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A grand yet intimate wedding at the Ritz Paris

We always say that an intimate wedding can be every bit as grand as a wedding with many guests, and Hannah and Christopher certainly treated their guests to a grand yet intimate wedding at the Ritz Paris.

We loved planning this wedding weekend of events to show off the best of what Paris has to offer. The couple welcomed guests to Paris with a wonderful cocktail party cruise on the Seine and capped off the festivities with a brunch at the famed Angelina tea house. But the main event was the elegant wedding day at the Ritz Paris.

Wedding preparations at the Ritz Paris

The bride spent the morning of the wedding getting ready in her beautiful room at the Ritz. The bride’s Monique Lhuillier ballgown wedding dress was a perfect choice for the elegance of the Ritz. Sanni Sorma did a wonderful job making the bride fresh and beautiful in her classic bridal look.

The spacious suite had an entirely separate living room, where the groom donned his Tom Ford tuxedo and French cuff shirt with elegant cufflinks.

Paris wedding details

Bride Hannah was very interested in all of the beautiful details for the wedding. She and her mom worked with Union Street Papery on a beautiful invitation design from Bella Figura. It featured an ornate border motif in gold foil with elegant letterpress type in French blue (naturally!) The invitations were adorned with vintage stamps from her grandfather’s collection. The bride also chose a lovely shade of blue for her maid of honor’s dress.

A romantic ceremony in the gardens of the Ritz Paris

The Ritz is a Paris icon for so many reasons. The architecture of the Place Vendôme is as breathtaking as the sparkling objects in the luxury jewelers that ring the square. The Ritz Paris is also graced with a wonderfully lovely garden, and it was in this oasis of green in the middle of the city where the couple’s ceremony took place. We thought carefully about the design for the ceremony with the bride and florist Sol Y Flor, and love the way the floral pillars and aisle decoration fit with the symmetry of the background.

An elegant wedding reception in the Cesar Ritz room

After the ceremony and cocktail hour, guests crossed the gardens to the salon Cesar Ritz. This intimate reception room was set with round tables decorated with abundant low centerpieces, and elegant gold-rimmed glassware and plates. Studio French Blue created custom menus, keeping the ornate border from the invitations and each menu was hand calligraphied with the guest’s name.

Let them have cake! An intimate wedding afterparty

In our opinion any wedding, even the most intimate wedding, can have a dance party! After dinner, which included a delicious American-style wedding cake, guests were invited to the underground ballroom. We transformed the room into a club, complete with a DJ and dancefloor lighting. And because you can never have too many sweets, we brought in a Ladurée macaron tower. The bride carefully chose the flavors to allow for the pretty pink ombre effect!

As seen on Carats & Cake

Wedding

Château wedding Southwest France | Château de Malliac

The beautiful countryside of the Southwest of France was the setting for Emmie & Jon’s French château wedding. The globe-trotting couple has lived in Beijing, Montreal and San Fransisco, but their true love is for France. The first time they visited our beautiful country together, there was an immediate connection. They kept coming back, and each time it felt more magical. It felt natural for them to host their wedding in the country they loved so much.The relaxed yet elegant château wedding venue they chose is located in a region known for it’s food and wine. The rambling property is surrounded by vineyards which produce wine as well as the region’s famous Armagnac. The château also has the feel of a family home with plenty of accommodations on site, so friends and family were able to stay together and enjoy the grounds for the four days of festivities.The château and grounds have several spaces perfect for a wedding weekend of festivities, which allowed us to create a different ambiance for each event: beautiful ivy-covered courtyards, a rehabilitated barn with two big high-ceilinged rooms, a swimming pool, and a massive garden.The bride was stunning in an elegant strapless Vera Wang gown and loose chignon updo, and the groom dapper in a black tuxedo and velvet slippers. After the “I dos” the bride added chic accessories for her reception look, donning puffy tulle sleeves, golden dangly earrings and letting her hair down.

