Inside: Elona Karafin And Jérôme Poirier Parisian Fairytale Wedding

From a chance meeting in Paris to a breathtaking proposal on an Antarctic glacier, step inside Elona Karafin and Jérôme Poirier’s Parisian wedding in the City of Light – a celebration of old-world glamour and global adventure in the heart of Paris.

The story

We met in Paris in 2018, not realizing how much the city would shape our story. Jérôme was working for PSG and doing photography on the side. I was on a long stopover from a trip to Mongolia and wanted to find someone to explore and shoot with. A mutual friend, Tina, introduced us.

A few months later, Jérôme moved to New York and we somehow ended up in the same circle of photographers and creators. For years we were best friends, traveling everywhere from Afghanistan to Iceland, often on projects together. Then, five years later, while driving through Uzbekistan, something shifted. I woke up from a nap to find him shielding my face from the sun. It was such a small gesture but it made me realise how deeply he cared. I started giving him little “green lights” until, a few days later, he finally kissed me. When we returned to New York, we never really spent a day apart. I moved in a few days later and that was that.

The Proposal

Jérôme proposed in Antarctica, on top of a glacier at a remote luxury camp called White Desert. He had less than a week to plan everything, from finding the ring to secretly calling my parents for their blessing. Since we are rarely apart, keeping it a surprise was no small feat.

For the first few days the weather kept him waiting, but on the fourth day, during a hike across the ice, we stopped at a bright blue crevasse. He asked the photographers with us to take some photos and when they kept filming, I didn’t think much of it. Then he said, “Male penguins bring stones to their mates as a sign of building a home together. It’s my turn to give you a stone.” I had no idea it was coming. I think the only thing I managed to say was, “You’re joking.”

My engagement ring is a classic emerald-cut diamond with a diamond band, hidden halo and diamond bridge. I’d always wanted to include Afghan emeralds since our trip to Afghanistan, so we incorporated them into my wedding band. Finding and exporting the stones took months, but our jeweller finally sourced a small batch of baguette-cut emeralds, which felt serendipitous given Jérôme’s French heritage. His ring is a simple custom gold band, minimal and timeless.

The Venue

We began our Parisian wedding weekend at Château Bouffémont, a pastel-coloured castle outside Paris. With guests arriving from over twenty countries, we wanted it to feel like an experience, not just a day. We hosted a “Brunch & Bubbles” welcome party with a crêpe station, caviar and champagne bar, and live jazz. My parents led a Ukrainian tradition with a Korovai wedding bread placed on a hand-embroidered Rushnyk cloth. We broke off pieces to feed each other, then stepped onto the Rushnyk together to symbolise our shared path ahead, ending with a burst of daytime fireworks.

The main event took place at Shangri-La Paris. I had once visited and taken a photo of the Grand Salon, never imagining I would one day say my vows there. We held the ceremony in the Grand Salon, cocktails and cake cutting on the Eiffel Tower Terrace, and dinner in the Salon Bonaparte. That morning I had coffee overlooking the Eiffel Tower and that night I watched it sparkle before bed. I have travelled to over 70 countries, yet Paris still manages to take my breath away.

Fashion

Years before we got together, I had pinned a photo of a wedding gown on Pinterest. It turned out to be by Anna Sposa, a Ukrainian brand. When I found out, it felt meant to be. The gown was handcrafted in Ukraine and took several months to complete. It was dramatic, elegant, and exactly what I had imagined.

For the welcome event, I wore Oksana Mukha, another Ukrainian designer, and later changed into a structured off-shoulder gown by Luce Sposa. Wearing three Ukrainian designers was my way of honouring my heritage. Jérôme wore a custom-tailored black tuxedo for the ceremony and a soft beige suit for the welcome party. His cufflinks were engraved with the coordinates of the Antarctic glacier where he proposed.

Jewellery

All my jewellery was by Natkina, a woman-owned Ukrainian brand known for elegant diamond pieces. I didn’t have an official bridal party, but my friends wore Oscar de la Renta, vintage Celine and Dior. My mother-in-law wore a handmade silk kimono, and I gifted my parents a stay at the Shangri-La.

Tablescape

We wanted the day to feel timeless but personal, so we infused aviation details throughout. Cocktail hour took place aboard “Jelona Airlines,” a concept we created with Revart Entertainment. Ballerinas dressed as cabin crew guided guests while a custom airline trolley served champagne. Tables were named after cities, and luggage tags doubled as place cards and favours. Each table also had miniature airplane bottle openers. Once dinner began, the atmosphere shifted from elegant to electric. Guests were on the dance floor from the first course, which is very much in line with Ukrainian celebrations.

Food and Drink

Food was one of the reasons we chose the Shangri-La. We are both food lovers and wanted a true fine dining experience. The menu included flambeed yellowtail sashimi, pan-seared rib-eye and tuna tataki, each dish beautifully plated. We served Château Ducru Beaucaillou 1993, the vintage from the year we were both born, saved by Jérôme’s parents for this moment.

Entertainment

Our first dance was to “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, a perfect nod to our shared love of travel. The evening playlist moved from classical and jazz to afrobeats, hip hop and international favourites from Japan, the Middle East and Ukraine. It felt like the world on one dance floor.

Beauty and Wellness

In the months before the wedding, I focused on fitness, skincare and recovery. I worked out five times a week and followed a high-protein diet. I also went to Korea for skincare treatments including PRF facials, microneedling and Ulthera. At home I used hydrating masks several times a week and Epsom salt baths to unwind. It was less about achieving perfection and more about feeling strong and confident.

The Honeymoon

Since we travel full-time, life already feels like a honeymoon. After our civil ceremony we went to Bhutan, and after the wedding we took our friends to the Serengeti and then Uganda for gorilla trekking. We called it a “homiemoon,” and it turned out to be one of the best decisions we ever made.

Advice

If you can, hire a wedding planner. It was the best investment we made.
Promise yourself to let go of control. Guests won’t notice if something doesn’t go exactly to plan, and the joy you feel will set the tone for everyone.
Finally, start hair and makeup early. It sounds small, but it can make all the difference in how relaxed you feel.