The Bride Wore Carolina Herrera for Her Paris Wedding That Included Midnight Museum Tours and an All-Night Disco
Alexa Buckley and Alexandre Roussel’s courtship was a true pandemic love story. It all started with a series of texts in 2020, but their digital meet-cute had one twist: Instead of an app, designer Tory Burch played matchmaker and orchestrated their initial introduction. “I was attending a joint engagement party for my best friends, Chloe Burch Seaver and Neely Burch Morandi, hosted by their aunt, Tory [Burch],” Alexa, the cofounder of the popular footwear brand Margaux, remembers. “Toward the end of the party, I went to thank Tory and say goodbye, and we got to chatting. As we were catching up she asked if I was dating anyone, to which I said no. She told me I had to meet her stepson, Alex, that he was brilliant and handsome, and she thought we might really hit it off.”
Unbeknownst to Alexa, Tory then called Alex and told him to come over—but he was at the office, and understandably, the idea of dropping everything to meet a stranger on a rainy Monday night in February wasn’t the most enticing. And so it was a missed connection, and Alexa completely forgot about the conversation.
Then, one night a few weeks later, Alexa got a text from Tory following up to see if she could connect her with Alex. “Alex was totally untraceable online—and a Frenchman!—so I had no idea what to expect,” Alexa admits. “That week, I received a text from Alex on the exact day the lockdown started.”
Thus began their text-based courtship. “For me, it was the most unexpected, perfect way to fall in love,” Alexa reveals. “It started exceptionally slowly with—long-form messages that felt more like letters than texts, sent every few days filled with questions and musings—the kind of getting-to-know-a-person that had become so difficult in the fast-paced whirl of normal life in New York City. The texts turned into FaceTimes, and eventually our first meeting—when we were finally brave enough to step outside of our pods for the night—on the grass behind the West Side Highway over a bottle of wine and a makeshift plate of cheese.”
From there, things sped up—thanks to the unusual pressures of the lockdown—and they went from letter writing to a fourth date in which Alexa essentially invited him to come and spend nine straight days with her family. “Thankfully, it went spectacularly well!” Alexa notes.
They got engaged in August of 2022 on a beautiful, sunny morning in Paris. As soon as they woke up, Alex suggested that they have a “Parisian day”—a day of wandering the city and seeing where it took them. “The planner in me had to catch myself,” Alexa admits. “But since it was the first day of our summer vacation, I agreed. We left the apartment and started to walk, and when we passed the entrance of the Musée Rodin, Alex suggested we stop in and walk around the garden. Because this is something we love to do—and do often—I thought nothing of it.”
The Musée Rodin is one of the couple’s favorite places in Paris. “We often go to sit and soak in the quiet amidst the whirl of the busy city, so that is exactly what we did,” Alexa explains. “As we went to leave, we walked down one of the windy paths covered in flowers and trees, and at the little bend where you can see the museum and the Dome of the Invalides in one view, Alex got down on one knee and proposed. I was stunned. There were many, many happy tears, and we stayed in the garden a while longer to take it all in. It was also the morning, so one of the best parts was that we did get to have that Parisian day! And it was perfect—filled with cafes and Champagne and a boat ride on the Seine, ending in a long dinner where we lingered at the table late into the night.”
Their wedding was in Paris just a little over a year later on September 23, 2023. “And, in a full-circle pinch-us kind of way, we were married at the Basilique Sainte-Clotilde, followed by cocktails, dinner, and dancing late into the night at the Musée Rodin,” Alexa says.
The couple partnered with Victoria Botana de Beauvau of the event planner Concept Haroue to plan the wedding. “She brought an incredible group of people together to work on this, and we had so much fun,” Alexa says. “She and her team have an exceptional attention to detail, a great understanding of logistics, flow, and ambiance.”
On the Wednesday before the wedding, Alexa and Alex were “officially” married at a courthouse in the 7th arrondissement. The bride wore a white Brandon Maxwell cape-effect crepe mini dress, with sheer white lace pointed-toe flats from the Margaux bridal atelier.