The floral decor was inspired by fall colors with warm tones mixed with greenery. The bouquets, arch and flower arrangements all had a lot of texture, with an elegant combination of fresh and dried flowers.For the cocktail, we invited guests to another part of the garden, where they could spread out between the trees and relax on lounge furniture set up on the grass. A live band played folk and pop music to add to the perfect late summer ambiance as the sun set on the vines behind the domain.

The dinner took place in the main courtyard, under garlands of lights which created a warm and intimate ambiance. The couple enjoyed their meal surrounded by friends and family and their moving speeches. After champagne flowed for dessert, the bride and groom surprised their guests with fireworks, before leading them to dance late into the night.

Contact us to see how we can help plan your own French countryside château wedding!

As seen on Magnolia Rouge.

Planning & design: @feteinfrance
Venue: @chateaudemalliac
Flowers: @fleurs-de-mars
Photographer: @marionhweddings
Videographer: @moonandbackco
Hair stylist: @ciaracoiffure
Makeup artist: @sannimakeupartist
Caterer: @lacostetraiteur
Tableware and rentals: @maison_options
Band: @chelseychantelle

Wedding

Pink and Blue Elegant Château Wedding near Paris

This pink and blue elegant château wedding near Paris took place inside the grounds of the Domaine de Chantilly. Located just an hour away from Paris and dating back to the 14th century, the château and grounds feature beautiful French gardens, breathtaking backdrops for couple photos and a large selection of spaces for both the rehearsal dinner and their wedding day.

A romantic wedding venue near Paris

The rehearsal dinner took place in the former grand kitchen of the château, now transformed into a restaurant with vaulted ceilings and copper pots on the walls. For the ceremony and reception, the couple chose the Maison de Sylvie, an intimate reception venue hidden in the park of the Château.

A very French wedding, with a modern touch

The sunset ceremony took place in front of the arch opening to the garden which was gracefully decorated with roses of various pink shades. The wedding design revolved around a beautiful palette of pinks with touches of pale blue and blue & white chinoiserie style vases. Keeping with the decor theme, the bridesmaids wore light blue dresses and the groom wore a chic navy tuxedo. The bouquets were made with soft pink flowers, with added touches of purple orchids for the bridal bouquet.

The cocktail centered around café tables and high tables covered with light pink linens. The couple’s entrepreneurial project, Little Fancy, was of course a part of the drinks on offer. Guests were entertained by a jazz band and an illustrator painting their fashionable outfits.

The dinner took place in the main ballroom of the venue, with the head table in the middle below the grand chandelier. The table decor carried on the wedding design with blue linen tablecloths set with blue and white plates and low centerpieces with roses in shades of pink and a few orchids for a modern touch. The tables numbers and printed menus, printed in pink on pale pink cardstock, carried through the crest the couple had used on their invitations. Even the wedding cake perfectly matched the palette: pink on the inside but a white, blue and gold design on the outside inspired by the plates.

The evening continued with first dances and then the band got everyone on the dancefloor. The bride changed into a light pink tea-length dress and danced the night away with her groom, their friends and family.

Contact us to see how we can help plan your elegant French château wedding!

As seen on Carats & Cake

Planning & design: @feteinfrance
Flowers: @madameartisanfleuriste
Photographer: @eliaskordelakos
Videographer: Micka Films
Hair stylist: @ciaracoiffure
Makeup artist: @sannimakeupartist
Wedding cake: @synies
Tableware and rentals: @maison_options
Day-of paper : @studiofrenchblue
Entertainement: Swing It
Illustrator: @yohannpropin
Live Band: @fourkicksband

Wedding

Romantic French Countryside Wedding

Sara and Jack’s romantic French countryside wedding took place on a private estate near Paris, on a very hot summer day in July. The couple met in law school and after a year and a half of dating, Jack organized a weekend with Sara’s family. After receiving her father’s blessing, Jack proposed on a walk with their French bulldog, Ladybird, at the arboretum. They spent the rest of the evening and weekend celebrating with family and friends.

