Arlenis Sosa and John McCarty's Wedding
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"We just met as friends," model Arlenis Sosa shares as she thinks back to the summer day in 2021 on Long Island, New York, when she met writer John McCarty at his brother's engagement party. Flash-forward six months later on a trip with mutual friends to Saint Bart's and their relationship took a turn. "From the start of the trip, the spark was undeniable. We were inseparable, waking up early to see each other (which would be a shock to anyone who knows us), taking walks on the beach, making sure to sit next to each other at every meal,' Sosa shares with Who What Wear. 'One evening, we went out on a drive to find the perfect mountain peak to watch the sunset. We settled on a rocky ledge and watched the sun slip into the sea. That's when I really realized I was falling for John.' Though their time together in Saint Bart's was early in the couple's relationship, those around them could sense their special bond. 'One morning at breakfast, one of my friends prophetically remarked, 'Arlenis is going to marry John.' He might've meant it as a joke, but I was already 95% sure he was right.'
Three years later in August 2024, Sosa flew from her home in Los Angeles to Rhode Island for a photo shoot. 'Little did I know, later that same day, John took a red-eye to NYC, where he planned to pick up the beautiful emerald engagement ring he had made for me,' Sosa says. But things didn't go as planned. 'When he arrived in New York, he learned that there had been an issue with setting the stone, and the ring wouldn't be finished until the following day. This was a major issue seeing as he had to propose to me that night before I departed Rhode Island on a 6 a.m. flight the following morning. Already running late, he bolted to the closest department store, found a ring that vaguely resembled my dream ring, swiped his card for $24.99, and hit the road.' After a five-hour crawl through rush hour traffic, McCarty arrived in Newport, Rhode Island.
Just as Sosa was headed to bed, she received a text from a friend asking her to meet them in her hotel lobby, but when she arrived, she instead found McCarty waiting for her. 'As I walked through the lobby and reached the entrance of the hotel, it felt like an ordinary night. But as soon as I saw him standing at the bottom of those stairs, it became extraordinary,' Sosa shares. 'Everything after that is a flash.' At that moment, Sosa saw McCarty drop to his knee, and they began hugging and kissing. Then, his voice broke through, asking, ''So is that a yes?' 'Of course!' I replied.' Engaged just for a few moments, the couple heard their friend erupt in cheers nearby, rushing over with champagne glasses for the couple. 'I looked down at my ring, excited but surprised. He noticed and whispered in my ear, 'Don't worry; that's not the real one.'' The couple then spent the night celebrating with friends over pizza and champagne.
The night the couple was engaged, they began discussing their wedding details, and later decided on Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic to celebrate their wedding in February 2025, which fell on Dominican Independence Day. The bride infused details from her Dominican heritage into the celebrations, including everything from local empanadas to Dominican dancers who led the traditional 'Hora Loca.'
"We welcomed guests to the first official event, welcome drinks, at La Yola. La Yola is a stunning marina-side restaurant and bar with refreshing tropical cocktails and savory seafood bites."
"Guests sported bright sunset colors for this event to match the sky as the day turned to night. Guests were also fully immersed in Dominican culture with dancers, music, and bottles of MamaJuana."
"While I was in Paris for my dress fittings and on a walk in the 6th arrondissement, we stopped at the Dries Van Noten boutique and found John the most fantastic pale-yellow suit. Right away I knew John would look so handsome and the color felt so appropriate for the welcome dinner setting at sunset. [My dear friend and stylist Yanuel Garcia Laureano] combined the suit with chocolate-brown espadrilles and an ivory knit T-shirt, which just made John look like such a modern gentleman."
"For the welcome dinner, we choose to work with NYC-based brand Attersee. I have had a relationship with the brand since it began back in 2021, and I have always loved their feminine, simple, and tailored aesthetic. My stylist works quite closely with the brand, and we had the idea of extending a vest they had created for their collection in 2024 and making that piece into the dress I wore that first evening."
"When it came time to choose what I would wear, I partnered with [Yanuel]. The overarching principle for everything we choose I'd say was 'feminine simplicity.' We both wanted to choose and/or make pieces that invoked a simple yet romantic feeling for both the welcome dinner and the wedding day which were fitted and a combination of custom and ready-to-wear pieces."
"For the wedding day itself, John also worked with my dear friend Yanuel. Together, they picked a Ralph Lauren Purple Label men's tuxedo. They wanted to achieve an old-world classic-modern look for John that felt super handsome and appropriate for the occasion."
