By late afternoon on October 10, 2025, The Breakers had settled into a quiet glow as guests arrived for what appeared to be a classic, intimate ceremony. Sarah Rollins Gonzalez and Richard Gonzalez were married in front of 130 of their closest friends and family in a moment that felt calm, focused, and deeply personal. Nothing about the room hinted at what was coming later that night, when a surprise set from DJ Steve Aoki would turn the ballroom into something closer to a concert than a reception.
As the evening unfolded, the tone began to shift. Music grew louder. The pace picked up. Under chandeliers and sweeping floral installations, the celebration slowly gained momentum, building toward a late-night moment that would transform the room entirely.
“I couldn’t commit to one theme,” Sarah says. “Because one theme couldn’t hold both sides of who we are.”
Rather than choosing between intimacy and spectacle, Sarah and Richard designed a wedding that made room for both, honoring the seriousness of the commitment they were making and the joy of celebrating it fully and unapologetically.
The Ceremony: A Sacred Pause
The ceremony itself was deliberately quiet. Designed in soft creams, ivories, and golds, the space felt warm and composed, elegant without excess. Light reflected gently off polished surfaces, florals softened the room, and eight black-tie violinists, elevated on suede-covered pedestals, filled the space with music that wrapped around the guests rather than competing with the moment. Nothing about the setting suggested that the same room would later host a very different kind of energy.
“There was an almost spiritual calm Sarah and Richard wanted people to feel,” says Justin Scalzo of YSD Events, who led planning and production for the weekend. “Each moment, from the welcome dinner through the reception, was designed to feel distinct, but connected through texture, light, and restraint.”
For Sarah, that inward focus mattered. “When you’re in love, you want to celebrate it,” she says. “But you also want to protect it. This part of the day was about keeping it sacred.”
That intention carried through to what they wore. After trying lighter silhouettes, Sarah chose a custom Elie Saab gown that felt architectural and grounded, matching the weight of the vows. “It felt like the Rolls-Royce of wedding gowns,” she says. “Heavy in the best way.” The night before, she wore a celebratory look by Carlos Mannings of Mannings Atelier for the welcome dinner.
Richard complemented her in a classic Tom Ford tuxedo, understated and precise. Together, they stood at the center of a ceremony that felt less like a performance and more like a promise, shared quietly with the people who knew them best.
Hair and makeup by Ariel Diaz and Amanda Maxwell emphasized softness and natural polish, while Birch Event Design layered both the ceremony and reception spaces with florals and finishes that transition seamlessly later in the evening, from refined to fully energized.
Intimacy As Luxury
Though the couple briefly considered a destination wedding, they ultimately chose Palm Beach so nearly everyone they loved could be present. With 130 guests and an attendance rate close to 98 percent, the celebration felt personal rather than sprawling.
“That intimacy changed everything,” Richard says. “It let us design the experience around the people, not just the production.”
The smaller scale also created room for customization, allowing The Breakers’ culinary and event teams to deliver highly personalized food, service, and entertainment moments that would have been impossible at a larger wedding.
The Shift: When The Night Awakens
As daylight faded and guests moved into the reception, the change in energy was subtle at first. The room didn’t flip all at once. It built gradually, as if warming up for something bigger.
Inspired by Miami at dusk, that moment when the sun disappears and the city lights come alive, the ballroom glowed beneath cloud-like florals and oversized crystal chandeliers woven into the blooms. The space felt looser, lighter, and charged with anticipation.
“What we wanted,” Sarah says, “was that feeling of falling in love. The excitement, the build, the heartbeat.”
Dinner unfolded like a slow rise. Music deepened as the night progressed, setting the rhythm for what was coming next. Saxophonist Al Sax, flown in from St. Barths and inspired by the couple’s favorite nights at Nikki Beach, moved through the room, climbing onto custom-built tables designed not just for performance, but for interaction.
“One of the most unique elements,” Justin notes, “was building tables with fully supported walkways. It allowed performers, and eventually guests, to step into the experience.”
Entertainment was curated by Elan Artists, with each musical moment layered intentionally toward a late-night peak.
Fashion As Transformation
For the reception, Sarah and Richard changed into custom Chrome Hearts, an unexpected choice that felt deeply personal rather than performative. The idea began months earlier in St. Barths, when Sarah discovered a rare pearl-and-diamond Chrome Hearts necklace, one of only two in existence. A conversation with founders Richard Stark and Laurie Lynn Stark followed, leading to something unprecedented: the first documented Chrome Hearts wedding gown, paired with a custom tuxedo for Richard.
“Someone told us they’re not really a brand, they’re a family,” Sarah says. “A husband and wife creating together. That mattered to us.”
Sarah’s corseted gown, finished with a train built for movement, stayed on for six uninterrupted hours on the dance floor. Richard’s look leaned into what Sarah calls his “glamorous bad-boy side,” a contrast few guests had seen before.
“The ceremony was about our love story,” Richard says. “The reception was about celebrating it.”
The Reveal
The night’s turning point arrived under the cover of tradition. As the couple moved toward the cake, the room went quiet. Guests were asked to turn away. There was a pause, just long enough to feel anticipation build.
Then the drapes opened. LED walls rose, the lighting shifted to concert scale, and DJ Steve Aoki stepped into the room, instantly resetting the energy. In seconds, the wedding became a full-blown dance party.
“That was the moment,” Justin says. “The release. Everything finally let loose.”
What Remains
As the night wound down, it wasn’t just the scale of the celebration that lingered, but how it felt to be there.
“Our hope,” Sarah says, “was that people left feeling a little more in love themselves.”
Planned in two distinct movements, one quiet and sacred, the other loud and electric, Sarah and Richard’s wedding reflected the full range of who they are. Not just a celebration to remember, but an experience designed to stay with people long after the music faded.