For their wedding, they wanted to keep the same easy and relaxed atmosphere. Sara grew up near Paris and her family’s house in the countryside near the French capital her favorite place on Earth. It felt natural to the couple to host their wedding there, even though Jack had never set foot in Europe before!

The ambiance they looked for was a chic backyard wedding, a family garden party and a lovely evening with their loved ones. A little eclectic and not too fussy. Sara wanted a dress with a long train (because if there is really one occasion to wear a train, it was on her wedding day!), and she also wanted color. She had been eyeing a special Monique Lhuillier gown, and when she got the chance to put it on, she knew right away it was the one. It had drama with a 10 ft long train and embroidered flowers in purple, red and blue that would perfectly tie in with the wildflowers of the French countryside.

Preparations for the wedding day took place directly on the family estate. The ceremony was set in front of an old pool, with the rest of the garden in the background. The arch blended in seamlessly with the scenery and was adorned of beautiful purple flowers, the bride’s favorite color. The bridal party walked down the aisle to Sara’s uncle singing Ave Maria, just like he did for her parents’ wedding, and her grandfather officiated the ceremony, as he had done before for the bride’s parents. It was a true family affair.

The festivities continued with a cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres, and guests enjoyed signature drinks while listening a gypsy jazz trio play. At sunset, guests were invited under a tent set on the main lawn in front of the house: long wooden tables were decorated with wild purple flower arrangements and lilac candles. A sprig of lavender on the menus added an extra touch at each seat.

After a delicious spit roasted lamb diner and moving speeches, the bride and groom had their first dance to Beyond by Leon Bridges. They held the song dear to their heart as they had danced to it on the night they got engaged. The bride had previously changed into a purple Badgley Mischka dress so she could dance all night.

A cigar bar and a desert buffet were set up with couches for guests to relax after dinner, but the dance floor was never empty, and everyone danced until 2am!

Contact us to see how we can help plan your romantic French countryside wedding!

To read more about this wedding, check out the full post on Over the Moon.

Planning & design: @feteinfrance
Flowers: @lilypalomaflowers
Caterer: @entre_mets_et_fragrances
Photographer: @capturelifeandlovers
Hair stylist: @ciaracoiffure
Makeup artist: @allisondepmuah
Macaroon tower: @maisonladuree
Rentals : @be_lounge
Tableware : @maison_options
Day-of paper : @studiofrenchblue
Invitations : @tiethatbinds
Bridal salon : @carinesbridal
Wedding dress : @moniquelhuillierbride

Wedding

Micro wedding in the South of France

Steph & Mike gathered an intimate group for their microwedding in the South of France. There may have been a petit number of guests – and the bride and groom’s sweet dog Peanut – but the wedding featured all of the fabulous details of a grand celebration!

The Château Saint Georges is located up in the hills of Grasse and offers spectacular views from the grounds. The wedding took place in early September, which is an ideal time of year in the South of France – the peak vacation period of July and August is over but the weather is still fabulous. The perfectly named Temple of Love was the setting for the exchange of vows and the warm South of France summer climate made for a wonderful outdoor reception. The design of the event was carefully thought out, with beautiful florals from Miss Rose by Perrine, and featured a palette of pale tones of blush and pink. The pale, ethereal feel was carried through to the wedding cake design, with delicate ricepaper flowers adorning the 2-tier confection by Made In Cake. The bride was stunning in her Vera Wang gown, with hair & makeup expertly done by Trine Juel. And just because you have a small number of guests doesn’t mean you can’t party! Benjamin of Discotecnik helped create a festive post-dinner atmosphere.

We loved creating this beautiful and intimate celebration for Steph & Mike. Intimate weddings allow the bride and groom to have real quality time with their guests, and the added benefit is that we also get to know guests better. Need help planning your microwedding in the South of France, Provence or another region of France? We would love to hear from you!

