JACQUELINE RODRIGUEZ & JOHN MICHAEL BROUSSARD

Jacqueline Rodriguez first met John Michael Broussard at her 21st birthday party. At that time, John’s best friend, Blake, was dating Jacqui’s cousin. As John describes it, he walked into the party and locked eyes with Jacqui, during which “time itself seemed to stop.” Unfortunately, although he was immediately drawn to her, was one problem – she had a boyfriend.

Jacqui and John did not see each other until a month later, when tragedy struck and Blake passed away in a terrible motorcycle accident. By this time, Jacqui no longer had a boyfriend; and as fate would have it, they eventually started dating.

As time went on, the couple would occasionally discuss marriage while Jacqui was away at pharmacy school. One day, John made an appointment with a bespoke jeweler and took his then-girlfriend to design the ring of her dreams. When Jacqui was starting her fourth year in pharmacy school and was able to move back home, the two lovebirds decided to take their relationship to the next level and move in together. She had one stipulation, though – she did not want to make this big of a step without serious commitment. In other words, “he had to put a ring on it.” Jacqui knew there was already a ring, since she designed it herself. She just had no clue when the proposal would happen.

John, in his true form, held out until the actual move-in day when they closed on the house and they had the keys in their hands. He pretended to fetch some boxes out of the car while Jacqui was changing into gym clothes to prepare for some heavy moving. She heard John yell, “Babe, come help! It’s heavy!” When she walked into the room, she found him down on one knee – and she responded with “No! What are you doing? Not now, I just changed!” Of course, she gladly accepted the proposal, and a year and a half of wedding planning followed.

Jacqui and John’s wedding would have definitely received a nod of approval from Jay Gatsby, with a theme best described as “Timeless Romance.” Intimate candlelight and the historic Alfred J. Dupont building created the perfect backdrop for the big day, and every detail of the wedding décor reflected the newlyweds and their style.

Guests were treated to different culinary stations, displaying the couple’s love for food and their impulsivity of ordering almost everything off the menu at restaurants. Each station also reflected their different cultures – a combination of delicious Cuban, Italian, and comforting Southern cuisine.

Towards the end of the night, partiers enjoyed Jacqui and John’s favorite late-night snack being passed around the dance floor: Oreo milkshakes, chicken and waffles, and cheeseburger sliders.