A Romantic French-Inspired Wedding at Patriot Hills in Stony Point, NY

Amy Padre (33 and a fundraising consultant) and Christophe Vanpouille (37 and a scientist) met after midnight at a local bar (technically on Valentine's Day!). For the proposal, Christophe made a romantic video including all of the highlights of their relationship. Since he had just purchased a house, he still had to save up for the diamond ring, but he made do with a placeholder ring borrowed from her family. They chose to get married at St. Anthony's Church in Nanuet, NY, the same church where the bride's father and grandmother were buried so they would be close on her special day. Afterwards, a traditional ballroom reception took place at Patriot Hills in Stony Point, NY. Since her groom is French, Amy made sure to include plenty of French details, from the music and food (including a custom crepe station!) to the decorative box wedding favors, to make him feel right at home. Even the photo booth incorporated French-inspired props, like berets, a French flag, and a sign that read "Ooh La La." The rest of the wedding had a soft, romantic aesthetic with a blush pink color scheme for the long bridesmaid dresses, garden rose flower arrangements, and invitation suite featuring an Eiffel Tower and Fleur de Lis design. The couple took great care to pay tribute to Amy's late father by stitching his blue necktie into the wedding dress, sewing his photograph to the bouquet wrap, and having the groom wear a pair of Amy's father's cufflinks. Even though the bride's father could not be there to celebrate and many of the groom's family members could not make the trip from France, Amy and Christophe made sure their wedding day acknowledged their love for their families as well as each other.