Outside a pub in their hometown of Birmingham, Michigan, Alexandra Elizabeth Fretter and Evan Frederick Mirbach first met during the holidays in 2012, though neither could have predicted the winding path that would eventually bring them together. “I was home for the holidays – living in Chicago at the time), and Evan was standing outside as I left the bar,” she remembers. “He told me I was beautiful and asked for my number!” The next day, he stopped by her family’s home on Christmas Eve to share an Irish coffee with Alexandra and her family. Timing, however, wasn’t on their side. “Unfortunately, I was back to Chicago the day afterward, and we were never able to cross paths again until 2020 – though he tried!”

Eight years later, fate intervened. While Alexandra was home again for her sister’s bridal shower, Evan asked her on their first official date. Despite the pandemic-era circumstances, the evening was unforgettable. “We had an amazing time despite having to mask up on our ‘Covid date!’” she shares. With Alexandra already planning to move back to Michigan after more than a decade in Chicago, the timing felt serendipitous. “We knew there must have been something special about meeting outside Dick ‘o Dows Pub eight years prior that we were meant to find each other again!”

In March 2024, Evan orchestrated a proposal at their home that completely surprised his bride-to-be. “I was expecting to go out to a fun dinner with friends,” Alexandra explains. Instead, when she came downstairs ready for the evening, she was greeted with champagne, flowers, and a heartfelt proposal. Afterward, the couple enjoyed a quiet celebratory dinner before returning home to yet another surprise. “When we returned home, a surprise party had gathered in our house, full of family and friends to celebrate our engagement!” she says. “I am not an easy person to surprise, but he definitely pulled it off because I had no clue!”

The couple chose to wed on Valentine’s Day Weekend in Palm Beach, Florida – a destination deeply meaningful to Alexandra. “Florida has been a second home to me since I was born,” she shares. “I grew up spending holidays and vacations at my family homes in Old Naples and Delray Beach, so it was only natural that when Evan and I started dating, we began making memories in Florida as well.”

With many special date nights spent in Palm Beach, the pair felt there was no better place to begin their next chapter than the iconic pink landmark they adored. “We decided the perfect way to embark on this new journey would be to celebrate our nuptials in that old nostalgic Florida fashion! And nothing seemed more perfect than to celebrate our love over Valentine’s weekend at the ‘Pink Paradise’ – The Colony Hotel!”

“Nothing seemed more perfect than to celebrate our love over Valentine’s weekend at the ‘Pink Paradise’ – The Colony Hotel!”

Drawing inspiration from the property’s famous de Gournay wallpaper, the couple infused the weekend with whimsical nods to the playful motifs of the hotel, including flamingos, cougars, and the beloved monkey mascot, Johnny Brown. Festivities began on Valentine’s Day with a lively welcome party on the pool lawn, where guests entered through a floral archway and sipped a signature Grasshopper cocktail while enjoying passed bites, including the hotel restaurant’s famous coconut cake. The evening concluded with a surprise synchronized swimming performance, delighting guests and perfectly capturing the vintage Palm Beach spirit.

The following day, 120 loved ones gathered for the ceremony at The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, the oldest Episcopal church in South Florida. “It was very important to us that we have a traditional ceremony, including a full mass and communion, where we exchanged vows and promises of lifelong commitment directly before God,” Alexandra says. The bride incorporated meaningful heirlooms into her ensemble, including a rosary blessed by the Pope wrapped around her bouquet and an heirloom beaded purse carried by her grandmother – who lived to be 100 – and later by her sister on her own wedding day.

Following the ceremony, guests returned to The Colony Hotel for a cocktail hour filled with unexpected delights. Live flamingos greeted guests, while a grand ice sculpture featuring carved cougars presided over the raw bar beneath a canopy of florals and sparkling chandeliers. In keeping with the hotel theme, guests were “checked in” to the reception with vintage room keys presented by a bellhop and a small monkey named Toby.

Inside the Coral Ballroom, the reception design reflected the couple’s vision of classic Palm Beach elegance. Soft pinks, whites, and greens filled the space with lush floral arrangements of hydrangeas, roses, peonies, and sweet peas, while towering displays lined long tables beside the dance floor – highlighting a custom green checkerboard pattern incorporating the toile motif from the couple’s invitations.

Throughout the evening and the entire celebration, heartfelt toasts proved to be among the most memorable moments of the wedding weekend. At the welcome dinner, the groom’s father quoted Frank Sinatra, declaring, “‘The best is yet to come,’ saying ‘well, it’s here!’” Meanwhile, the bride’s father offered a touching welcome that moved his daughter to tears, and the best men and maid of honor balanced humor and heartfelt memories that had the entire room laughing.

Filled with the love that surrounded the ballroom, the celebration continued late into the night with dancing, mini espresso martinis, and French fries served in paper cones for a welcome late-night snack. Looking back, Alexandra wouldn’t change a thing. “There is truthfully nothing I would do differently. The weekend was perfectly authentic,” she smiles.

Her advice for couples? “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” she says. “When it came to the day of our wedding, I was so happy in the moment, celebrating with my new husband and being surrounded by my family and friends, that I didn’t even notice what napkin we chose or what glassware we ended up with.”