Parisian weddings are the end all, be all of romantic “I do’s” – and this stunning affair held at the breathtaking Shangri-La Paris? Most definitely delivers on the WOW. Think a talented team of vendors (hello, Et Voila Weddings, Madame Artisan Fleuriste, and French Grey Events), a beautiful gold and blush color palette and a candlelit ceremony that will make your hearts happy. See every mesmerizing image captured by Catherine O’Hara right here in THE VAULT.
From Et Voila Weddings… Nicole and John came to us with an idea of planning a romantic, classic and elegant wedding in Paris. They had gotten engaged there a few weeks earlier and it was quite clear for them that Paris was where they wanted to say their “I Do’s.”
For this intimate destination wedding and these Paris lovers, it was clear to us that we needed to find a venue that was part of the city’s heritage, an historical Parisian venue. After looking at a few luxury hotels, museums and hotels, Nicole and John chose the Shangri La’s historical rooms to hold their special day. As they could not fly to Paris before the wedding, we sent them a lot of photos and they made their choice from pictures and trusting our knowledge of each venue.
Nicole had a clear idea of her colour palette from the start: she wanted natural tones, creams and whites. As the dinner table linen was going to be white, we agreed to add a bit of blush flowers to the arrangements to make them stand out a bit more. The florist did a great job on sourcing the perfect tones, especially the ranunculus which were perfect and encapsulating the whole colour palette on one flower.
At the Shangri La, ceremonies are usually held in one of their salons. Nicole was not very excited about the ceremony space available, and while on a logistical site visit we thought the rotunda (which is a large landing space) was a gorgeous space and definitely a great one for a ceremony, with its large stained glass, marbles and sculptures. It had never been done before and fortunately the venue agreed, as well as the couple. They had a truly unique, never done before wedding ceremony!
The couple was conscious that their party was quite small, and they had at heart to make sure that everyone would be entertained. During cocktails reception we arranged a photo booth with lovely Parisian props (huge success) and a caricaturist, like the ones you find in Montmartre. The guests loved it and all of them had their caricature made, to take home with them!
During dinner a band played some French oldies and some gipsy jazz music, which created the perfect chic, Parisian yet relaxed atmosphere the couple was after for their dinner reception.
At midnight, we planned a surprise group photo with sparklers at the exact time the Eiffel tower started to sparkle. It was magical!
Photography: Catherine O'Hara Photography | Event Planning: Et Voila Weddings | Floral Design: MADAME Artisan Fleuriste | Dress: Michal Medina | Cake: Shangri La | Stationery : Paper And Honey | Makeup: Charles Gillman | Hair: Ciara Coiffure | Grooms Suit: YSL Pour Homme Tuxedo | Celebrant: French Grey Events | String Quartet: Wedding Music in France | Venue: Shangri La | Grooms Bowtie: Tom Ford | Grooms Tuxedo Buttons and Cufflinks: David Donahue | Jazz Quartet: Octave & Anatole | Menu/Placecards/Programmes: Every Little Something | Photobooth: Sharingbox