Featured on Carats & Cake | Photography: Le Secret d’Audrey | Cinematography: MG Image

Château Saint Georges in Grasse, France

Wedding

What wedding planning services do you need?

If you’re in the beginning stages of research for your wedding, you may be wondering what wedding planning services you need. Here at Fête in France we break out our services into two categories: Full Planning services and Partial Planning services.

Full Planning services

Are you looking for an experienced professional to help you navigate the entire wedding planning process, from start to finish? Then Full Planning services are for you. These services generally include venue search and booking assistance, but may also start after your venue and date have been set.

With Full Planning services, you benefit from our expert insight from day 1 to the big day. Our Full Planning services allow you to be the executive decision maker, ensuring that the wedding is a true reflection of who you are as a couple, and our role is to project manage, keeping an eye on timelines, budgets and the overall cohesiveness of the events.

We break out Full Planning services into three phases: Design, Planning & Vendor Management, Event Coordination

We start the Design phase by discussing in detail the ambiance and atmosphere you’d like to create for your day. We also review any inspiration images you have already collected, and add additional ideas to round out the initial design. We rely not only on your wedding inspiration images, but also your interests and hobbies, family heritage, and any other element to make the event as personal as possible. We also discuss the flow of the day, to ensure that your experience on the day is as seamless as possible.

Once the design direction has been set, we shift into the Planning & Vendor Management phase. In addition to providing general advice and best practices, an important part our role is to streamline the time-consuming tasks of research and vendor communication. We offer curated suggestions based on the design direction and conduct all additional research needed to unearth the hidden gems to make your wedding a memorable experience.

The final phase is Event Coordination which means that we’ve made it to the big day! Our team of coordinators are on site to oversee vendor deliveries and setup, and ensure that all goes according to our carefully constructed logistics plan. Having a well-thought-out schedule is one of Fête in France’s strengths, and clients and vendors alike appreciate how on point our timings are. A solid and well-communicated plan is also essential because the more you plan for upstream, the more space it creates to tackle the inevitable unforseen situations that pop up during an event.

Partial Planning services

Not all couples need or have the budget for Full Planning services, so we also offer a selection of Partial Planning services. Below are a few of our most popular Partial Planning offers:

Venue Search: Accompany you through the venue search and selection process, including a scouting trip of 2-3 days to visit short-listed venues.

Planning Support: Hourly packages (1/3/5 hours) which provides access our expertise in wedding planning. We discuss your planning concerns and offer best practices and vendor recommendations. Our hourly planning support can also be used to conduct research, request and review quotes and manage vendor communication.

Month-of Coordination: This service starts 30 days out from your wedding date and allows you to hand off the project to an experienced coordinator. We review the schedule of the day – or help you create one – and double check all of the vendors and services that have been booked. On the wedding day, a team of coordinators will be on site to oversee that all goes according to plan, freeing you up to be fully present with your friends and family.

What planning services do you need?

Contact us for an initial consultation to tell us about your vision for your day!

Wedding

Springtime Intimate Wedding in Paris

We love organizing beautiful weddings in Paris! Last May, we welcomed M & J and their guests for some fun intimate festivities in the French capital. The bride knew right away that she wanted to get married in this classic Parisian mansion. The ceremony took place in the back garden, showcasing an opulent flower arch. The overall decor was a blend of romantic pinks and gold, and modern touches, with black and white accents that we used in the signage, tableware and favors (luggage tags!). The dinner was in a big ballroom with traditional gold moldings on the wall and romantic lighting.

Guests transitioned from the dinner to dancing with sparklers, and were surprised to arrive in vaulted cellars for dancing. The wedding cake was a Ladurée macaroon tower displayed in a gradient of pinks.

Before the wedding, the couple went on a portrait session with Audrey from Le Secret d’Audrey for some breathtaking photos in the city.

