Donald Alexis & Myriam Michel
Draw inspiration from their local celebration.
Photograph by bkb & co.
November 29, 2014
Seaport Boston Hotel
Boston, Massachusetts
When Donald Alexis met Myriam Michel at her parents’ Christmas party in 2001, he was immediately smitten. Myriam, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying the independence of being 16. After some persistence on his end—“He is a sweet talker,” she says—she finally agreed to a date, and over the next few months they talked on the phone for hours every day. Little did Myriam know that Donald, who had emigrated from Haiti just the year before and was still working on his English, would write down questions to ask her beforehand to make sure their conversations went smoothly.
Thirteen years later, Myriam and Donald celebrated their love with an intimate ceremony and dinner at the Seaport Boston Hotel, surrounded by those who had supported them along the way, including their one-year-old son, Dario. As the owner of M & M Elite Events, Myriam has had plenty of experience planning weddings—but this one was, of course, the most important. For her own big day, the coordinator focused on designing a reception with an intimate dinner-party vibe and plenty of nods to her and Donald’s shared Haitian heritage. “I had a client’s wedding two weeks before mine, which was a little crazy,” Myriam says. “But it all kind of just fell together.”
After the couple’s in-the-round ceremony, guests retreated to the Lighthouse Ballroom, where they enjoyed Haitian-rum-based cocktails (hers was a mai tai, his a hurricane), fried plantains and goat kebabs, and music from a Haitian DJ. “Seeing all of our family and friends together was my favorite part,” Myriam says. “The one thing I can give as parting advice is to make sure you have fun—because at the end of the day it goes by so fast.”
Photograph by bkb & co.
“That was one of the things Donald always wanted—his child to be the ring bearer,” Myriam says. Dario even got to get ready with the groomsmen.
Photograph by bkb & co.
Myriam’s sisters, Sarah, Natalie, and Deborah, were part of her bridal party. “The twins are really fashion-forward, and I usually defer to them for style choices,” says Myriam, who agreed to their sparkly-dress idea.
Photograph by bkb & co.
When Myriam and her sisters were growing up, their mother made all of their clothing. So when it came time to choose a veil, Myriam knew she wanted her mother to create an heirloom piece for her. “She really went beyond herself,” Myriam says.
Photograph by bkb & co.
The bridesmaid bouquets, embellished with hanging glitter amaranthus, featured calla lilies, hydrangeas, and seeded eucalyptus.
Photograph by bkb & co.
Myriam really wanted to have her reception under an indoor tent, but she settled for open canopies after learning that the tents would be a fire hazard.
Photograph by bkb & co.
Guests helped themselves to a dessert buffet of house-made pastries, chocolate truffles, dessert shooters, and fresh fruit with chocolate fondue.
The File
Bride’s Dress Alfred Angelo
Bride’s Shoes Ivanka Trump, Nordstrom
Bridesmaid Dresses Badgley Mischka, Rent the Runway
Cake The Icing on the Cake
Calligraphy Script by Simone
Ceremony Music Genuine Voices
Florist Floral Art Designs
Hair Dhenia’s Salon
Invitations À Deux
Lighting/Canopy Tents Designlight
Makeup Goka Love
Menswear Men’s Wearhouse
Reception Dancers EJ Dance Studio
Reception Music Audatrixxx
Rentals Peterson Party Center; Table Toppers of Newton; BBJ
Videography BKB & Co.
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