A Complete Experience Designed to Take Wedding Guests on a Journey Reflecting the Couple's Story

 

(A Bride Celebrates Her Ukrainian Roots)

Jerome and Ilona: A Love Story That Took 20 Countries and Ended in a Cinematic Wedding

In a scene that blended classic Parisian elegance with a spirit of transcontinental adventure, Jerome and Ilona celebrated an exceptional wedding entitled "Jilona Airlines," a nod to their shared passion for travel. It wasn't just a romantic occasion, but a complete experience designed to take guests on a journey reflecting the couple's story and Ilona's Ukrainian roots through three wedding looks created by designers from her homeland.

The story began in Paris in 2018, when Ilona was in a stopover after a trip to Mongolia, searching for a partner to share her passion for exploration and creativity. At that time, Jerome was working with Paris Saint-Germain while also pursuing his passion for photography. A mutual friend arranged their first meeting, but little did they know that the city where they first met would later become a cornerstone of their journey together.

Months later, Jérôme moved to New York, where they reconnected within the same circle of photographers and creatives. A strong friendship blossomed, evolving into a constant travel companionship. They visited more than twenty countries, including Afghanistan, where they contributed to a project to build a school and library—an experience that deepened their human connection even before their romantic one.

The major turning point in their relationship came five years later, during a trip to Uzbekistan. A spontaneous moment in a car on a long road, when Ilona woke up to find Jérôme shielding her face from the sun with his hands, changed the course of their relationship. After returning to New York, she moved in with him, before he surprised her with a marriage proposal in Antarctica, at the White Desert Camp, one of the most isolated places on Earth—a far cry from the typical Parisian proposal.

A Bride Celebrates Her Ukrainian Roots

The celebrations kicked off at Château Beauvais-sur-Mer near Paris in a dreamy atmosphere, complete with a lavish brunch and jazz music, attended by guests from over twenty countries. The bride and groom began the ceremony with a traditional Ukrainian ritual, "Korovay," the wedding bread symbolizing unity and prosperity, before standing together on a "Roshnik," the embroidered fabric representing the path of their shared life.

         

The main reception was hosted by the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris, where the ceremony took place in the Grand Salon, followed by a cocktail reception and cake cutting on a terrace overlooking the Eiffel Tower, and then a sumptuous dinner in the Bonaparte Salon. The moments spent sipping coffee in front of the tower in the morning and watching its lights at night, according to the bride, are unforgettable experiences.                                                                                                                                                  

Ilona chose three looks that reflected her Ukrainian identity; On her wedding day, she wore a gown by Anna Sposa with a long veil and a dramatic design that took three to four months to create and weighed approximately ten kilograms. The dress could be transformed from a bodysuit-style gown to an off-the-shoulder dress for the cocktail party.

In the evening, she dazzled in a Lucie Sposa gown with a fitted waist, delicate lace, and off-the-shoulder neckline. For the welcome party, she chose a design by Oksana Muja with detachable puff sleeves and completed her look with jewelry by Natkina.

The spirit of travel was strongly present in the details of the celebration. Guests were welcomed on board aboard a Ziluna Airlines flight, with a theme that evoked the experience of flying. This included flight attendants in flight-inspired uniforms, a special drinks trolley, and tables named after cities the couple had visited. The dinner turned into a party that lasted until dawn after the cake was cut early, a deliberate break from tradition.   

      

Following the wedding, the newlyweds continued their journey to the Serengeti and then Uganda to see gorillas, in a practical confirmation that their life together is nothing but an open honeymoon, starting in Paris and not stopping at the borders of a map.