Real Weddings

A Jewish and Caribbean Fusion Wedding with Stilt Performers and a Chuppah

From a college concert to Sowa Power Station, Hope Cooper and Robert Celado intertwined their multicultural traditions in a joyful Boston union.

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A bride and groom walking arm in arm outdoors in front of a red building with a yellow awning that reads "BARKING CRAB." The bride is wearing a strapless white wedding dress and holding a bouquet of white flowers, while the groom is dressed in a black tuxedo with a bow tie. The building's wall is decorated with colorful fishing buoys. Two blue and yellow painted barriers are visible on either side of the couple.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

It was a college concert Connecticut with a group of mutual friends that made the stars align for Hope Cooper and Robert Celado. “We didn’t really separate after that,” Hope says. The couple, who are both from the area, dated for seven years before Robert popped the question after a run through Central Park. The ring? A beautiful 3-carat, round-cut diamond that had been Hope’s mother’s. An intimate celebration over sushi with the bride’s family, who were all there with the couple for a weekend family vacation, followed. Hope and Robert called upon event planner and designer Nicole Guilmartin to bring a simple yet elegant affair at Sowa Power Station to life. The two-year engagement ended with a celebration for the century on May 10, 2025, when Hope and Robert said “I do” under a chuppah adorned in fresh hydrangea, two varieties of roses, spray roses, stock, anemones, lisianthus, ranunculus, and a touch of baby’s breath. “Every moment was just better than the previous moment,” Hope says.

Pink velvet sofa and armchair arranged around a glass coffee table with lit candles and small flower vases, set in an elegant event space with round tables and chairs in the background.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

The Details

THE VENUE

As Boston residents who love the city, the couple holding their wedding here was a no-brainer. At first choosing a different venue, a last-minute change led them to Sowa Power Station. “It’s so Boston, and it’s very industrial. You can also turn it into whatever you want, and do whatever you want with the space, and make people feel how you want. That seemed very us,” the bride says.

A black plate holds several small cylindrical appetizers with an orange outer layer and a creamy topping with herbs. The plate is also decorated with white and pale yellow roses.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

THE FOOD

Self-described as “foodies,” having delicious hors d’oeuvres and dinner options was top of mind. After the tasting—which the bride describes as one of her favorite parts of the wedding process—the couple opted for a family-style menu from Max Ultimate Foods, featuring a little gem salad and burrata to start followed by chicken cotoletta, campanelle with cauliflower Bolognese, grilled salmon, and charred broccolini.

Close-up of a bouquet featuring white anemone flowers with dark purple-black centers, surrounded by creamy white roses and ranunculus blooms. The petals are soft and delicate, creating a fresh and elegant floral arrangement.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

A formal table setting with a black plate holding a folded white napkin and a menu card. The table is decorated with white and pale pink flowers in glass vases, tall glass candle holders with lit candles, and a black table number card displaying "15." Silverware is neatly arranged on either side of the plate, and there are two clear glasses to the right. The tablecloth is white with a subtle texture.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

THE FLOWERS

“Sydney is absolutely unreal,” Hope says of floral designer Sydney Smith. “She’s a very cool person, and what she does with the flowers is unbelievable.” From the chuppah to the centerpieces, Smith played with different textures, heights, and blossoms to evoke an elegant yet romantically whimsical aesthetic to the space.

A group of ten people standing outdoors on a brick-paved area near a waterfront with city buildings in the background. The central person is wearing a white strapless gown and holding a bouquet of white flowers. The others are dressed in black formal attire, mostly long dresses, and also holding white flower bouquets. The setting appears to be a wedding or formal event.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

THE DRESS

The bride looked to her two aunts for help in finding the perfect dress. A recommendation to look at designer Danielle Frankel’s gowns led her mom to discover a beautiful handcrinkled silk strapless gown with soft ripples of texture.

A woman with long, wavy brown hair is seen from behind as she looks into a mirror, adjusting an earring. She is wearing a strapless white top and gold bracelets on her wrist. The background is minimal and light-colored.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

THE JEWELRY

Hope wore a gorgeous diamond bracelet that belonged to her grandmother, who was able to attend the wedding. “She was very much into high fashion herself, so she had some really cool things to pick from,” Hope adds. Her diamond stud earrings served as an unplanned “something
borrowed” from her high school friend Devon.

Two performers on tall stilts dressed in elaborate white costumes with ruffles and shiny silver accents entertain a crowd at an indoor event. One performer wears a straw hat with colorful decorations, while the other has a fluffy belt-like accessory. People around them are dressed in formal attire, with one woman in a white dress and a white hat raising her arms toward the performers. The atmosphere is lively with warm lighting and a large audience in the background.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

THE PARTY

The bride’s Jewish background, combined with the groom’s Dominican and Puerto Rican roots, led to two versions of the “hora” during the celebrations. First, the traditional Jewish Hora took place set to a live performance by Latin bilingual band Heyday, followed by the Hora Loca (the “Crazy Hour”), a vibrant Caribbean tradition with Carnival-like colors and sounds. DJ Rich DiMare took over at this point, while Moko Jumbies joined the party on 18-foot stilts, along with samba dancers, basslines, conga lines, and more.

THE AFTER-PARTY

Guests headed to the third floor of the venue to continue the party with more dancing, milkshakes, and chicken fingers. Hope adds, “People were there until 1:30 a.m.”

A couple wearing white cowboy hats is cutting a tall, white, textured wedding cake on a clear glass cake stand. The woman is in a white dress, and the man is in a white shirt with black suspenders and a bow tie. There are pink flowers on a table nearby.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

THE CAKE

A chocolate cake was an absolute must for Hope. Made by Cake Monstah, a tart raspberry and sweet-chocolate-buttercream filling was added to the inside, while the exterior was decorated in simple and elegant layers, similar to the flowers that surrounded it.

Wedding invitation set with a main card featuring the names Hope Cooper and Robert Celado, the date Saturday, May 10, 2025, and the venue Sowa Power Station in Boston, Massachusetts. The invitation is accompanied by an RSVP card with a website link and QR code, all tied together with a black sheer ribbon on a dark wooden surface.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

The File

Cake Cake Monstah
Caterer Max Ultimate Food
Entertainment Harrington Events with Heyday Band
Flowers Sydney Smith
Invites, Print and Signage A7 Creative/Maura O’Brien
Lighting/Draping Frost Productions
Linens Nuage Designs
Phone Fêtefone
Photobooth Level Up Your Selfie
Photographer Jill Person Photography
Planner & Designer Nicole Guilmartin Events
Rentals Kadeema; Dez Collective; Peak Event Services
Venue SOWA Power Station

Folded white place card with black text reading "ROBERT CELADO & HOPE COOPER" and a smaller pink card inserted at the top with "TABLE 1" printed in black, set on a dark surface with similar place cards blurred in the background.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

Two rings placed on a white surface: one is a thin silver band with small diamonds embedded along the top, and the other is a thicker, plain black band with a matte finish.

Photo by Jill Person Photography

First published in the print issue of Boston Weddings 2026, with the headline, “A Fusion of Love.”

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