our married”—and to our surprise, it went viral! Strangers in the comments had all kinds of questions, like “How do you know you really know each other?” or “How do you know you weren’t seeing other people on the side?” The truth is, we had several mutual friends who knew us both well and spoke highly of each other’s character. More importantly, we prayed, sought guidance from God, and received the clarity we needed to know we were meant to be together.
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Vendors
- Photographer: Kareem Virgo of REEM PHOTOGRAPHY
- Dress Designer: Kitty Chen (Dress name: Aviana)
- Makeup Artist: Janea Martin
- Bride: Monique
- Groom: Antoine
