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!