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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

Inspiration

Discovering Your Wedding Style for Your French Wedding

There’s nothing dreamier than getting married in France. However, figuring out how to style your French wedding can be quite challenging. After all, when its capital is known as The City of Love, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of the wonder that France has to offer.

To help your wedding find its je ne sais quoi, here are the top three wedding styles to consider for your French fête!

Parisian Wedding

Apart from being associated with all things love and romance, Paris is a city that prides itself for its undeniably chic way of life. From hosting the world’s top fashion shows to housing some of the most illustrious artworks, the French capital is the perfect setting for couples with a sophisticated sense of style.

Private mansion in Paris wedding planned by Fête in France

Photo: Le Secret d’Audrey

In this regard, hosting a Parisian wedding calls for a venue that focuses on classic and refined interior design — think grand ballrooms with gold detailing that’s filled with gorgeous flower displays. It’s important to note though this wedding style refrains from going over-the-top, with décor effortlessly complementing the elegant setting.

Parisian wedding style wedding planning by Fête in France

Photo: Le Secret d’Audrey

Parisienne brides prefer figure-hugging, floor-length wedding dresses that are either made from silk or lace fabric. Bridal makeup and hair is polished and chic whether it’s full-on glam or a more subtle look. But whether wearing the bride’s hair down or in a chignon, bridal looks are usually completed with a stunning headband like this floral gold one featured on Elle. And given the elegant setting, grooms in Parisian weddings go for a classic tuxedo and bowtie.

French Countryside Wedding

If you prefer something that’s more laid-back, then you should consider having a wedding in the French countryside in regions like Normandy or Provence. Instead of being surrounded by ornate details, this wedding style will have you and your spouse tie the knot embraced by nature in the gardens of the venue.

Photo: 2 Brides

Not to mention, a French countryside wedding incorporates a lot of rustic elegance in its styling. When it comes to the reception, for instance, your guests can enjoy a lovely dinner outdoors with long banquet tables. Plus, they’re typically adorned with multi-coloured floral arrangements and glass candleholders to highlight the beauty of the countryside.

Photo: 2 Brides

For bridal looks, it’s best to choose a dress that evokes French nonchalance. To this end, a feature on Brides about French bridal designers points out that a simple crepe de chine sheath dress meets understated sophistication. What’s more, a guide to dresses for petites by Pretty Me highlights how sheath dresses have a fitted silhouette that will accentuate every inch of the bride’s body. This way, she’ll feel comfortable and confident on her big day. Hair and makeup are simple, as a long veil is a key accessory. Meanwhile, grooms can go for suits in earth tones to complement the venue.

French Château Wedding

Last but not least, if you’re planning to go all out for your fête in France, then a château wedding is the right style for you. From breathtaking façades and perfectly polished gardens, it’s the ideal venue for couples who envision a wedding that’s filled with weekend festivities. The vast (and impressive) space is great if you have guests coming from different parts of the world.

French chateau wedding planned by Fête in France

Photo: Sandra Aberg

A château wedding is a weekend-long affair with its happenings, such as a welcome event, rehearsal dinner, and next-day brunch, in addition to the wedding ceremony and reception. But what really sets this style apart is that it maximises French elegance with lavish elements everywhere. Case in point: Instead of using traditional paper for a wedding at the Château de Villette, the team opted for marble coasters in gold calligraphy.

French château wedding ceremony planned by Fête in France

Photo: Joel Serrato

The colour palette for this style normally focuses on neutrals with pops of color, greenery, and touches of gold. Brides can wear whatever their heart desires, but intricate lace or embellishments make an exquisite touch. For grooms, they take their cue from the venue, opting for black tie at formal château venues or suit and tie for rustic châteaux

Article written for feteinfrance.com
Author: Renee Jordan

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

Paris

Spectacular Château near Paris

Luxury Hotel in Paris

Located on the famous Place Vendome in the center of Paris, this venue is the reference when it comes to French luxury hotels.

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

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.

Featured on French Wedding Style

Inspiration

Tropical themed Paris wedding inspiration

Styled shoots are a great way to experiment with emerging wedding trends and create a design theme which will hopefully serve as an inspiration for future weddings. Synie’s, who provided the beautiful cake for this shoot, put it best: “I want to do something I’ve never done before.” We couldn’t agree more!

Featured on Style Me Pretty