Naples Couple Weds in Elegant Palm Beach Fashion

The Breakers Palm Beach provided a stately backdrop for the nuptials of Neapolitans Charlotte Cook and Connor Maloney

The Breakers Palm Beach sets a stately backdrop for the nuptials of Neapolitans Charlotte Cook and Connor Maloney. Photo by KT Merry
The Breakers Palm Beach sets a stately backdrop for the nuptials of Neapolitans Charlotte Cook and Connor Maloney. Photo by KT Merry

At their November 2024 ceremonial nuptials, Charlotte Cook and Connor Maloney stuck with tradition. The bride wore a long-sleeve, white-lace gown; the groom donned a black suit with a white shirt and matching bow tie. The classic combo set the tone for an elegant theme.

To inject liveliness into the festivities hosted in tropical South Florida, Charlotte sought help from her favorite color: pink. The rosy hue emerged as a recurring—albeit subtle—theme over the two-day affair. For the welcome soiree the night before the nuptials, there were pink flamingos—both floral and real (an ode to Charlotte’s love of animals). Connor sported a pink-linen sport coat, as well as pink buttons on his white shirt. On the day of the wedding, a vintage Ford Thunderbird convertible in pink was utilized for fun and photos. And, Charlotte even snuck in a bit of pink on the lining of her father’s suit jacket.

The evening ahead of the wedding, Charlotte, Connor, and family and friends enjoyed a colorful soiree. Photo by KT Merry
The evening ahead of the wedding, Charlotte, Connor, and family and friends enjoyed a colorful soiree. Photo by KT Merry

Charlotte’s vision of hosting a refined and glamorous gathering was realized at The Breakers Palm Beach, an iconic hotel situated along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. However, this wasn’t where she first imagined her wedding taking place. Charlotte and her parents, Todd and Laura Cook, were new Naples’ residents, as well as members of the Port Royal Club. One day, Charlotte witnessed a beautiful wedding here while visiting. “It was magical,” she recalls. She envisioned having her own wedding on the same beach, but Hurricane Ian blew those plans away.

Charlotte and Connor became engaged in 2023. The pair both grew up in Rochester, New York. Although their families were friends, the two did not interact much, as Connor attended an all-boys school and Charlotte an all-girls one. They would see each other while watching their brothers on the basketball court. “I was friends with his sister,” says Charlotte. “We were tortured by our families to date,” she recalls.

When it is meant to be, it happens. As it turns out, both Charlotte and Connor attended business school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where they became the best of friends. In 2019, both graduated from the esteemed institution. Charlotte moved back to Rochester to work in the family business, while Connor moved to Boston to work in equity research. They began dating during the summer of 2020 when Connor was in Rochester working remotely. Charlotte’s mom claims she knew all along the two would be a couple—one day.

The couple married in a nearby Catholic church. Photo by KT Merry
The couple married in a nearby Catholic church. Photo by KT Merry

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Charlotte and her family started looking at states that were, in her words, more “business-friendly,” hoping to relocate both their business and residences. Florida was at the top of the list. The Cooks explored areas on both coasts and fell in love with Naples. “There is a calmness to it,” says Charlotte. Her parents purchased a home in Naples; Charlotte did, too. Connor joined the family business in 2024. The couple now regularly travel back and forth between Naples and Rochester for business dealings.

Connor and Charlotte. Photo by KT Merry
Connor and Charlotte. Photo by KT Merry

When it came time to plan her wedding, Charlotte and her mom started looking at site options in Naples. Not realizing the town was such a popular wedding destination, especially during the winter months, few venues were available. They expanded their search to the east coast and visited The Breakers Palm Beach. They decided the location was a perfectly paradisical venue and found a suitable date available in mid-November. To help organize and decorate for the “night-before-forever party,” a hotel ceremony (there was also one held off-site at a nearby Catholic church for close family), cocktails in the courtyard, and an evening reception, Charlotte worked with one of the hotel’s sanctioned wedding planners.

Charlotte considers herself an extremely decisive person. Once she knew the details for each festivity were being tended to, she and her mom set their intentions to a matter of great importance: the dress. They planned a shopping trip in New York City, making appointments at numerous bridal dress purveyors. It was their first stop—the Vera Wang bridal shop—where Charlotte found exactly what she was looking for: a shiny long-sleeve mini dress for the welcome reception and a long, fitted white gown, overlaid in lace, for the big day. She canceled all other appointments. She and her mom then visited Bergdorf Goodman to select all appropriate accoutrements. It took them a mere 48 hours to secure the wedding wardrobes.

The elegant affair went off without a hitch. Highlights included a sumptuous feast of gluten-free food; a sea of white hydrangeas at the hotel nuptials; a great band, Aragon Artists, at the evening party, interrupted by a guest guitarist (Charlotte herself); the appearance of a difficult-to-come-by vintage pink convertible; and a lively group of attendants (the bridesmaids wore sage green satin dresses). “I wanted a neutral color that would look nice against the tans and warm tones of The Breakers,” explains Charlotte.

The couple shares their first dance. Photo by KT Merry
The couple shares their first dance. Photo by KT Merry

Charlotte was especially thankful for her mother, whom she says was “amazing and selfless throughout the process.” Connor was a very supportive groom, who “embraced my vision for his outfits and the decor,” she adds. After the festivities, he was ready to keep celebrating, but Charlotte says she was “absolutely exhausted.”

Guests hit the dance floor. Photo by KT Merry
Guests hit the dance floor. Photo by KT Merry

The guests, who came from all directions, were especially complimentary of the affair. Robert Hershenhorn and daughter Sarah, friends from Naples, spent three days in Palm Beach. Says Hershenhorn, “It was a fabulous party where a combination of people came together because of one thing they had in common: an attachment and love for an incredible family.” 

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