This French destination wedding was straight out of a fairytale!
Even though my clients live in New York, they decided to return to the bride’s home country for their wedding. Specifically, it was very important to the bride to have the wedding at her family’s holiday home. It is an extraordinarily beautiful ranch in the countryside. Since the bride loves horses, the ranch has many fond memories for her. She felt it would make the perfect backdrop for her dream day. And what a beautiful wedding it was!
The inspiration for the wedding was Mother Nature herself.
Eric Chauvin, the event designer, wanted to embrace the incredible nature surrounding the property, rather than competing with it. Therefore, we decided to build a glass greenhouse structure that would blend in well with the environment. It looked like it had always belonged there! The guests at this French destination wedding were treated to an extraordinary view of kilometers of green valley, forest and sky.
For the florals, Eric wanted to create an organic look, like the natural world had run wild over the structure. We did this by having flowers and greenery climbing up to the roof, like beautiful summer trellises.
For our palette, we used soft, fresh summer tones, with delicate pink pastels. One of the prettiest details was the wishing tree that the client requested. We placed this at the entrance to the glasshouse and decked it with hundreds of blush pink ribbons, each pinned with a tiny silver charm. Behind the wishing tree was a wall of pink and white blooms, and on the other side of the wall guests could find their escort cards, also tied with pink ribbon.
Working under a crystal glass tent in July presented a particular challenge, because it was vital we were able to keep the thousands of fresh flowers from being damaged. To do this, we installed the décor for three days before the wedding, working at night, with the air conditioning at full blast. Even so, we ultimately had to add a dark cover to the glass as an extra precaution to insure the blooms were pristine.
Another concern for my clients was security, as is always the case when an event calls for set-up and tear-down over multiple days on their private property. We make security a priority, so among other precautions, we installed multiple cameras in all the key areas. Every vendor also had a badge and was pre-verified.
We brought nature and the outdoors into many details beyond the venue itself.
One of my favorites was the bride’s dress, a breathtaking Ines Di Santo creation. To coordinate with the fact that the wedding would be on the ranch, we wanted to have nature be at the core of the design. So the designer embroidered the most beautiful, soft florals all over the gown for a whimsical, secret garden feel.
The food also had a natural touch. Fauchon was the caterer and they worked hard to keep within the theme by creating displays and desserts that truly matched the outdoors’ ambience. The cake designer also took inspiration from the ranch setting and the green meadows that surround the estate. She decorated a classic white tiered cake with beautiful, lifelike peonies – the bride’s favorite flower. It was the perfect finishing touch.
It always strikes me how, no matter how intricate the design or impressive the entertainment at an event, it is often the simplest things which are most memorable. With this wedding, that unforgettable moment came in the form of a lantern release. In twos, guests made a wish and released their lanterns, with opera music playing in the background. It was truly magical.
Thank you to my wonderful clients and an incredible team of vendors who helped bring this French destination wedding to life. It is certainly one that won’t soon be forgotten!
Wedding Professionals: Event Planner: Alejandra Poupel Events, Florals and Event Designer: Eric Chauvin, Bride’s Dress: Ines Di Santo, Photographer: Ross Harvey, Light and Sound: Novelty, Structure: PBI Event Architecture, Linens: Nüage Designs, Rentals: Options France, Cake: Bastien Blanc Tailleur, Caterer: Fauchon
A Nature Inspired Wedding at a Private Estate in France
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