Annelise + Darius by Love Bears

Rich, colourful florals in pink, burgundy, and yellow.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We are both actors, singers and creatives. Performing and storytelling bring us so much joy, and we are lucky to work in a profession that we love. Growing up in New York and in New Jersey, we were both surrounded by so much music, art and creative expression. Living where we do has definitely influenced our interests and influenced us as artists. We are passionate people and proudly romantics! Family is tremendously important to us. The core of who we are stems from the love and support that we’ve had from our family. A few of our favourite things to do together include watching old movies, watching horror films, visiting museums and new places, and swimming at the beach. Often on days oﬀ we frequent antique shops to see what treasures we can find. A lot of what we have in our own apartment came from antique stores or are heirlooms from family and friends.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

Friends, to college sweethearts, to husband and wife! That’s our love story! We met in 2013 when Annelise was attending college orientation at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Darius was already a student there. He confidently introduced himself to Annelise and her mother. We became friends and also performed in multiple college productions together. Including a production of 42nd St. The Musical, when Darius again went up to Annelise’s mother to share congratulations about being in her first show at Montclair! Annelise and her mother thought this was bold, funny, and sweet, and it definitely left a lasting impression. We started dating a few years later and got engaged in Puerto Rico in August of 2023. Darius proposed to Annelise at sunset on her birthday at her family’s favourite hotel, El Conquistador.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes, etc.).

When creating our mood board for the style of our wedding, we tried to incorporate things in our lives that we love to look at. We even turned to what we have in our own home for inspiration. Art, cinema, landscapes. I (bride) am a huge admirer of antiques and I’m a budding collector of vintage beauty. Our home is filled with older pieces that had a life before us and a colourful design. We wanted to include that in our own wedding. We aren’t minimalists and wanted to embrace maximalism. So the vibe grew into a sort of Marie Antoinebe meets Gucci. Rich, colourful florals in pink, burgundy, and yellow. Texture was an element we wanted to have fun with, so we opted for velvet linens that warmed up the space and paired beautifully with the candlelit tables. Floating overhead of the dance floor were stunning vintage lampshades made by our decorator, Andrea. In the words of our planner, Karisha, “Every detail of the design embraced a spirit of decadence and whimsy.”

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

Hacienda Campo Rico is truly a gem of a venue. So beautiful, we picked it before even seeing it in person. My mother (bride’s mother) was in Puerto Rico visiting when she stopped by the venue and FaceTimed us. We knew right away it was the perfect place for our special day. The estate is filled with natural beauty, and the hacienda itself is the epitome of old romantic charm. It only made sense to lean into what was already there; therefore, we didn’t have to do too much decor-wise. We subconsciously played oﬀ of the colour of the hacienda, which is a rust/orange colour. Our bridesmaids were in rust/red, and the colours we ended up using for florals were warm and vibrant. Everything just worked in harmony. As we visited the venue during the planning process, we both got so excited for our guests to experience this with us. We felt so happy that people kept commenting on how they thought they were transported into another world, which is what we wanted. The magic started as they entered the grounds of the venue, watching donkeys and horses grazing and chickens and peacocks roaming about. The scenery really spoke for itself and complemented our vision of Caribbean vintage romance.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

It was so fun to plan something with all of our favourite people in mind! Yes, of course, it’s our big day, but it’s also a day full of support and celebration with the people we love. It was a dream to be all in Puerto Rico together. My family (bride) is from Puerto Rico, and it’s my favourite place. It’s become one of Darius’s favourite places as well, and we were eager to share the culture and beauty of La Isla Del Encanto. As lovers of food, we looked forward to choosing what traditional dishes we were going to eat, including Puerto Rican Street food like alcapurrias, Puerto Rican pork, and plantain-crusted Mahi Mahi. Being singers and performers, the music was very important to us. Our music playlist was the soundtrack to our Wedding Day, so setting the right tone meant a lot to us. I (the bride) really enjoy interior styling and design and voiced that to our planner, Karisha, in the beginning. Talking about fabrics, fonts, production, and setting excites me. Making our wedding website was oddly a blast! It was a piece of the puzzle we got to get creative with and make it fun and colourful as well.

