Groom: Carl Desir, Strategist
Married On: September 4, 2011
Wedding Location: The Green Building, Brooklyn, New York
Wedding Style: Brooklyn Chic
The Perfect Pitch
The year was 2008. Both Carl and Piper worked in advertising. Each year, the industry throws a series of events called “Advertising Week,” in which professionals can mix and mingle in New York City.
Lucky Piper was able to score one ticket to the N.E.R.D and Big Boi concert. Determined not to miss the show, she decided to attend the event solo and hoped to bump into someone she knew. Once there, she found a few colleagues to hang with and one of them introduced her to his friend, Carl.
“I had passed Carl a few times and took note; he’s handsome, I thought to myself, and a Pharell look-alike,” Piper recalls.
The pair felt a connection, so the flirting began. They ordered a few drinks and chatted while the show went on. At the end of the night, Carl asked Piper for her number and she gave it to him, though she wasn’t convinced he’d actually call. Carl sensed her hesitation and made her a deal. Carl looked at his watch then leaned in for effect and said to Piper, “It’s midnight o’one. By noon o’one tomorrow I’m going to call you and you better respect that.”
It was a smooth move and Piper was intrigued. Carl called, of course, and their courtship officially began.
He Aims to Please
“The hardest part about proposing to Piper was finding the right ring,” says Carl, who wound up asking two of her friends to help him out when he couldn’t find some bling he knew she’d like.
Once he had the ring that he knew she’d love, Carl didn’t have to do much else. Piper had suggested they go out to a fancy dinner to celebrate their two-year anniversary, and by doing so, she unknowingly helped set up the perfect time and place for him to propose. Carl had the perfect romantic dinner proposal all planned out.
An Unexpected Twist
On the morning of their anniversary, Carl “woke up to a very sick Piper” who was running a fever. They wound up going to dinner anyway, but poor Piper was so miserable the moment wasn’t quite the same. When they returned home, Carl still hadn’t proposed, and the adrenaline was really getting to him.
“I marched into the bedroom, got in her face and said, ‘You tried to ruin this today, but I’m not going to let you,’” Carl says.
He got down on one knee, stared into her runny eyes, and said, “Piper, will you marry me?”
Piper was totally thrown off guard, but was overjoyed just the same.
“There was no question what my answer would be,” says Piper. “The only answer there ever could be — yes!”
Photography by: 3 Photographers
In partnership with The Bride’s Cafe