luxury wedding planner paris 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

A Fall wedding in Paris

Clare and Richard celebrated their marriage with a fall wedding in Paris surrounded by nearly 300 guests. The October weather cooperated for the most part – the evening of their welcome dinner was rainy but there was lovely autumn weather for the wedding day.

Both the bride and groom have an international background: families from Hong Kong and China, childhoods in France/England and Canada, studies at Cambridge and Oxford, professional lives that had them work in different world capitals. And it was thanks to a mutual friend that they were brought together, fell in love, and decided to get married in Paris.

The weekend was full of festivities, starting the day before the wedding with a Chinese tea ceremony for the bride’s and groom’s families, and a welcome dinner at a stylish Paris restaurant. The couple started the wedding day with breakfast and traditional Chinese door games for the immediate family and wedding party. Then it was time for wedding prep to start: the bride wore a beautiful customized Oscar de la Renta bridal gown and the groom in a morning coat and vest.

The wedding ceremony took place at the historic American Cathedral in Paris and featured a full choir to sing the hymns selected by the bride and groom. After a petal toss at the end of the ceremony, the couple escaped for some photos around Paris and guests were transferred to the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée for the wedding reception.

The wedding was full of personal touches from the couple: welcome bags included nostalgic treats from the bride’s childhood in Paris and a custom city guide with favorite sights and restaurants; paintings of birds by a friend served as table names; a tropical themed photocall with a neon sign inspired by one of the couples favorite artists, Tracey Emin. The couple kicked off the dance party with a choreographed routine to “Hallelujah I Love Her So” by Ray Charles and then the stage curtains were drawn back to reveal a full live band that kept guests dancing into the wee hours.

Wedding

An elegant Paris wedding

Timeless, sophisticated & chic. A few of the key words that pop to mind for this elegant Paris wedding which took place in an historic private mansion just steps from the Champs Elysées.

Kara & Alex, both natives of the Boston area, hosted a weekend of events for 100 of their closest family & friends. The festivities started the day before the wedding with a cocktail party cruise down the Seine. Guests enjoyed gourmet finger food, champagne and stunning views of the monuments of Paris.

The wedding day started off with preparations at La Reserve boutique hotel, with the bride being pampered by the talented Harold James. The bride chose a sophisticated Oscar de la Renta wedding gown with Valentino Rockstud heels. The couple opted for a pre-ceremony first look followed by a photo shoot in Paris, visiting the Palais Royal, the Louvre and the Pont des Arts, all the while trying to stay cool in the uncommonly hot Paris weather.

The non-traditional wedding ceremony took place on the grand staircase of the mansion and was performed by the groom’s twin cousins. Afterwards guests were treated to champagne & canapés in the courtyard with views of the Grand Palais.

The bride & groom decided on long tables which were decorated with runners of white roses, hydrangeas and curly willow. Elegantly understated letterpress menus graced each guest’s seat along with personalized matchbooks in black & gold. Gourmet food and excellent wines were important to the couple and they even selected Château Boston, a French Bordeaux wine from the Margaux area, as a nod to their hometown. The ambiance of the formal, black tie affair was kept light and energetic thanks to the incredible musicians of Inspiration, who provided entertainment during the meal.

Guests were treated to a final surprise to cap off the evening – after dinner they were led downstairs to the mansion’s former Turkish baths which were transformed into a nightclub with sexy lighting, a live band and flowing champagne.

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.