Okay, we have to talk about this wedding. A French castle. Fireworks bursting in a dark night sky. A profiterole tower instead of a traditional cake. A groom who walked down the aisle to the theme song from Raiders of the Lost Ark. When it came to their destination wedding, Madeleine and Josef did not come to play.

Our bride is a Sales Market Manager at Bacardi who also runs the Actually Interesting History Podcast, and our groom is a freshly minted attorney with an MBA from the University of Chicago. This power house of a couple tied the knot in June of 2025 at the Chateau de Bournel in the French countryside. But before we get to the wedding, we need to talk about how this whole thing started.

The Proposal That Had Us Gasping

It was May 2023, and the couple was on vacation in Sardinia. They rented a car, started driving, and stumbled upon a 16th-century guard tower overlooking the water.

“Once we made it out to the edge of the promontory, Josef turned around with a ring box in his hand and got down on one knee,” Madeleine says. “We celebrated by going to a supermarket to get picnic food and champagne, and sat together on the beach. It was the most beautiful day.”

Why France? Why This Chateau?

With family and friends scattered across the world, Madeleine and Josef knew their guests would be traveling no matter what. So why not make their travel journeys worth it?

When it came to choosing the venue, they knew exactly what they didn’t want, and that clarity made all the difference. Their vision was simple: find a place so naturally beautiful that it does all the talking for you.

“We were looking for something that felt fresh and able to accommodate our list of needs,” Madeleine explains. “We wanted our families to stay together on site, a wedding planner to coordinate since we were far away from home, and a historically beautiful venue so we didn’t have to worry about adding extra design elements.”

And then they met Ilaria. The mistress of the Chateau de Bournel, who serves as the venue’s wedding coordinator, became the couple’s anchor for the entire planning process. “Ilaria was a calming force throughout the entire process,” the couple tells us. “When we asked how she was always so calm and upbeat, she responded that it came from her background in yoga!” The couple was immediately sold.

But what truly sealed it? Bears. Yes, bears.

“The small quirk that sealed this as our venue was the bear designs on the gates leading to our ceremony,” Josef says. “Our first international trip together was to Switzerland. We fell in love with Bern, and the city has a strong association with bears.” Bern has bear designs scattered throughout every corner, and even has a live brown bear garden in the middle of the city. How cool, right?

When a French chateau’s iron gates just happen to echo the city where you both fell in love with each other and the world? That’s not a coincidence, that’s fate doing its thing.

The Look: Tudor Bodices, Alligator Shoes & Cat Cufflinks

Madeleine wore a gown by Kim Kassas, purchased at Mira Couture in Chicago.

“When I saw the gown, it immediately reminded me of Tudor era bodices,” Madeleine says. “Elizabeth I is one of my favorite historical figures, and I immediately fell in love.”

A history podcast host choosing a gown that channels Elizabeth I. The alignment is almost too perfect. Meanwhile, Josef went classic in a Ralph Lauren tuxedo with black alligator leather shoes.

But the detail that really got us? Josef had custom cufflinks made in the likeness of their two cats, Boss Man and Gary. This way, their cats could attend the wedding in spirit.

The wedding colors drew from a similarly personal place: Madeleine’s engagement ring is a green sapphire. The ring’s cool, jewel-toned palette influenced everything, chiefly the florals, which were white peonies in season with hints of greenery and soft pink for warmth.

When Madeleine was in college, she booked her parents’ first international trip to Paris for their 25th wedding anniversary. Her mom brought back a bottle of Chanel No. 5 as a thank-you gift. Madeleine saved that bottle for years and wore it as her wedding day perfume.

The Ceremony: Two Faiths, One Sister, Zero Dry Eyes

The ceremony was officiated by Josef’s sister. If that alone doesn’t already have you tearing up, read on.

“I grew up Catholic and Josef in the Syrian Orthodox Church, so it was important to us to weave together elements from both of our family faiths and cultures,” the bride says. “We met with Josef’s sister several times leading up to the wedding and then trusted her to shape the ceremony in a way that honored who we are. She crafted a ceremony that was moving, celebratory, and incredibly heartfelt, with just the right amount of humor. It felt like the perfect reflection of us.”

They incorporated traditional Catholic vows and wove in themes of family throughout. The result was a ceremony that felt less like a production and more like the most loving gathering of people who genuinely like each other.

The Music: Every Song Had a Story

These two are clearly the kind of people who think about everything, and the ceremony playlist was no exception.

“Music is very important to us, and we knew how it would affect the atmosphere,” the couple tells us.

Before entrances, they played Beige by Yoke Lore, a song written as a poem by the lead singer for his partner. Then Josef walked in to Raiders of the Lost Ark by the Vitamin String Quartet. Why? Because Madeleine has an archaeology degree, and, honestly, what is more romantic than your groom walking toward you to honor your academic passions?

And then Madeleine’s entrance: All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera, performed by the Midnite String Quartet. She grew up listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber with her parents, and this particular song was her parents’ first dance song at their own wedding. The couple played it as a surprise for them. There were certainly no dry eyes on that lawn in France.

The Food, The Fireworks & The After Party

The weekend kicked off with an Italian-style buffet, a nod to Josef’s heritage and to Ilaria’s Italian roots. Then the wedding dinner itself featured four courses: quail, foie gras, a cheese course, and in lieu of a traditional wedding cake, a profiterole tower.

After, the couple surprised their guests with a fireworks show over the chateau. And the after-party closer? Chimes and Carmen Ohio by The Ohio State University Marching Band, because Madeleine went to Ohio State for undergrad and Josef went there for law school. The Buckeye connection runs through this whole love story, and they sent their guests home on that note.

Their Advice for Couples Planning from Afar

Madeleine visited Chateau de Bournel with her mom about 18 months before the wedding. Josef was deep in his MBA program and couldn’t make the trip, so she went alone, assessed in winter, and trusted her gut. It was, as it turned out, exactly the right call.

“Our biggest piece of advice is to focus on what is important,” the couple says, “celebrating the beginning of your new life together with the people you love. Especially when you are doing a destination, you are giving up a lot of control. Make sure you trust the people who are helping you, and trust them to be able to make decisions without you.”

Madeleine and Josef also made sure their guests had plenty to do: golf on the property, snacks available between meals, multiple decks of cards (Madeleine comes from a serious euchre family, don’t come for her), a welcome dinner, and a day-after brunch. The goal was never just a wedding. It was a whole weekend that people would carry with them.

Vendors: Photography: Kismet Visuals & Co.; Venue & Cake: Chateau de Bournel; Wedding Planner: Ilaria at Chateau de Bournel; Wedding Gown Designer: Kim Kassas Couture; Wedding Gown Shop: Mira Couture; Groom’s Attire: Ralph Lauren; Videographer: Sandy Cluzaud; Beauty: Becky Minger; Wedding PR: Published + Pretty