france weddings Archives - Fête in France

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 :

Wedding

Fairytale château wedding

Christina and Sam knew they wanted a French fairytale château wedding and part of the adventure was finding the place that was not too big, not too small, but just right for their celebration.

After a scouting trip where we visited several lovely wedding venues in the French countryside, the couple selected a beautiful Loire Valley castle for their wedding in France. Since the Loire Valley is an easy trip from Paris, the couple decided to organize a welcome event in Paris at the historic Au Pied de Cochon brasserie on the Thursday before the wedding, allowing guests to enjoy a day of sightseeing in Paris the next day. Bright and early on the wedding day the intimate group of guests met at the Paris Montparnasse train station for a quick 1-hour TGV ride to the Loire Valley. The wedding party had checked in to the château the previous night, and the bride and bridesmaids preparations were already underway when the excited guests arrived.

The skies were grey and there were definitely a few raindrops that fell during the day, but fortunately the weather held and the ceremony took place outside with the impressive castle facade as the backdrop. The couple even had a few lovely rays of sunshine as they took photos around the grounds after exchanging their vows.

The reception took place in the château’s grand hall with its elegant vaulted ceilings. The color palette featured pastels in pink, blue and lavender, which touches of silver and black to keep it sophisticated. A menu featuring French delicacies – foie gras, locally sourced poultry, a French-style croquembouche wedding cake – and lots of local Touraine wine.

Featured on Style Me Pretty

Wedding

A Paris ballroom wedding

Lovely couple Jacqueline and John celebrated their marriage with a Paris ballroom wedding. The ceremony and reception were held in the historic rooms at a luxury hotel in the center of the city. There wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd as the couple exchanged their vows surrounded by beautiful arrangements of blossoming cherry branches. The dinner took place in the exceptional Grand Salon ballroom with towering ceilings, enormous crystal chandeliers, and gilding all around – it’s almost like being at Versailles!

Beautiful centerpieces in a palette of soft and bold pinks graced the tables and a dessert buffet was set with miniature desserts as well as an elegant wedding cake decorated with fresh flowers and goldleaf. The couple took advantage of the incredible views from the hotel’s signature suite and popped upstairs for a few iconic photos with the Eiffel Tower.

After a sparkler sendoff that capped of the dinner, the festivities continued at a second location where they danced the night away. The original plan for the afterparty was aboard a riverboat but as luck would have it, Mother Nature had another idea. The week before the wedding, the Seine rose to historic levels, first limiting navigation to certain boats, then fully flooding the quais! A last-minute change of location was the only way to ensure that the party could carry on, and thanks to fantastic vendor partners and an understanding bride & groom, the evening ended on a high note.