Kelly & Doug's French Fairytale Château Wedding
Stunningly sensible.
Being a preferred
Château Sentout wedding planner is certainly a privilege, and one I am very
grateful to have. Not only because
Sentout is one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful venues in Bordeaux, but
because the couples that choose to get married here tend to be really awesome, down
to earth people.
Kelly and
Doug were absolutely no exception. They
are down to earth, organized, funny and great to look at! – A wedding planners
dream! And OMG those dresses…..
Back to the basics.
All couples
have priorities – for Kelly and Doug, it was being together with family and
friends. You’ll say, this is a case with
most couples, but with Kelly & Doug, this was THE major priority, THE guideline,
THE fundamental theme. With both bride
and groom working for non-profit agencies, they wanted to stick to the
essentials. We worked on virtually every
detail of Kelly & Doug’s special day keeping this priority in mind.
First it
was enlisting the perfect catering to provide the perfect mix of French comfort
foods and gourmet treats to fit a formal yet not-to-stuffy affair. Next was planning the “Tuesday Tour”. As part of their week long wedding
festivities, this couple wanted to offer guests a private vineyard tour to
introduce guests to one of the finer things in Bordeaux life – wine tasting
that is! On an unseasonably warm Tuesday in March, guests meandered from
chateau to chateau, visiting beautiful properties such as Château Filhot and
the Medieval town of Bazas. A fabulous
relaxing day for everyone…
The next
day was followed by an incredible pig roast in classic French style. Moving speeches, laughter and overall good
fun the evening before the big day!
Did someone
say shimmery rose-gold?
Finally it
was time to get to the fun stuff – the design! Château Sentout is as stunning
as can be. The property’s whimsical and
organic elements made fusing the soft, fairytale vibe of Kelly’s vision both
fun and innovative. California Fleuriste did an
incredible job of bringing together a sophisticated vintage color palette with
a wow factor wedding arch and beautiful bouquets that went perfectly with the
bridesmaid’s sparkly rose gold dresses.
Who’s your photographer??
Kelly and
Doug chose a US based photographer who I met just the day before the
wedding. As a planner, this is slightly
stressful not only because you are meeting a vendor at the last minute, but
because you are meeting an American photographer at the last minute. I don’t like to generalize (I know my people),
but sometimes I have to make special accommodations
for American photographers and videographers (haha J)!
I was blown away! Sarah Berner as accompanied by her husband for the event as second camera man
– ps. I love husband and wife duos. They
were open, warm, professional and excellent
dinner conversation. It is needless
to say that the photos capture very eloquently the intense emotions on the day
of the wedding. Unbelievable work from
exceptionally dedicated people.
Don’t go
getting all emotional on me….
Believe me
- you could feel the emotion of this wedding.
It was like a happy, loving, spiritual daze that enveloped all the guests
(and myself as well!). Anyone that knows
me knows that I am not the sappy romantic type but unity and commitment just
radiated from this event.
The ceremony
was performed by family friend and minister – VERY emotional, beautifully eloquent,
lots of tears from everyone. One of the
most moving ceremonies I have ever witnessed.
During
dinner, moving speeches and special words were intertwined with excellent food,
great wines and between course dancing!
And on top of that we, we had a record temperatures for that day in March
and the whole evening took place in an open marquee.
Kelly and Doug’s wedding was one of those events that you just know everyone enjoyed to the fullest – no fuss, back to basics, family values. What an honor it was to be a part of this special life moment!
Looking
forward to sharing my next Château Sentout adventure also full of love and
laughter!
Xx
Xx
A big thank you to the vendor team!
Venue: Château Sentout
Coordination
& Design: Pure Expression Events
Photographer:Sarah B. Photography
Catering: Le Plaisir du Goût
Florist: Fleuriste California
Hair: Expression Coiffure
Make-up: Virginie'e