Imagine a wedding ceremony held at beautiful historic church…gorgeous hand painted ceilings and unique stained glass making it one of a kind…followed by a reception held at an estate once inhabited by the one and only Donald Trump. For Genevieve, dreams came true at her opulent and lavish Palm Beach wedding. Read on below for some high-style inspiration, and to discover how this beautiful bride found her once-in-a-lifetime gown.
Genevieve + Piotr | October 8, 2011 | Palm Beach, Florida
The ceremony
Our ceremony was held at St. Edward’s Church in Palm Beach, Florida. I was baptized at this church and have been a member of the parish for 30 years. It was very important to me that I was married here. The church was built in 1926 in a Spanish Renaissance style with two towers and a Spanish tile roof. The intricate hand painted ceiling and frescoes are another treasure of our church. Perhaps the most defining features of the church decoration are the magnificent stained glass windows depicting the life of the Blessed Mother, the so-called “Marian windows”.
The reception
Our reception was held at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. It is the most beautiful club in Palm Beach, and having my wedding here was truly a dream come true! The home was originally built in 1927 as a private residence for Marjorie Merriweather Post. The home was built in a Hispano-Moresque style and named Mar-a-Lago because it stretches from the Sea to the Lake (from Latin). It was designated a National Historic Site in 1969. In 1985 the home was bought by Donald Trump who used it as his private residence until 1995 when he established it as a country club. Trump has since built a magnificent swimming pool, an award winning beauty salon, a world-class spa, five red clay championship tennis courts and a remarkable croquet court. The exterior was designed in the Spanish and Mediterranean style to conform to the exterior of the house. The interior is in a Louis XIV gold and crystal finish that is one of the finest spaces of its kind in the country – this was the ballroom where the reception was held.
How Genevieve found her dream wedding dress
I knew I wanted a ball gown, and I had gone to a few bridal boutiques in Florida, but couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. So I decided to go to Kleinfeld’s since I absolutely loved the show. I had seen my dress online and had a feeling that could be the one, but the moment I tried it on I just knew! Of course the dress was about twice what I wanted to spend, but with my mom’s encouragement we decided it was worth it.
The way Genevieve felt in her wedding dress
Like a princess…amazing, and beautiful
Why Genevieve decided to sell her wedding dress
I had no intention of ever selling my dress, I had visions of my daughter wearing it one day, but we decided to move to New York City shortly after the wedding and just have nowhere to keep it. It was a very difficult decision for me, but my husband convinced me it was the most logical thing to do. He said it was very unlikely that our daughter would ever want to wear it given how much styles will undoubtedly change by then. And what if we never had a daughter? So we decided it was better to let someone else enjoy it instead of keeping it in storage.
