A Parisian-Themed Bridal Shower at Liberty House

By Lisa A. Flam

She loves Paris and French culture and speaks the language, so it was fitting that Stephanie Goldstone, 38, of Ringoes, was feted with the beautiful Parisian-inspired bridal shower of her dreams.

“It was like I’d stepped off the plane and was walking through Paris,” says Stephanie. “The smells, sights, sounds and faces of everyone I love made it feel like I was vacationing with 75 family members and friends. I felt like the luckiest bride to be surrounded by so much beauty, love, spectacular decor and culinary delights.”

The party venue, Liberty House in Jersey City, evoked lively Parisian streets for the afternoon event on May 14, 2022. Decked out in a chic mix of black, white and pink, the space was full of romantic French touches that captivated guests. “People said it looked so beautiful and glamorous, it took their breath away,” Stephanie recalls.

As they entered, guests were greeted by shirtless male models (a cheeky shower touch) who offered flutes of cotton-candy topped pink Champagne. They then found their seats by collecting Eiffel Tower luggage tags attached to their place cards. Guests wrote their best marital advice on cards and secured them with white, heart-shaped locks onto a mirrored trellis wall, reminiscent of the celebrated love locks on the Pont des Arts in Paris.

A band helped set the mood with live French music, while a classic jester entertained guests, dancing among the tables, performing splits and pliés. The shower featured a perfumemaking station, where each partygoer could create a custom scent to take home.

When it was time for the French-inspired meal, guests sat at tables covered in pink tablecloths with black-and-white striped runners. At each place were favors: a beribboned birdcage holding a box of macarons, and a perfume-shaped bottle of rosé. Stephanie was delighted by the detailed tablescapes, which also featured high centerpieces of white hydrangea, pink roses and dusty miller.

Dessert options were plentiful. There was an ice cream cart with a selection of flavors and toppings, and towers of artfully displayed sweets including cream puffs, eclairs and macarons set against a “storefront” banner welcoming guests to Stephanie’s Pâtisserie.

Instead of a traditional wishing well, a station was set up to honor the bride’s love of cats: It featured wooden cutouts of her family’s feline friends. Her guests were invited to bring items to donate to a favorite cat rescue sanctuary.

Toward the end of the celebration, the bride-to-be invited her fiance, Patrick Conroy, 35, of Yardley, Pennsylvania, to join her in cutting the three-tiered cake, which was adorned with cascading flowers and a silhouette of the Eiffel Tower. Each of the layers offered a different flavor: chocolate with chocolate ganache, French vanilla with raspberry purée and chocolate with cannoli cream.

It was an especially joyous moment for Stephanie and Patrick, who first met at Rider University and began dating in 2007. They’d waited a long time—even after their 2018 engagement—having had to postpone their original 2020 wedding date several times due to COVID-19.

Throughout the celebration, friends and relatives mingled, posed for photos in front of a pink flower wall, enjoyed the outdoor space, drank signature cocktails and danced and sang. “I loved seeing everyone together,” Stephanie says. “It was so beautiful to have everyone there and finally able to celebrate.”

“Everyone was really excited,” she adds. “They took so many pictures. All I heard was laughter, and I looked around and there were so many smiles. It was just great to see.”

All in all, the shower was definitely worth the wait. “The day was magnificent,” Stephanie says. “I never stopped smiling. It was absolute perfection.” Stephanie and Patrick tied the knot on June 11, 2022, and are happily at home in Flemington.

Vendors

VENUE Liberty House BRIDE & BRIDESMAID GOWNS Tarik Ediz, from Castle Couture MOTHER-OF-THE-BRIDE GOWN Jovani, from Castle Couture SHOES Badgley Mischka PHOTOGRAPHER MPW Media Group HAIR The Beauty Suite MAKEUP @glamourbydrita PLANNER Brooke Beierle, AMV Weddings ICE CREAM, MACARONS & PASTRIES Angelina Paris MODELS Eye5 BACKDROP Prop N Spoon FLOWER WALL Nicol Floral Design BAND Oasis Artists PERFUME MAKING Sue Phillips FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS Arcadia Floral Company CAKE & PASTRIES Calandra’s Bakery FRENCH JESTER Athena Entertainment