As for advice to couples beginning their planning journey, your wedding can be whatever you want it to be! It’s easy to get caught up in trends and the opinions of others, but staying authentic to yourselves will result in a day that’s perfectly “you”. We felt that our Wedding should be an extension of ourselves! Also, on the day of the wedding, forget about all planning elements and just live in it.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

It was a total honour to work with the group of creatives that we were so lucky to have. They brought our magical day to life. Our photographers, Love Bears, and videographers, Blue Couch, captured our story so poetically and authentically. Considering all the diﬀerent elements and work that is going on during the wedding, we felt very at peace and surrounded by love. That is all thanks to the team we had – our planner, Karisha, and our decorator and florist, Andrea, created such a beautiful environment for us. Something that was fun to have during the reception was a cigar bar. Our guests enjoyed puﬃng on some Puerto Rican Cigars!

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

When it came to finding our Wedding Day outfits, we both wanted something classic, romantic, and natural, with a bit of dramatic flair. Darius wore a double-breasted black tuxedo. We took a lot of inspiration from old photos of Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr. in double-breasted suits. So dapper! After researching, we found that the double-breasted suit doesn’t seem to be worn often in weddings, so we thought it could be unique. He wore his late grandfather’s cuﬄinks that are initialled with an “L”, which was a sentimental touch. As for the wedding gown, it wasn’t a hard search for Annelise! I (the bride) had a pretty clear vision of what I wanted. I went to maybe five salons and only tried on a few gowns at each place until I found my dress at Kleinfeld! I tried on three dresses at Kleinfel,d and the last one was the one I ultimately chose. It was fun because the other brides and their families around me were all voting on their favourites. I left that day, not making a choice, butI couldn’t stop thinking about that one large dress. So I returned a few days later and said yes to the dress! I knew I wanted a gown that billowed out around me and included a corset. I saved a lot of photos from the Rococo 18th-century period. The pearls on the straps were such an elegant detail and glistened in certain light and angles. The short veil allowed the dress to shine even more.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Our rings were made by the amazing Nally Jewels in NYC, and they happen to be the family of one of our good friends, Alexis. It was special to work with them! Darius really put so much thought and care into designing the engagement ring. The ring is an emerald cut with half eternity diamonds around the band. Between him, Nally Jewels, and the help from our best friends and family, it really is such a stunning engagement ring! I had started a ring mood board on Pinterest a few years ago that Darius was able to take a peek at without my knowledge. Darius opted for a gold thick classic band with the words “para siempre” (forever) and our wedding date engraved on the inside. My wedding band is from Mejuri. I wanted to find something with a unique shape, and the Dome Figure Pave Diamond from Mejuri was the perfect fit.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

Two elements that we spent a little more money on were probably the photographer and videographer. The memories vividly captured from the day were important to us. These are moments that we will always treasure, and we were so thrilled with our photos and videos! When we received our footage and photos, we immediately saw a story being told. It’s our story, and now we have that documented forever. Both of us have always enjoyed sitting through family photo albums and seeing how much history is held in a photograph. We cannot wait for our children and families to do the same with our own photos. The venue was the most important element, but surprisingly didn’t cost as much as we were expecting!

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

The whole day was our favourite, but if we had to pick one moment, it would be our ceremony. The chairs were in a full circular setting, and we stood right in the centre. We felt so much support, literally, all around us. The idea of a circular ceremony reminded us of unity, but it was also an ode to performances being done “in the round”, which means that the audience is seated on all sides of the stage, creating an intimate and immersive experience. Our cousin Ana Maria and Darius’s father, Don, recited a poem both in English and in Spanish during the ceremony. It was a Pablo Neruda poem in honour of Annelise’s late father, Francisco. Darius’s first-ever friend, Dr. Ahmad Greene-Hayes, oﬃciated our ceremony and led us in prayer. That was another beautiful and personal element. Before the ceremony, two white deer fabulously paid a visit to our ceremonial circle. Pretty magical. Everyone kept commenting that it felt as if we were plopped in the middle of paradise. Hearing “Pure Imagination” play on the guitar and seeing each other in the distance down the aisle was a moment that will be with us forever.