Model Daphne Groeneveld bumped into realtor Justin Hopwood at Whole Foods in New York, 2012. “I was shooting for W magazine, and my mom and I were eating a quick bite there after the shoot,” Daphne remembers. “Justin was with another male model that I had previously worked with. They walked up to us and that’s the first time he introduced himself to me.” They kept running into each other after that since they traveled in the same social circles, and eventually went on their first date in 2016.
Every Christmas, the couple heads to Capetown to celebrate the holiday season, and that’s where Justin ultimately proposed while they were wine-tasting in Stellenbosch. “We walked down to this beautiful spot that overlooks all the wine vineyards,” Daphne remembers. “I looked around and said, this is what I want do after modeling—owning my own wine vineyard would be my dream. He didn’t respond, and as I turned around, he was on one knee, and he asked me to marry him. It was such an unreal feeling. I started crying right away and totally forgot to say ‘yes’ since I was in such a shock.” After Daphne confirmed that her answer was in fact a wholehearted yes, Justin surprised her again: her parents, along with their dog Mason, were waiting in the wings ready to celebrate.
After the engagement, the two got straight to planning, creating a vision board for Amber Mollison of Angel Lion Venice Weddings, an American living in Venice who speaks fluent Italian and does over 80 weddings a year. “She understood the direction we wanted to go in straight away,” Daphne says. “That said, we never saw the venue—Villa Medicia di Lilliano in Florence—in person because of the lockdown, so that was a little nerve wracking. But, we always shared a love for Italy—the culture, the people, the food, and the wine—and we started watching videos of all of the previous weddings that were held at the venue.”
Daphne enlisted her stylist and friend Philippe Uter to help her find a dress. “I always said I want to get married in a simple but chic look,” Daphne explains. Philippe suggested Galia Lahav. “Galia drew this stunning sketch, and I fell in love with it,” the bride says. “They also designed my party dress which was so much fun.” Her jewels were by Boucheron, and shoes were by Gianvito Rossi. Bridesmaids also wore custom Galia Lahav silk dresses in sage green. There were four different shapes, and each bridesmaid chose her favorite silhouette.
Justin walked down the aisle with his sister Kirsty to the song “Wonderful” played by Quartetto Effe, followed by the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and then the bride. “The ceremony itself was short and sweet and very personal,” Daphne says. “I thought I was going to be very nervous, but all I reminded myself of all day was: ‘Everyone you love is in one place, enjoy and soak it all up,’ and I really did.”
After the ceremony, guests enjoyed an aperitif. Dinner was then held at the top of the villa while live music played in the background. “The dinner was incredible,” Daphne says. “Amazing speeches, fantastic food, and enough wine. After the dinner, I changed into my party dress, and Fortune 8 absolutely crushed that party. We all danced the night away!”
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