For the other events surrounding the wedding, she worked with bridal stylist Anny Choi. “I loved working with Anny,” Alexa says. “For the rehearsal dinner on Thursday, I wore an Oscar de la Renta gown from their fall 2023 collectsion. I knew I didn’t want to wear white for this night and that I wanted to lean into the atmosphere of the boat. As soon as we tried on a sample of the Oscar de la Renta dress, I knew it was the one, and their team was so nice to let me get it a bit ahead of its debut in time for the wedding.” She paired the dress with custom strappy Margaux sandals and a white pochette from Savette.
For Friday night, Alexa worked with Mark Ingram on designing a dress for her welcome party at Maxim’s. “Mark is one of my mom’s best friends, and I have known him all my life, so this was special for many reasons,” Alexa says. “We were inspired by vintage Dior dresses with tulle and tiers and had so much fun diving into the history of Maxim’s for inspiration as well. Mark designed the perfect dress, and the best part was that he was there at the party to see it, and dance late into the night together.”
For the welcome party, the team at Margaux designed a pair of white satin heeled sandals embellished with hand-placed Swarovski crystals that were also perfect for dinner and dancing. To further accessorize her look, Alexa wore her mom’s diamond earrings, her grandmother’s tennis bracelet, and carried a crystal-embellished Judith Leiber clutch for a bit of extra sparkle.
One of the bride’s favorite parts of curating her wedding wardrobe was working with Wes Gordon at Carolina Herrera on her wedding dress. “It is hard to put into words how grateful I am for the time, attention, and care he and the entire team at Carolina Herrera put into it every step of the way,” Alexa says. “We explored everything, from silk organza to georgette, and finally arrived at a silk taffeta which provided just enough structure with the perfect amount of levity and ease. I had so much fun with Wes, and will be forever grateful for the chance to work with him on this.”
On Saturday, Alexa’s “something old” was her grandmother’s handkerchief, which she carried down the aisle wrapped around the stem of her lily of the valley bouquet. Her “something new” was her shoes—a pair of white satin heeled sandals, designed by the product team at Margaux. Her “something borrowed” was diamond earrings from Camilla Dietz Bergeron, and her “something blue” was the embroidery Wes Gordon put inside her dress with her new initials, ABR, and her wedding date: 9.23.23.
The ceremony was at the Basilique Sainte-Clotilde, which is the couple’s favorite church in Paris and just a few minutes from Alex’s family home. The church has a square and park attached to it, and it sits in a charming, quiet corner of the 7th arrondissement. (It is also, conveniently, just a six-minute walk to the Musée Rodin.)
“The ceremony was the highlight of the weekend for me,” Alexa says. “The size and scale of Basilique Sainte-Clotilde can seem a bit intimidating, but when packed with all of the people that mean most to us in this world, it felt small and intimate. After our families, the boys choir Les Petits Chanteurs de France processed and sang alongside the organs. I was standing outside the church with my dad as they sang, but you could even hear their voices and the organs from the streets and it took our breath away.”
The service was led by Father Michel Remery, and was held half in French and half in English. “My dad walking me down the aisle was a highlight, followed by the moment Alex and I said our vows,” Alexa remembers. “And, the moment we exited Sainte-Clotilde might have been my single most favorite. It was a swirl of confetti, flowers, and cheers.”
From there, guests walked together to the Musée Rodin through the streets of Paris. After entering through the museum’s main entrance, everyone was encouraged to explore the gardens. Guests walked past The Thinker and down the tree-lined paths leading to the pond at the far end of the gardens for cocktail hour.
There was wine, Champagne, and cocktails, in addition to various stations of French food sourced and prepared by Chef Daniel de La Falaise. As cocktail hour came to a close, the paths were lit by candles and violinists played as guests walked the garden together and into the tent. The newlyweds entered the tent to loud music and the entire party stood and waved their napkins—a custom that was new for many of the Americans attending, but met with incredible enthusiasm. Alexa and Alex danced between all the tables—stopping for hugs and kisses—and then sat down for dinner.
