An Old Hollywood Glamour-Inspired Wedding at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston, New Jersey

Victor Wichi met Nicole Acevedo in high school study hall, where he used to write folded-up notes to her on wide-ruled notebook paper – the first note reading, “Smile. You’re too pretty to be sad.” Nicole felt strongly about dressing well for school with matching outfits, heels and makeup. Even though some students would tease her for it, her style is what caught Victor’s attention.

“I was a diligent student who mostly kept to myself, studied hard, and often wore my exhaustion as a badge of honor,” Nicole explains. “Victor instantly broke my icy defenses. There was an air of maturity about him, like an old soul. He got to know my schedule and started waiting for me outside my classes. I remember I could often smell his cologne before catching a glimpse of him in the crowded hallways. Needless to say, I was smitten.” 

Years later, the couple was signing the lease on their first apartment together. After a busy and stressful workday, Nicole was flustered and mildly annoyed when Victor insisted she meet him at their apartment the night before move-in day. Entering the empty apartment, she found her then-boyfriend sitting on a folding chair in the living room.

“I want to show you something,” he said, smiling. As he led Nicole to the bedroom, he opened the door to reveal 100 pictures covering the bedroom wall, spanning from when they met, up to the present day. Complete with two dozen red roses and votive candles atop the nightstand, he dropped to one knee, presented a custom vintage halo ring, and proposed. “It was so intimate and ‘us’,” Nicole reflects. “It felt like home.”

During the wedding planning process, Nicole turned to bridal magazines for ideas, but was deeply inspired by her mother and grandmother. “They were my personal icons for style and grace,” she says. “It was difficult, because I had just lost my mother two months before getting engaged. Victor later shared with me that he had told her about his intentions to propose while she was in the hospital. I’m so grateful for the level of support he showed me during this time.”

The wedding day began with a full nuptial mass, honoring the Catholic values Nicole’s mother had instilled in her from a young age. “One of the most special moments of our ceremony was when Victor and I made a sacred offering of flowers to the Virgin Mary,” the bride recalls. “My tears welled up, because I could feel my mother’s presence there with us.”

Envisioning a Great Gatsby-esque celebration, the following wedding reception featured Old Hollywood glamour, cascading crystals and flowers, exquisite food, and a classic Rolls Royce Austin Princess as the bridal car. “We are so grateful for such an incredible wedding day,” says the bride. “Each time my eyes met with Victor’s across the room, I couldn’t help but see all the moments in our history reflected back at me. As the saying goes, ‘Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite.’”