Planning & design: @feteinfrance / Flowers: @floraisonparis / Venue: @maisondespolytechniciens / Photographer: @audreyparisphoto / Videographer: @zenfilworks / Bride’s hair and makeup: @missmai / Bridesmaids’ hair and makeup: Bonnie Chou / Macaroon tower: @maisonladuree / Rentals : @maison_options

Wedding

Haute Couture Destination Wedding in Paris: The Rehearsal Dinner

The Friday evening was a rehearsal dinner at the upscale brasserie, Monsieur Bleu, privatized by the groom and his family for the occasion.

Given the name of the restaurant guests were asked to come dressed with a touch of blue. The restaurant has a fabulous location just across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower so we integrated the tower motif into the decor like this custom-made seating chart and personalized menus.

Of course, fashion also played an integral part in the evening with both the bride and groom in their best midnight blue.

The bride sparkled in a fabulous Prada skirt with a fun ponytail styled by Harold James.

The song I, I Follow by Lykke Li is special to the couple and is the song they had chosen for first dance at the wedding reception. However, as a surprise for the bride, we helped the groom create a custom neon sign with the lyrics which we placed over the mantle as the focal point of the evening.

Guests were welcomed on the terrace with champagne & canapés via a blue carpet (of course!)

For dinner guests were treated to a gourmet meal and many toasts by friends and family.

Next post will cover the actual wedding day and what a celebration that was!

Wedding

Haute Couture Destination Wedding in Paris: Part 1

This past April we had the pleasure to organize a fabulous fashion-infused destination wedding weekend in Paris.

The couple & their closest friends and family settled into the warm and welcoming accommodations at Le Crillon which became the gathering point for the wedding preparations & festivities throughout the 3 days of events.

Photography is a passion of the bride so on the first evening the couple scheduled a photo shoot around the city of Paris prior to their welcome event with the talented team of Claire Morris Photography & Zen Filmworks. The bride absolutely sparkled in her Oscar de la Renta top and skirt.

The welcome event was a cocktail party hosted on a private yacht where guests all came dressed with a touch of sparkle.

The fashion-theme started that evening not only with the guests attire but also with the fashion illustrator that sketched guests as they cruised the Seine.

Stay tuned for more high fashion from the reahearsal dinner events in our next post!

Wedding

How to plan a wedding in France

You’re engaged! Amid the whirlwind of all of the wedding possibilities, the idea of a wedding in France pops up: an elegant Paris wedding, or a romantic château wedding, or a relaxed countryside wedding… Then you wonder if you can really make this dream work. And you take to the internet to start looking into how to plan a wedding in France.

The search often begins with French wedding venues – the where of it seems like a good place to start. When you’re doing a first dive into venue search, it’s easy to get swept away by visuals or submerged by the daunting task of sifting through different websites, but it’s hard to know the what to really look for .

And what if the best way to the where and an understanding of the what started with the who?

After an exasperating or frustrating start to their venue search our couples often are so excited to find us. And learn that we’re native (American!) English speakers. And that we’ve been wedding planning for a while now (more than 5 years… more than 10 years…) creating close to 350 weddings of every shape and size, including some very beautiful and logistically complex celebrations. This depth and breadth of experience helps us navigate you through the planning process with ease, and allows us to keep things cool, calm and on track.

We’d love to hear from you and help you figure out the what and the where of your wedding!

A grand yet intimate wedding at the Ritz Paris

Wedding preparations at the Ritz Paris

Paris wedding details

A romantic ceremony in the gardens of the Ritz Paris

An elegant wedding reception in the Cesar Ritz room

Let them have cake! An intimate wedding afterparty

Château wedding Southwest France | Château de Malliac

Pink and Blue Elegant Château Wedding near Paris

A romantic wedding venue near Paris

A very French wedding, with a modern touch

Romantic French Countryside Wedding

Micro wedding in the South of France

What wedding planning services do you need?

Full Planning services

Partial Planning services

What planning services do you need?

Springtime Intimate Wedding in Paris

Haute Couture Destination Wedding in Paris: The Rehearsal Dinner

Haute Couture Destination Wedding in Paris: Part 1

How to plan a wedding in France

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