A Vibrant Multicultural Wedding at The Merion in Cinnaminson, New Jersey

For Marie Plaisime (27 and a PhD student) and Ludovic Gonçalves's (27 and a project manager) Labor Day weekend wedding, they blended modernity with tradition. After a Catholic ceremony and a cocktail hour featuring a Portuguese carving station, the high school sweethearts surprised guests by interrupting their first dance song with a choreographed hip-hop routine. Their die-cut, silver foil invites drove home the day's theme, "edgy, but regal," Marie says, "with a hint of James Bond." Carnations, symbolic of the Portuguese Catholic faith, lined the cathedral aisle and filled out arrangements. Marie chose the fabric for the bridesmaids' bold custom-made gowns with the designer. Purple-centric arrangements of orchids, roses and hydrangeas showcased in trumpet vases, with laser-cut acrylic table numbers, evoked with a majestic vibe. Guests took home mini bottles of Haitian rum and Portuguese wine, plus carts printed with common colloquial phrases from the two countries.