Valentine’s Day Special: They Said “I Do”… After Meeting at EDHEC!

At EDHEC, you come to learn, to challenge yourself, to build your future… and sometimes, you find love ❤️

For Valentine’s Day, Julie and Florian (EDHEC Master’s Class of 2021) agreed to take part in a slightly unusual exercise: answering the same questions… without ever comparing notes.

Having met on campus, now living in Switzerland, they said “I do” in July 2025! In this interview, they look back on how they met and share their favourite EDHEC memories.

What is your first memory of each other at EDHEC?

Julie: I have fewer memories from our first year, but when I (re)discovered Florian in our second year, he was my President within our student association, the Raid EDHEC. To be honest, I was far more impressed by his authority than “passionately in love” during our first interactions!

Florian: I remember meeting Julie for the first time during the integration seminar at the start of the 2017 academic year. Both keen sports enthusiasts, we were hoping to join the same student association (the Raid EDHEC), which we did a few months later 😊

Who made the first move… and how?

Julie: It all began with long conversations under the Raid bivouac, wrapped up in our respective sleeping bags. Shortly afterwards, Florian told me that one day, we would get married. At the time, our academic paths were so different that nothing could have predicted it. And yet, from that day on, we have never left each other’s side.

Florian: I must admit that I made the first move… and fortunately so! We were in the hinterland of Nice in 2019, in the middle of organising the Raid EDHEC — a multi-sport raid widely recognised in its discipline and our flagship event at the time.

I tried to send her a few subtle signals and discreetly share how I felt about her. Looking back, my heart was clearly right: those small signals allowed us to build the strong and close partnership we are lucky to share today. We have actually been married since last July — so just under a year now.

What does Julie/Florian probably not know about what you thought of him/her at the beginning?

Julie: Secretly, I felt that Florian shared my values. I admired his strength of character — and I still do today. When he sets his mind on something, he will do everything to make it happen, with rigour and a calm inner strength that is incredibly reassuring.

Florian: Although we were not particularly close at that point, I was genuinely sad to learn that Julie was joining the GETT track and would therefore be leaving the Lille campus.

What is your best memory from your EDHEC years?

Julie: We both agree that our years were exceptional. One of our most memorable shared experiences was our first months living together in Stockholm. Florian was there on exchange at the Stockholm School of Economics, and I joined him while following my US-based courses remotely due to Covid. It meant long evenings working side by side in our favourite cafés, runs through snow-covered streets and a memorable overnight train trip to Lapland.

Florian: There are so many that it is difficult to choose just one. More generally, I would say that the richness of the school’s student association life and all the moments shared through it are truly unique.

I also have wonderful memories of my exchange in Stockholm, Sweden, during my final year of the Master’s — a time when Julie, incidentally, was never very far away.

Today, what has EDHEC left in your relationship?

Julie: EDHEC is part of who we are and has given us a shared legacy. It is so special to be able to revisit those powerful memories together. The Raid EDHEC, in particular, shaped both of our identities. It gave us a deep love for the mountains and for sport. That is why we chose to settle in Geneva, and why last year we crossed the finish line of the Ironman in Les Sables d’Olonne together — just three weeks before saying “I do” for life!

Florian: Countless shared memories and experiences — sometimes difficult to explain to those who did not live them. Beyond that, I believe the school also enabled us to meet incredible people who are now among our closest friends. In short, EDHEC gave us far more than a degree: a network, shared values and, above all, a life together.