Guests enjoyed three courses, ending with a wedding cake: a fruit-filled Pavlova. “My dad delivered an unbelievable toast,” Alexa remembers. “It had everyone in tears—first from laughing, and then from sentiment—before the party began.”
After dinner, Alexa changed just before the dancing kicked off, re-entering the tent with Alex in an Elie Saab dress that she wore for the rest of the evening. “For this part of the night, I wanted to find something that was elegant but also fun, and I loved the balance of the silhouette of this dress mixed with the sparkle and pizzazz that came from its embellishments throughout,” she says.
Alexa, Alex, and their band, Inspiration, walked guests through two hidden green doors into a disco where the party roared on for the rest of the night. Outside the disco, guests could take midnight tours of the museum on their own, and the garden was lit and decorated with outdoor furniture for guests to lounge on between breaks from the dance floor. There was also an espresso bar with more dessert, as well as crepe and croque monsieur carts for late-night sustenance.
Inside the disco, the dance floor was filled with guests of all ages from beginning to end. “There are so many memorable moments, and for Alex and I, it was definitively the best party of our lives,” Alexa says. “As hard as we worked on every detail of the planning and the design, the one thing you can never account for is the magic the guests bring. Our friends and family brought the most unbelievable energy, enthusiasm, and love. Everyone was all in. Each night had its own special magic, but from cocktails and dinner to toasts and dancing late into the night, they made the weekend everything we could have hoped for and more.”
1/76This was one of my very favorite moments of the weekend. On the Wednesday before our wedding, Alex and I went with our parents and siblings to the townhall of the 7th arrondissement to be officially married. The afternoon was intimate and memorable, culminating in Champagne and a perfect (and spontaneous!) brasserie dinner to kick off the weekend with the most important people to us in this world, our families.
Photo: Pierre Mouton2/76On Thursday, we celebrated our rehearsal dinner on a cruise down the Seine. This is a shot of us arriving at the boat, where we had cocktails on the deck before going downstairs for dinner. I wore a dress from Oscar de la Renta’s fall 2023 collectsion with white-heeled sandals made by our incredible team in Spain.
Photo: Pierre Mouton3/76The sun broke just as the cruise began–which, given the intensity of the rain up until that point, was magical. Here, Alex is greeting his dad as we stepped onto the deck. Behind them, you can see the French and American flags that flew together off the back of the boat, representing both of our countries, but also the two places we will now call “home” together.
Photo: Emilie White4/76We were inspired by the south of France when we designed this night. Our planner, Victoria Botana de Beauvau, and her team did such a beautiful job bringing this to life first on the deck, and then below for dinner, with the wildly talented Marianne Guedin. We decorated the deck with baskets of grasses, plants, and citrus trees, and lined the railings with a trellis of greenery. For dinner, we filled the windows with candles and focused on more delicate flowers in varying shades of purple to match the Tory Burch Home jolie fleur print we used for the tablecloths, napkins, and chairs.
Photo: Pierre Mouton5/76A moment for just the two of us to take it all in before sitting down for dinner.
Photo: Emilie White7/76There was a real magic to this night. The room was lit only by candles—and, most importantly, filled with all of the people who mean the most to the two of us.
Photo: Emilie White9/76We loved having the chance to welcome everyone to Paris by seeing it from the water first. We cruised by some of the city’s most breathtaking landmarks, which were especially magical through the candlelit windows at night.
Photo: Pierre Mouton10/76After dinner, we invited everyone back up to the deck for more drinks, dessert, and (per Alex’s request) cigars.
Photo: Pierre Mouton11/76The moment we decided extra time with our friends on the deck was more important than the extra sleep we had planned to get. Thankfully, it was worth every minute.
Photo: Emilie White12/76Walking into our Friday-night welcome party at Maxim’s. The attire was “Maxim’s merveilleux”–i.e. fabulous and festive–and guests did not disappoint. I worked with Mark Ingram on designing this dress. Mark is one of my mom’s closest friends, and I have known him all my life, so this was special for many reasons. He designed the perfect dress, and the best part was that he was there at the party to see it and dance with us all night long.
