“Love in the City” Fun Brooklyn E-Session: Joelle + Frantz

It was a simple question that began Joelle and Frantz’s journey of love.  They met on June 10th, 2008 at an after work party.  Joelle spotted Frantz at the bar watching a NBA game and shimmied her way next to him. Frantz did not hit her with a corny line, but simply asked “So which team are you rooting for?” That one question opened the door to a world of laughter, joy and love.

After Frantz proposed to Joelle during a romantic cooking class, the couple began excitedly planning for theie summer wedding. One of the first vendors they sought out was a photographer who could truly capture the essence of their personalities and love. Petronella of Petronella Photogaphy was the perfect fit! They headed to their favorite borough, Brooklyn (the Dumbo section), to photograph their playfully fun e-session right before sunset. Joelle shares, “We agreed on a Brooklyn swag/a touch of Haitian flare theme for the session. We wanted to display our Haitian/Brooklyn roots to the world. We had a blast, we laughed, ate Haitians patties and drank Haitians soda throughout the entire session.”  You can feel their undeniable chemistry in every photo!

How They Met

Thank God for summer. June 10th, 2008 was one of the hottest days in NYC; I attended an afterwork party at Level V in the meatpacking district. And as I walked into the venue I spotted my now fiancé Frantz. I thought he was easy on the eyes, but I didn’t stop to speak with him because I was hungry and sweaty. So I did I what any Brooklyn girl would have done; I went to bathroom and reapplied my makeup /refresh. But I didn’t stop there; I went on and curbed my hunger, and now I was ready to hit the floor. I proceeded to the bar and got a glass of wine and managed to shimey myself right next to him. And next thing I knew he asked in his manly voice, “so which team are you rooting for?” and I responded “Celtics of course!” The NBA the finals (Celtics vs. Lakers) was in full mode at that time of the year.

That one question opened the door to a world of laughter, joy and mostly love. And ever since June 10, 2008 we’ve talked everyday. All I have to say is Thank God for Basketball.

The Proposal 

So as it is our summer custom to spend an evening in NYC, we decided to take it up a notch and spend the weekend. To ensure we would stay active, we filled the weekend with different activities. The first activity we decided to participate in was a Gelato Making Class that Friday afterwork. After the class we planned dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, then lastly “beverages” at a cocktail bar we’ve wanted to go to for years.

The plan was to leave immediately after the Gelato class, but in typical Frantz form, he was chatting it up with the chef. Despite my efforts to get Frantz to leave, he continued to chat with the chef and asked the chef to find the cooler he supposedly brought in take our gelato home. As we stood alone in the kitchen, in my typical form I began pestering Frantz with questions and “suggested” that we leave now to get ready for dinner. Frantz told me to relax and asked me a simple question, “Did you have fun today?” Of course I said yes because I love taking cooking classes. He responded that he also had a great time because the class was a bridge that brought together: something I love in taking cooking classes and something he loves with his love of gelato, hence the reason why he thought this was the perfect place to ask me to take the next step in our relationship. As he was uttering the last part of the aforementioned phrase, he was also going to on one knee. At that point I was completely confused and loss my hearing for the next couple of minutes as he shared his feelings about us, our love, me, and spending our lives together. When he pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him, I couldn’t speak so I kissed him. Though excited for the kiss, he made sure to ask me whether that was a YES, of which I replied YES! For those 10 mins we were in the kitchen alone, I was so shocked that I only remember the very beginning and end of the proposal. This was the PERFECT proposal me!!!

Describe your engagement session

I must admit I was a bit jumpy prior to the engagement session especially for my fiancé (he’s not really into taking pictures not even selfies) but it turned out great. Surprisingly, my fiancé had so much of a great time that he kept me laughing throughout the entire shoot. All I have to say is Thank you God for a great fiancé, photographer and great weather.

My fiancé and I are not the couple that volunteers for pictures. So when it came down to finding a photographer we were very open to reading blogs, reaching out to our friends for guidance. The one thing that we both knew was that we wanted the experience to be fun and we didn’t want the posy pictures. My fiancé really wanted to use a black photographer so I obliged. I started surfing the Internet and stumbled upon 3 black photographers that we really liked. We interviewed 2 out of the 3. During our interview with Petronella (our now photographer), she said one thing that blew our mind she said, “my mission is to celebrate multicultural love.” She expressed how she wanted to highlight black love or should I say our love and to show the world that a mature black, god-fearing, professional couple wanted to celebrate their love by tying the knot. Frantz and I didn’t think too long about it. We meet her on a Friday and by midweek “WE SAID YES TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER.”

Looking Forward to the Wedding

I’m looking forward to Frantz’s smile when I walk down the aisle. His smile makes the whole room come alive. I’m particularly looking forward to dancing with my twin sisters since I lost both of my parents to HIV about 20 years ago. Lastly, we are both looking forward to the food and the dancing (my fiancé loves to dance).

Wedding Planning

Wedding planning at the beginning was pretty stressful especially agreeing on a budget. I had a series of emotions. I was sad because my mother wouldn’t be able to fluff my wedding dress. Then I moved into the “OMG” series when I started pricing out the different venues. And my fiancé and I certainly bumped head during those 2 months. But on the 3rd month I saw the light with the help of God. I did a lot of praying and my anxiety level undoubtedly subsided.

Now that were are 4 months away till ” I Do” I can honesty say that wedding planning is without a doubt a precursor to the many tests that Frantz and I will face as a married couple. I’m just happy that we have God on our side.?

Favorite thing to do as a couple

Find great dessert spots and cocktails lounges around NYC.

Vendors

Photography: Petronella Photogaphy