French Chateau Wedding Inspiration

French Chateau Wedding Inspiration

CATEGORIES

January 3, 2022
Words by Jennifer Stein
Photos courtesy of James x Schulze

Journey to the South of France and there you will find purple fields of lavender, breathtaking ocean views, miles of vineyards and, a favorite staple, those stunning French Chateaus. Partnering with talented vendors from around the world, Gather Events’ team of planners curated posh wedding scenes leaving little to be desired. Gather Events tells us how everything came together in this French Chateau Wedding Photoshoot below:

“The French Riviera, the shimmering, seaside destination of France, stole our hearts. It offers extraordinary views and culture with outstanding art and exceptional cuisine. Here the climate is moderate nearly year-round and warm sunny days are cooled by sea breezes. Easily accessible by plane, train and automobile, glittered with luxury and stunning boutique accommodations, and home to a host of incredibly talented wedding industry professionals, the South of France is perfect for hosting destination gatherings.

When searching for the perfect location in France as part of our new European launch, we came across so many beautiful chateaus and luxury resorts but one caught our attention early on: the stunning Chateau Saint Georges in Grasse, a medieval town often considered to be the world’s capital of perfume. Only a short drive from Nice, Cannes and Antibes, the chateau offers relative convenience while still feeling a world away from the bustle in its tranquil location on the blissful Riviera. The house and grounds, sometimes known as “Little Versailles of the Riviera”, are worthy of royalty. In fact, Queen Victoria was quite taken with Grasse and regularly visited the chateau. The palatial structure, built in a traditional 19th-century Provencal style, is situated on a hillside with commanding views of the Cote d’Azur and distant mountains. Not only does the house lend itself to entertaining, but the 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of traditional gardens and grounds also offers a splendid backdrop in which to host guests. The property owner, Anca Bartha, has done an incredible job with the historic building’s restoration and you’ll not find a more lovely host.

We found the pastel-coated homes, sparkling waters of the Mediterranean, vibrant beach atmosphere, panoramic views and picturesque lavender fields, endlessly inspiring for this shoot’s design. We love the simplicity of the modern French chic aesthetic, with a certain… je ne sais quoi …understated elegance. We chose a timeless and delicate color palette by focusing on washed beachy earth tones like soft French blues, nudes, browns and some grays. The traditional French elements throughout the shoot’s vignettes give a nod to local specialties: fashion, local treats, wine, hand-dyed silks and simple ceramics.

We LOVE using surprising areas to design and delight our clients and their guests. When designing a space, we put a lot of intention into the flow of the day, ensuring that we’re creating an event that leads guests on a beautiful journey from start to finish! We find that utilizing as many different parts of a venue as possible allows for a sense of intrigue and adventure at every turn.

The intimate ceremony space was set up in the garden of the estate, using the stonework and stairs as a backdrop. Miss Rose by Perrine did an incredible job building a floral structure for the ceremony to merge with the beautiful Provencal architecture and to create a chic and elegant look. We love the monochromatic feel of the white stone, chairs and textured florals!

And we can’t forget welcoming the guests! After all, they often travel quite a distance to attend a destination wedding! We love curating fun and tasty collections of local fare for guest bags (or boxes in this case). After all, one can’t visit France without imbibing in local wine, cheese, bread and macaron! On scouting trips, prior to the wedding weekend, we look for local vendors and products we know will be perfect partners for welcoming out of towners.

The beautiful letterpress stationery suite designed by Swell Press takes understated elegance to another level! The neutral tones, rich textures, tassel detail, and classy modern fonts echo the sophisticated minimal look that is the chic in French design! We all know when it comes to fashion, French style can’t be beat! With an epic indoor pool room, brides getting ready at Chateau Saint Georges have a built-in space to relax the morning of their big day! We can’t think of a better way to invite calm into your morning ritual and the chance to show off another type of bridal look can never be a bad thing!

Designer Alon Livné‘s Isabella Dress perfectly captures the essence of sleek French fashion while bringing elements from the international design community. We love the simplicity of the silhouette and how the ruffles and movement of the gown pay homage to the nearby sea. Our bride’s blue suede shoes are the perfect accent to bring in the iconic French color and double as her something blue! Additionally, the beautiful, blue bauble from My Golden Lab adds a dash of glamor to this stunning look. Tying it all together, Karine Brossard focused on Dewey fresh makeup and natural, slightly windswept updo to embrace the coastal environment.

To create the dreamy tablescape, we worked with local Aktuel Event Rentals and Silk & Linen table linens to provide the perfect canvas to paint the picture. Working with destination clients, we strive to achieve the best balance of local and international elements to bring the vision to life! Tono & Co silk runners and Borrowed Blu napkins & delicate rose gold flatware perfectly compliment the gorgeous French ceramics.”