Alexandra Richards’s Elegant Bohemian Wedding Included a Post-Ceremony Argentinian Cookout
Model and DJ Alexandra Richards and film director Jacques Naudé met at a baby gender reveal party. “It’s a long story, and the rest is history,” Alexandra jokes. Two years of dating later, and Jacques proposed in Turks and Caicos. “I got to share the love with my family, whom we were with, and then we flew to South Africa to surprise his family with the news,” she continues. “There was so much love in the air, really an indescribable feeling.”
After the proposal, they started planning their wedding for the fall, enlisting Billy Evers Creative to help with every aspect of the process. “We wanted it to be down-to-earth, so we chose to have the ceremony at my parents’ home, in the backyard,” Alexandra says. “I would have loved to have gotten married on the beach, barefoot, with some tropical drink in my hand, but something inside me was calling for my roots.”
Alexandra and Jacques live in New York City, but spend almost every weekend at her family’s home in Connecticut. “We cook, make fires, create, play games, dance, and read,” she says. “It’s pretty relaxing and always fun. I grew up there as well, and…it was kind of a win that it’s so close for planning purposes too.” Jacques’s family is a good bit farther away, in Cape Town. “Having them come over to New York and Connecticut was an absolute treat for us,” Alexandra adds.
Just down the street from the Richards’ property is the Lachat Town Farm, which was quickly identified as the place to hold the reception. “Jacques and I love the outdoors and nature, so that’s where the inspiration came from,” Alexandra says. “It’s a beautiful community garden, and this was the first wedding they’ve hosted there. Our celebrating on the farm was also a beautiful way for us to bring some attention to what they have created for the community.”
The dress code for the entire affair was bohemian chic, with a sprinkle of 1920s flair. “We wanted a fun theme for our guests!” Alexandra says. Some women wore long lace dresses with beads dangling and tassels flowing in the wind, while a few men sported newsboy caps or fedora hats.
As for the bride? “I’m a tomboy at heart, but I can’t say I never thought about what I wanted to look like on my wedding day,” Alexandra admits. “Because I didn’t have the dream dress all figured out in my head, it took a couple of tries. I went to so many places. Some were a flop and some were way too belle-of-the-ball-like for an outdoor wedding.”
Alexandra and Jacques had a short engagement, so the challenge was not only finding a dress she loved, but one that could be made in time. “Luckily, my dad helped point me in the right direction with lace,” she remembers. Every time she showed him the wedding dress options, it was the lace ones he loved—so she knew she was looking for something in that category. “God bless my sister, my mum, and our friend Kyle for joining every fitting with a smile,” Alexandra says. “There are a lot of factors that go into picking out a dress—you really have to think about it. Can I sit? Can I move my arms? Should I do an outfit change? Will my fiancé love it? And more. But it figured itself out.”
She found the answer at the Monique Lhuillier shop on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. “Once I put my dress on, I just knew it was the one,” Alexandra says. “It fit my personality perfectly. I love how bohemian it felt.” For her, the dress said it all, so there was no need to add jewelry—the only piece she wore on her wedding day was her engagement ring, made by her friend Aurora Lopez.