Photo: Emilie White13/76At the entrance, guests received a vintage-inspired postcard featuring a painting that hangs on the walls of Maxim’s. The painting depicts a scene of people pouring Champagne and dancing on tables, which was the intended energy for the evening. On the other side, the guest’s name was written alongside their table assignments, which were all named after people in history who were believed to have also dined at Maxim’s. This was especially fun research to do: Our table name was Pablo Picasso.
Photo: Emilie White14/76Maxim’s really does feel like you are stepping back in time, and the main dining room is particularly special. The decor is grand, but the tight tables make it feel intimate.
Photo: Pierre Mouton15/76We had so much fun using all of the different spaces of Maxim’s to make the night really feel like an adventure. The evening began on the third floor where cocktails were served throughout all of the connecting rooms, while a band played classic French music and guests met David Jarre, the famed Parisian magician, who joined us for the evening.
Photo: Pierre Mouton18/76Alex’s dad, Pierre-Yves, gave a beautiful toast during cocktails. Here, the three of us are beaming, reminded that we have Tory to thank for setting us up in March of 2020. It was, as the saying goes, “when you least expect it!”
Photo: Pierre Mouton19/76After cocktails, we descended back down the stairs to dinner. Guests ate at intimate tables of varying sizes, tucked into tight corners and booths like a true brasserie.
Photo: Lorenzo Berni20/76David Jarre brought great energy to dinner, roaming from table to table, surprising guests with unbelievable tricks that we are still trying to figure out.
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Photo: Emilie White22/76The most magical part of Maxim’s was seeing it filled with people who had traveled from near and far to be with us to celebrate our wedding. Between the buzz of laughter, the piano, and the cheers for the magician, the atmosphere in this room was indescribable.
Photo: Emilie White23/76After dinner, the band ushered us from our tables, and we danced up the stairs following them to our next stop: dessert.
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Photo: Lorenzo Berni25/76We loved how many different rooms, corners, and vignettes there were at Maxim’s for guests to have an intimate moment over an after-dinner drink and dessert.
Photo: Pierre Mouton27/76Alex’s closest childhood friends from Paris, fueling up before descending onto the dance floor.
Photo: Emilie White29/76My best friend and cofounder of Margaux, Sarah Pierson, and I walking downstairs to the dance floor.
Photo: Emilie White31/76The main dinner room was transformed into a disco during dessert, and turned into an epic dance party, led by DJ Kobaien, that went late into the night.
Photo: Pierre Mouton32/76Unsurprisingly, my parents were the stars of the dancefloor. Growing up in our house, the solution to just about anything was to turn on the music and dance—so this was nothing new. That said, I think a few of my friends were shocked at how many shirts (yes, he brought extra) my dad sweat through in the process.
Photo: Emilie White34/76We woke up to sunshine and beautiful fall weather on our wedding day. The morning was peaceful and relaxed. I started the day with a walk in the park, followed by lunch with my maids of honor and my mom. We listened to music and laughed and then the getting ready began. Here, I’m sitting in my dressing robes that I found at one of my very favorite stores in Paris, Sabbia Rosa.
Photo: Emilie White35/76For our wedding day, our product team designed a beautiful pair of ivory satin heeled sandals, with blue lining for my “something blue,” finished with a gold plate on the sole with the wedding date.
Photo: Pierre Mouton36/76Stéphane Bodin and Louise Garnier were with me all weekend for hair and make up. They are geniuses, and I trusted them completely. Also, most importantly, we had so much fun together.
Photo: Pierre Mouton37/76I loved this moment. What you can’t see is that it was punctuated with just the perfect amount of chaos. “Going to the Chapel” is blasting (per my mother’s request), we’re back in the room because we realized we forgot the veil the first time, people are looking for everything missing (ties, cufflinks, the wedding rings, etc.), and we are just a little bit late. Above all else, though, we are laughing—because this is just how it goes with us, and we wouldn’t pretend to have it any other way.