"My jewelry was all custom made by my dear friend Amir who, with his father, has a studio in the heart of the jewelry district in NYC. He was kind enough to make me three custom earrings for the festivities. The most unique are a pair of emerald-cut deep-green emerald stud earrings I wore for the ceremony which matched my beautiful emerald engagement ring."
"For beauty and jewelry, we also wanted to extend the feminine, modern, and simple aesthetic. Hair and makeup was done by my dear friends, Makky Pratayot and Hos Hounkpatin. I fully trusted their vision; they did not disappoint."
The bride with family and friends on her wedding day.
"For the wedding dress, we worked with my dear friend Esteban Cortázar, who was kind enough to work with us in creating a one-of-a-kind dress. We met in New York in 2009, when Esteban had just started as creative director of Ungaro Paris. He chose me to shoot his spring summer resort lookbook. After that big day, our relationship continued, not only on a professional level but also as a beautiful friendship that we have the joy of celebrating today. I called Esteban in November, just three months before the wedding, to have him design my dress. Despite having a super-busy schedule, Esteban, with much love and happiness, accepted."
"We began the process with a lunch meeting between the three of us in NYC at the end of 2024, and soon thereafter Esteban sent over some sketches from Paris. Since he is based in Paris, we had to do a lot over the phone and did a few remote fittings during the first weeks of 2025. I finally was lucky enough to be able to take a weeklong trip to Paris, where Esteban and his team literally made the dress on me over three fittings."
"I will never forget standing in his studio in Paris wearing the dress as he pinned the corset pleating detail by hand. Standing in front of the mirror, I began to tear up as my dear friend made my dream dress come true before my very eyes! It was such a dream process, and I was so lucky to work not only with such a talented designer such as Esteban but also someone who I consider a dear, dear friend."
"The night we got engaged, we started discussing the timeline and decided we wanted to keep our engagement short. We were hoping to be married within six months. Initially, many of the people we talked to with this goal date in mind called it next to impossible, but once we settled on a planner who was open to every idea that came to mind, it made us feel like it was within reach."
"After looking at many towns throughout the Dominican Republic, we decided on Punta Cana because of its incredible beaches, luxury hotels, and ease of travel for guests. From there, finding the church, Nuestra Señora de Punta Cana, and the reception venue, Playa Blanca, was a breeze as both are the best in all of Punta Cana. Aligning the availability of these two was a little tricky, but eventually we found the perfect date, Dominican Independence Day."
The groom seeing the bride moments before they were married.
The couple stand together at the altar.
Moments as the couple said "I do."
"After the ceremony was completed, we were surrounded by friends and families in front of the church as they burned sparklers in our honor."
"We loaded into our classic car and were whisked away to our dreamy beach reception to take our couples portraits before the sun fully set."
The couple planned photos on the beach just before sunset.
The happy bride and groom.
"After we wrapped up photos, we headed back up the beach to grab a drink and make our formal entrance into the reception area."
"We opted for a minimalist vibe that enhanced the natural beauty of the location, leaning into the lush greens of the Dominican jungle, a warm beige that resembles the sand of our beaches, and white to symbolize the purity of love we were there to celebrate."
"With both the food and music selections, I really wanted to give our guests a taste of my Dominican heritage, and they did not disappoint."
"For the welcome dinner as well as the after-party for the wedding day, I also went with simple pieces that Amir was kind enough to make for me, which included emerald-cut diamond studs gifted to me by my husband and diamond tennis bracelets for the after-party."
A moment to cheers the newlyweds.
The couple with their families.
"In addition to Esteban's dress for the church ceremony and dinner, for the after-party which took place on the beach, [I] chose to change back into a longer sheer sequin dress that felt very modern, comfortable, and reflected all the lights around the dance floor."
DJ Andrew Sullivan and a beautiful tiered cake at the reception.
"From the spicy goat empanadas that my husband couldn't put down to the Dominican dancers who came out for 'Hora Loca' to lead us through different traditional dances to the cigar bar with custom rolled 'Arlenis & John' cigars, it was all perfect."
Wedding Planner: Ashley Alemany
Dress: Esteban Cortázar
Second Dress: Attersee
Stylist: Yanuel Garcia Laureano
Makeup Artist: Makky Pratayot
Hairstylist: Hos Hounkpatin
Band: Cayo Arena
DJ: Andrew Sullivan
Photographer: Aldry Joel
Videographer: Capture
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