Clouds and Romance Inspiration Shoot at Château de Vaux le Vicomte
Vaux-le-Vicomte is a XVIIth century château built by the architect of Louis the XIV, Louis Le Vau, with traditional French gardens designed by André Le Nôtre and interiors by Charles Le Brun. It was built for Louis XIV’s finance minister, Nicolas Fouquet and served as a model for the Château de Versailles. The main ballroom, as wide as it is high (18m or 60 feet high), is a unique oval shape, with a black and white tiled floor and a painting on the ceiling that depicts a beautiful blue sky with white clouds.
With all these elements together in a room, our inspiration was quickly found. Madame Artisan Fleuriste worked with a base of astilbes to create a textured romantic cloud, into which she incorporated roses in varying shades of pink. The floral arrangement was set atop modern see-through gold stands, as if it were floating above the table.
We layered different fabrics, mixing the colors and the texture of the linens to recreate the complexity of the sky painted above. Texture and color continued in the tableware selection, with scallopped charger plates and smoky blue cutlery for contrast. Gold accents kept the design elevated and château-worthy, and dashes of dark burgundy in the florals added a special dramatic touch. We brought in black and white medallion chairs and tall black taper candles to tie in the gorgeous flooring.
We used the same accent colors for the invitation suite: Crimson Letters pulled in a black envelope to contrast with her beautiful handtorn white paper inside. She drew gold leaf motifs and added strokes of light pink watercolor in the same shade as our roses.
Type A Society brought their A-game for the bridal styling. The most fashion-forward of the looks was a Said Kobeissy gown. The dress was the perfect mix of modern fashion and romance: the intricate design of flowers and sparkle fit so well with the ballgown skirt on top. The second look, by Chana Marelus, was beautiful and ethereal; our model bride looked like she could fly away with the light breeze coming through the château’s French windows. The third look, also by Chana Marelus, was a sparkly gown that reflected the light beautifully with a train worthy of a princess.
The talented Harold James ensured that our models were looking fresh and cool, despite the record-breaking heat wave.
Vendors :
Styling & Production: Fête in France & Fête Event Planning | Photo & Video: Mon Soleil (Marissa & Devin) | Hair & Makeup: Harold James | Venue: Vaux-le-Vicomte & @valerielafourcade_vlvevents | Wardrobe stylist: Type A Society | Florals: Madame Artisan Fleuriste | Rentals & tableware: Maison Options | Table linen: Nuage Designs | Table runner : Daucus Tinctura | Paper goods : Crimson Letters | Tableware – bread plates: Canigueral Mesas con Esencia | Macarons: Ladurée | Ring boxes: Voeu du Cœur | Models: Lynn & Fred Via Mademoiselle Agency | Dresses 1: Said Kobeissy | Dress 2 & 3: Chana Marelus