Photo: Pierre Mouton38/76The ceremony was at the Basilique Sainte-Clotilde. It is our favorite church in Paris, and just a few minutes from Alex’s family home. The church has a beautiful square and park attached to it, and is, conveniently, just a six-minute walk to the Musée Rodin.
Photo: Emilie White39/76My dad and I drove together to the church, and it was one of the most special moments of the day. He had prepared a few things to read to me, and there were some very happy tears before we arrived.
Photo: Emilie White40/76I will always remember this moment. From where we were standing on the street, we could hear the organs playing and the boys’ choir singing. It was so beautiful that I told my dad if we walked any further I would burst into tears. So, we stood for a moment to enjoy it, and then we rounded the corner to the church.
Photo: Emilie White41/76My brother walked my mom down the aisle, with the rest of the boys’ choir, Les Petits Chanteurs de France, standing in the doorway preparing to walk in behind them.
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Photo: Emilie White42/76My dad waving to the crowd of people who had gathered in the square to watch.
Photo: Emilie White43/76I will never take getting to walk down the aisle with my dad for granted. After a year of health obstacles for both families, it was not a given that we would get to be here–and the fact that we were made this day (and weekend) about so much more than just Alex and me. It was about love, our families, and celebrating everything we can.
Photo: Pierre Mouton44/76After the ceremony, we exited the church to a swirl of confetti, flowers, and cheers.
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Photo: Pierre Mouton50/76Overwhelmed with love, smiling ear to ear waving to our friends and family.
Photo: Pierre Mouton52/76After the ceremony, guests walked together to the Rodin through the streets of Paris, and Alex and I snuck ahead for a few minutes together before cocktails began.
Photo: Emilie White53/76One of my very favorite parts of the experience was working with Wes Gordon on my wedding dress. We explored everything, from silk organza to georgette, and finally arrived—after a very memorable afternoon of dress up—at this silk taffeta. That said, the design never changed. Wes nailed it from the first sketch. I had so much fun with him, and will always be grateful for the chance to have worked with Wes and his team at Carolina Herrera on this dress.
Photo: Emilie White57/76Chef Daniel de la Falaise sourced all kinds of delicious local produce for appetizers.
Photo: Emilie White61/76After getting engaged in these gardens the summer before, the Musée Rodin will always hold a special place in our hearts. It is hard to describe how grateful we were to return with our family and friends to celebrate our wedding here just a year later.
Photo: Emilie White62/76We wanted the tent to feel like an extension of the garden. Laura Bosshardt designed all of the paper for the weekend, including these dinner menus and white linen napkins, featuring our initials and a lily of the valley motif–the flowers I carried down the aisle just a few hours before. The tables and chairs were covered in a Tory Burch Home fabric which is fittingly called “Happy Times.”
Photo: Pierre Mouton64/76As soon as the sun set, the garden was lit with candles and violins ushered guests into the dinner tent.
Photo: Pierre Mouton66/76We entered the tent to my favorite French tradition, music blasting, as everyone dances and waves their napkins. We danced from table to table, hugging and kissing our friends and family, before taking our seats for dinner.
Photo: Emilie White68/76My dad gave an unbelievable half-toast, half-roast to kick off the dinner, and it set the tone for the night. The dinner was intimate, fun, and full of love.
Photo: Emilie White72/76The museum was open all night for guests to take midnight tours in between breaks from the dance floor.
Photo: Emilie White73/76After dinner I changed into an Elie Saab gown, and Alex and I reentered the tent with our band, Inspiration, coming in from all corners of the room playing music. We walked guests through two hidden green doors into a disco where the party roared on for the rest of the night.
Photo: Emilie White74/76Our family and friends brought unbelievable energy. We danced until the wee hours of the morning, and the dance floor was filled with people of all ages from beginning to end. There are so many memorable moments from the party, (most notably my dad crowd surfing) and for Alex and I, it was definitively the best party of our lives.
