Annie, 29, a registered nurse, first noticed Renje’, 30, a physician assistant student, on Facebook when his funny post popped up her in feed. Immediately intrigued, she commented, and just like that, she’d found her future husband. On March 24, 2012, they were married at the Westbury Manor in Long Island, New York. Share their love!
“I visited about five salons throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan before finding my wedding dress,” says Annie. “Once I did, I tried it at least three times before finally making my decision. I really let the feeling grow on me. I knew I wanted an A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and an ethereal feel.” She decided on this dazzler from Maggie Sottero called “Lizette Royale.”
“My jewelry matched the sparkly leaf design on my shoes,” says Annie. “On Black Friday, I scored a great deal on a matching necklace, earrings and bracelet, all with a similar leafy design. I got my veil from the Tri-County Flea Market in Levittown, NY.”
Annie had three things in mind when she was searching for the perfect wedding shoes: She wanted them to be comfortable and dyeable and shoes she could actually wear again. She found these lovely pumps from Twinkletoes and dyed them bright orange to match her wedding colors. “They were sparkly and comfortable and my favorite color,” she says. “I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect shoe.”
The groom chose to wear a grey suit to stand out. Excellent choice, Renje’.
Annie’s hairdresser was a family friend who was also a guest at the wedding. “I did not want to stress him out by getting me ready and getting himself ready, so as a gift, one of my bridesmaids purchased me a session with her own hairdresser,” she says. Annie says she loved how both her hair and her makeup turned out perfectly.
His and hers wedding rings styled to perfection.
The lovely bride puts the finishing touches on her bridal style as she prepares to walk down the aisle to meet Renje’ at the altar.
Annie chose a beautiful combination of mango calla lilies, circus roses and orange and yellow ranunculus for her bridal bouquet. Isn’t it lovely?
Annie and Renje’ chose orange and yellow as their wedding colors because the combination reminds them of a springtime sunset.
“The groom didn’t want his friends to waste their money renting tuxedos, and he did not want to be stuck with the hassle of returning them the day after the wedding,” Annie explains. “He had everyone wear black suits and white shirts, which many of them already owned. He provided the ties as their gifts.” Now that’s a kind gesture!
“After looking at many dresses, the girls and I decided on long, flowing coral dresses with a sweetheart neckline,” says Annie. “The MOH dress was unique with the flowers on the side, just like my wedding dress. I gave the other girls a choice of two other styles by the same designer. I liked the ‘mismatchyness’ all the while keeping the same coral color.” The gowns came from Bari Jay.
We just can’t get enough of Annie’s pretty pumps!
“Renje’ is very loving and kind,” Annie tells us. “He also has a great sense of humor. I love that he is good-natured and sees the world through innocent eyes. He is emotionally expressive.”
The bridesmaids’ mini bouquets are divine.
“I was always optimistic regarding finding love,” says Annie. “I always thought it would come much later in life, but it came unexpectedly when I met Jay.”
“Our wedding was on the only Saturday in March 2012 that was warm in NYC,” Annie reveals. “We were so blessed to have an outdoor ceremony because the whole time we had planned for indoors. The grounds of Westbury Manor were perfect. We didn’t need to decorate anything.”
With a long engagement ahead of them, Annie and Renje’ didn’t feel that hiring a wedding planner was necessary. “We had two and a half years to plan, and that helped us search for vendors and price, plan, and save more thoroughly. With plenty of time you can be your own planner.”
The bride’s mother and brother escorted her down the aisle.
“It was very surreal walking down the aisle,” Annie says. She made her ceremony debut to the sounds of Air by Johann Sebastian Bach. “I felt like I rushed it a little bit with my nervousness.”
At the altar, to honor both of their faiths, the bride and groom recited traditional Methodist and Catholic vows to one another.
Their afternoon ceremony took place on a sunny Saturday and was followd by a cocktail hour and sit-down reception.
The groom’s mother was overcome with joy during the couple’s ceremony.
]Annie and Renje’ initially planned to have an intimate wedding with a few close friends and family in attendance, but after being engaged for almost three years, their circle grew so much that they knew they couldn’t pull that off without leaving loved ones out. “According to my mother, it’s Haitian tradition, and wildly offensive, if you don’t invite everyone,” says the bride.
“Planning was a shared effort,” says Annie. “I did a lot of the research and finding vendors, and he did a lot of the transporting and budget keeping. We went together to every meeting and negotiation.”
“The more time we spent together, the more everything made sense to me that he is my match,” Annie says, when asked how she knew Renje’ was ‘The One.’ “Our personalities fit like puzzle pieces.”
“As a surprise for our guests, we came out to “Ke’m pa sote” (which means my heart doesn’t leap, I am not afraid) by Boukmann Eksperyans. It’s very upbeat Haitian roots music and any Haitian knows, when that song comes on, the party begins!”
“I researched the types of flowers I wanted,” Annie says. “I presented an idea for low centerpieces with blooming flowers on a square vase lined with sliced oranges inside the vase. I got inspired after seeing a picture of sliced lemons centerpieces while browsing a popular wedding website.”
The couple’s vanilla wedding cake was four layers with lovely floral inspired designs. “Of the choices, it was simple yet elegant,” says Annie. “A lot of the cakes were over the top, and we didn’t want that. It had white whipped cream frosting, and we complemented it with circus rose petals on the table and circus roses on the top and on each layer.”
“The wedding hall was the decor itself,” says Annie. “We loved how it had windows and access outside and people could walk the grounds. The walls and floor were made of cherry wood. It was like the parlor of an old mansion and not like most venues look. The tables were oblong, instead of circular. We had chiavari chairs wrapped with gold bows, and the tables had white linens with white napkins contrasted with the orange rose petals and orange boxes that the favors came in.”
“I thought the centerpiece idea was [a] perfect fit for our wedding brunch and color theme,” Annie tells us. “Thankfully, our florist, Designs By Rose, was able to pull it off, even better than I imagined. We loved the orange slices so much we put the same motif on our wedding invites, which were designed by the my husband’s sister-in-law.”
Annie, Renje’ and their 177 cherished guests partied like rock stars at their wedding reception.
The happy couple sat at their sweetheart table while their loved ones shared toasts and memories.
Annie and Renje’ had this adorable custom cake topper shipped from Canada by cake top designer Nicole W. Clark. Way to make your wedding day your own, you two!
“The DJ played both Haitian and American hits for both the cocktail hour and the reception,” says Annie. “We were very impressed afterwards with his selection of Haitian songs.”
Renje’ and Annie set up a fun photo booth at their wedding to help make lasting memories for all. “There was a photo album scrapbook in which guests could add pictures and special messages,” says the bride. “We also got an assortment of props, including paper glasses, hats, bowtie, mustaches and lips from Etsy.”
The bride and groom pause for a little photo booth fun.
The newlyweds chose to honeymoon in Brazil. Did you enjoy Annie and Renje’s spring wedding style? Leave them some comment love below! See more fabulous photos from their big day at The Bride’s Café. Want to see your wedding featured on Bridal Bliss? Email us now.
