During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vogue’s goal in our coverage is to celebrate responsible wedding planning, showcase a love story, and shed light on the questions that engaged couples are asking themselves now.
For those who are wedding planning, be sure to comply with all applicable state and local laws, guidelines, and CDC recommendations to ensure safety and reduce the risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19.
Singer, actor, and model Caroline Vreeland—the granddaughter of the legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland—met Nicolas Rico, the co-founder of Mural Festival and LNDMRK Agency, last year during Art Basel. “I was at a party with friend Violet Chachki, and we both agreed Nico was the best looking man in the room,” Caroline remembers. “We beckoned him over with a series of come hither glances, and the moment he walked across the dance floor I felt at peace.”
Since then, Caroline and Nico haven’t gone a day without speaking. Even though it was early on in their relationship, she decided to take a leap of faith and go to Montreal on March 12th to visit Nico. This trip inevitably led to their spending six months of quarantine together in Nico’s hometown. “We definitely felt a little bit of guilt for having such a beautiful time in quarantine,” Caroline reveals. “We kept pinching ourselves thinking how lucky we were to have all of this quality time to get to know one another. I’ve spent the last decade traveling for work, so this was the first time I could enjoy being at home—cooking, gardening, and falling in love.”
Eventually, Nico proposed a few days after Caroline’s 33rd birthday on their rooftop in Brooklyn, both wearing what has become the de facto uniform during the pandemic: sweatpants. “It was perfect,” Caroline remembers. “Before he got down on one knee, he read a letter he had written, which was a declaration of his love, and I knew I was looking into the future of my forever with this man.”
The two still have hopes for a grand Tuscan wedding or vow renewal in the summer of 2022, but they also knew that they wanted to officially get married sooner rather than later. “The world is so uncertain [right now], and we are from two different countries as Nico is Canadian,” Caroline says. “What we do in Italy will be an opportunity for our families and friends to meet, dance, and celebrate together—but the wedding in New York was just for us.”
After everything that had happened throughout 2020, Caroline and Nico knew without a shadow of a doubt that they simply wanted to be together. “That was the most important thing,” she says. “So we threw together an intimate ceremony within a matter of a few weeks so we didn’t have to face the potential challenge of being separated.”
At first, they assumed they would say “I do” at a courthouse, but all government agencies were closed. “I, of course, had to set aside my flair for the dramatic—because if I had my druthers I’d be swinging from the chandeliers at Versailles!—to reflect the severity of the times we’re living in,” Caroline explains.
They ended up having the ceremony on December 7th in the penthouse of the Ludlow Hotel on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with just 10 friends in attendance, with a small dinner afterwards. “We chose this date because it was the day we met the year prior,” Caroline says. “We did all of the planning ourselves and with the help of our friends. One of my favorite moments of the day was seeing my friends arranging flowers, lighting the candles, pouring the champagne, playing records, and undertaking the daunting task of steaming my dress! The fact that I didn’t have to worry about these details made me feel very cared for in that moment.”
Last summer, Caroline had the good fortune of getting to know Giambattista Valli. “We had an immediately closeness—something that I don’t usually find,” she says. “When I told him of our secret plans he agreed to dress me, noting that even though we hadn’t known each other long, we instantly considered each other family.”
Messika made the couple’s wedding bands, and Baylee Zwart of Azlee, who Caroline went to high school with, helped Nico design the engagement ring of her dreams. For the ceremony, she accessorized with her favorite pearls by Imalinz. In true rockstar fashion, Nico wore a custom suit by the Kooples with shoes by Santoni.
On the day of the wedding, Caroline’s sister, Alexandra, walked her down the aisle. “I always knew she’d be the one to give me away as she is my soulmate and closest confidant,” the bride says. “The first thing I did upon coming around the corner and seeing Nico standing there was let out a huge laugh. There was so much joy bubbling inside me and when I feel joyous I laugh. During the ceremony, I felt gratitude and unconditional love not only from my husband, but from the friends and family surrounding me.”
One of Caroline’s best friends, Luke Simcock, officiated the service and prepared a statement which described how the couple met and how their love has grown. Alexandra read a touching poem that she wrote, then Nico’s business partner and best friend, Yan, read a piece he had written. Caroline and Nico exchanged vows, rings, and finally—the kiss. “We couldn’t stop laughing!” Caroline says. “I think that was the best part—such pure unadulterated joy!”
“The length taken by my friends and family during a global pandemic to be there with us had me feeling extremely grateful,” Caroline says. “This isn’t a time when it is easy to travel or gather with loved ones—but we were able to get tested, meet, and make it happen safely.”
After the ceremony, the intimate group headed to Alice in the West Village for dinner and dancing. “Since the dress was so huge, I couldn’t leave the hotel in it and would never want to compromise such a gem,” Caroline says. “So I slipped into the only dress I wanted to dance and eat pasta in, by Alessandra Rich.” When Caroline changed into her Alessandra Rich look, Nico took that as his cue to switch into a tuxedo shirt worn by his late grandfather.
“Of course, we were still operating within the pandemic rules [at the restaurant] so we were only 10 people, and we had to head home at 10:00 p.m., but it was still completely magical,” Caroline says. Everyone went around the table and took turns toasting the couple. After the cake cutting, bouquet throwing, and garter belt moment, the newlyweds had their first dance to their song, “La Nuit est une Panthère,” by Les Louanges.
“I felt at peace,” Caroline says. “I feel seen, understood, protected, and loved unconditionally. I feel grateful and ready to settle down and start a family! I found a love that makes me feel free—that’s the greatest gift I’ve ever known.”
This content was originally published here.