BELLA VIDA MAGAZINE Issue 6 Holiday Romance Edition

BELLA VIDA MAGAZINE

BELLAVIDA MAGAZINE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ERIN SCHMIDT

MANAGING EDITOR

DAVID HILL

PHOTOGRAPHERS

GETTY IMAGES

REEM WORKS

VIDEO REAL PRODUCTIONS INC.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

MICHAEL MARTIN

A Los Angeles native and daughter of nationally known civil rights advocate Areva Martin, Michael graduated Summa Cum Laude from Drexel University and earned a JD/MBA from Columbia University She works at her family’s law firm, Martin & Martin LLP, and is one of four attorneys in her immediate family.

AREVA MARTIN

Areva Martin is a nationally acclaimed civil rights attorney and advocate She is the CEO of Special Needs Network and a philanthropist and advocate for people with special needs. She is a contributor on CNN and hosts the three-time Telly award-winning Internet talk show The Special Report

ON THE COVER CREDITS

Ring: Peter Norman Jewelers, Brentwood

Florals: Avec Amour LA

Planner: Nicole Dohrman

Photography: Reem Works

Videography: Video Real Productions Inc.

Dress: Eduardo Lucero

Hair: Kenya Alexander

Makeup: Dee Dee Kelly

Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

The Promenade

FROM THE EDITOR

Happy Holidays to you all! It is one of the happiest, and most romantic, seasons of them all

In the spirit of joy, love, family and friendship the Holidays evokes, we chose to feature this issue about love and romance as well as gifting and fashion. Because while the Holidays are fun with gifting and celebrations, the true spirit of the season is love and joy.

In this issue, we feature the romantic story of Michael and Alex From meeting on Bumble to getting engaged looking over the sunset ocean in Laguna Niguel, their story will warm your heart and bring the romance of the season to your soul

As you celebrate this Holiday season, we hope our issue reminds you what it is truly all about; sharing love and gratitude for our friends, family and this beautiful life.

We wish you all joy this season and a truly beautiful life in 2026!

Blessings,

Erin Schmidt, Editor in Chief

“As you celebrate this Holiday season, we hope our issue reminds you what the Holidays are truly all about; sharing love and gratitude for our friends, family and this beautiful life.”

-Erin Schmidt

THE SEASON FOR Forever

Erin Schmidt with contributing writers

Areva Martin and Michael Martin

In the Season of perpetual joy, love is in the air this Holiday. Whether you are thinking of getting engaged or rekindling your marriage flame, this is a beautiful time to bring out the romantic in you. Our story of love and a beautiful engagement story of Michael and Alex.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR THIS HOLIDAY

Michael Martin & Alex Jean-Baptiste’s Pacific Coast Engagement and the Art of Celebration

The holiday season has a way of heightening emotion softening edges, amplifying intention, and reminding us that love is both a feeling and a choice For accomplished attorneys Michael Martin and Alex Jean-Baptiste, that sentiment came to life in a romance that began with a modern spark and unfolded into a weeklong celebration rooted in legacy, creativity, and family A Modern Beginning, Built With Intention

Michael and Alex met in 2024 on Bumble, their first date set against a rainy New York City evening. What was meant to be a simple sushi dinner stretched into hours of conversation, laughter, and an unmistakable sense of connection. With Michael based in Los Angeles and Alex in New York, the relationship grew deliberately across time zones, through shared holidays, constant travel, and a mutual decision to choose one another.

Both bring extraordinary journeys to their partnership. Michael, a Los Angeles native, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Drexel University and earned a JD/MBA from Columbia University. She practices law at her family firm, Martin & Martin LLP, and serves as Vice Chair of Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors, Inc., helping secure a historic $27 million reparations settlement. Alex immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti at age twelve without speaking English, later becoming the first in his family to graduate high school, college, and law school. Today, he is a Senior Managing Attorney and Global Head of Compliance at a Fortune 500 investment firm, while volunteering at immigration clinics serving vulnerable communities

Their shared dedication to service also includes long-standing involvement with Special Needs Network a cause close to both of them, as their youngest siblings are on the autism spectrum

continued pg 12

A Pacific Sunset Surprise

On November 30, 2025, Alex transformed a quiet coastal moment into an unforgettable memory. At The RitzCarlton, Laguna Niguel, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, he surprised Michael with a sunset proposal on the Promenade. The cliffside setting glowed with a 20-foot aisle of yellow roses, a sweeping rose arch laid along the ground, and more than 100 candles flickering in the ocean breeze. Michael wore a blush lace couture cocktail dress by Eduardo Lucero, paired with soft, romantic glam by Kenya Alexander (hair) and Dee Dee Kelly (makeup). The proposal was meticulously planned by Nicole Dohrman, with florals by Avec Amour LA, photography by Reem Works, and videography by Video Real Productions Inc.

The ring a custom 6.5-carat platinum design with three pear-shaped diamonds by Peter Norman Jewelers in Brentwood carried deep personal meaning. Inspired by Michael’s mother’s engagement ring, it symbolized not only love, but lineage.

Where Love Meets Legacy

What began as a single proposal soon evolved into something far more expansive Both Michael and Alex represent powerful legacies in the legal world Michael as a second-generation civil rights attorney, and Alex as a firstgeneration Haitian immigrant attorney practicing in investment management Michael’s family legacy is especially storied. Her parents, Ernest and Areva Martin, are both attorneys, as is her sister, Morgan Martin. Together with their mother award-winning civil rights attorney, media personality, and talk show host Areva Martin Michael and Morgan are widely known as The Law Chicks, influential voices at the intersection of law, culture, and social commentary. With this engagement, Alex steps into a multigenerational legal lineage grounded in advocacy and purpose

continued pg 14

Later that week, Michael and Alex unveiled Club Martiste, a three-day engagement celebration named for a lyrical fusion of their last names and conceived as an immersive experience rather than a single event Drawing friends and family from across the globe from Korea and Canada to cities throughout the United States the celebration reached its crescendo on December 5, 2025, with the Noir & Blanc Masquerade Soirée in Los Angeles’ Arts District. Guests arrived dressed in black and white, unaware they were stepping into the official engagement reveal, as Michael and Alex alone in color became the evening’s unmistakable focal point. The night unfolded with editorial flair: moody cigar lounge, signature cocktails, and a high-fashion photo moment, culminating in a surprise proposal film, engagement images from Laguna Niguel, and an intimate serenade by Alex that grounded the glamour in genuine emotion.

Club Martiste concluded with a warm Yuletide gathering at the Martin family home, where generations came together to honor tradition and formally welcome Alex into the family What began as a sunset proposal overlooking the Pacific evolved into a celebration of love, creativity, and belonging perfectly timed for the holiday season, when hearts soften and connection feels more sacred In a world that moves quickly, Michael and Alex’s story reminds us that the holidays invite us to pause, draw closer to the ones we love, and believe again in romance that lasts beyond the season and becomes timeless.

Credits:

Photography: Reem Works

Ring: Peter Norman Jewelers, Brentwood

Florals: Avec Amour

LA Planner: Nicole Dohrman

Dress: Eduardo Lucero

Hair: Kenya Alexander

Makeup: Dee Dee Kelly

Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel The Promenade

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