This French fairytale come to life will have you falling in love with the idea of a destination wedding. Krissy Campbell planned a day inspired by the rich history of Europe telling a tale of travel, culture, and the beauty of exploring new places. The color palette is filled with late summer and early fall tones that beautifully compliment the stunning grounds of Chateau de Villette. Exquisite floral vignettes by Veronique Lorre seamlessly connect each space and weave the story together. Each elegant image by bonphotage is a true work of art, you take a closer look at all the lovely in the full gallery.
From Krissy Campbell… We’d been dying to showcase the intimacy and timelessness of a Paris wedding for a dream couple “Lauren and James” for months before COVID, and we finally were able to get the chance to make this lovely celebration come true as destination celebrations and travel begin to return in full swing. I couldn’t wait to create around the natural elements and history of the Chateau, while also speaking to current topics of connection, thoughtful celebration, intimate post-COVID weddings, fashion, and travel at this stunning location. Destination celebrations often encompass an entire week or more of events and connections with loved ones surrounding the wedding day. I wanted to showcase the versatility and options that a venue like Chateau de Villette provided to a couple like Lauren and James, who could not only marry at the Chateau but also utilize it’s amenities all week long for activities, meals, relaxation, and more with their nearest and dearest friends and family. For this, we decided to showcase a few vignettes throughout the property both inside and outside – primarily a ceremony and two tablescapes showcasing different locations on the premises, yet cohesive designs for the couple’s aesthetic. To bring the vignettes to life, we decided on an autumn wedding date and, again, played to the chateau and its surroundings. I chose a color palette with late summer and early fall tones and a touch of metallic and neutrals, keeping in line with the fine art aesthetic while adding both personal touches and pops of color. I described the couple and their ideal celebration with descriptors such as “European-inspired, authentic, historic, refined, romantic, intimate, sophisticated, delicate yet bold, simply textured, hopeful, artistic, organic, timeless, and cultured.”
We also wanted to create a story for Lauren and James that could be reflected in the experience and details of their time at the Chateau. This is the story of a couple with a love for travel and culture. They want to reflect their connection to the natural and European architecture while inspiring their guests to discover for themselves perspectives and stories beyond their own – to see from someone else’s “window”. To celebrate places and people that may surprise, challenge and inspire. Their celebration speaks of their desire to use their travels and privilege to connect themselves and others to the innate beauty found in places and people wherever they go. All of this gave us a wonderful foundation to work with as we designed the experience. We began to connect with professionals that could beautifully bring these elements and values to life. We worked with the incredibly talented floral designer, Veronique Lorre, to create stunning floral vignettes that flowed naturally throughout each space – from a show-stopping ceremony arch outside in the back Chateau courtyard to the tablescapes flowing with pops of softly toned florals and candles. She also created the most romantic bouquet for Lauren, just perfectly sized for her and her delicate yet bold statement gowns by IlGiardino Fiorito delle Spose and Metal Flaque along with her soft bridal hair, makeup, and jewelry. The touch of florals and these lovely delicate details perfectly enhanced the already stunning natural landscape and architecture. The color palette softly played off tones of autumn and the subtle tones both outside and inside the Chateau. We had so much fun weaving these together. From the antiqued chairs perfectly fit to the era of the Chateau to the subtly textured linens, the most natural pieces held the guest tables together while the pops of deeper color came through in the florals, place settings, warm-toned candles, and blue paper details.
The invitations, day-of stationery by Ciarra Claire was a truly personal touch as each guest received a velvet deep blue menu on the indoor tablescape in addition to a personal hand-calligraphed place card. Subtle natural and crest designs and a sketching of the Chateau in the invites and paper goods gave a nod to the inspiration found in the location and its surroundings as well. The pops of gold in the flatware and blue in the china brought a true nod to the clean, yet elegant look of the Orangerie. The outdoor tablescape followed suit with the floral yet kept to an even more neutral base while building toward the pops of color found at its center, as a whole acting as a natural ornament to the already captivating property. The backdrop of the Chateau with the lake, trees, and garden in view was the perfect spot for an outdoor reception or soiree surrounding the wedding day. We also wanted to ensure that we captured the couple taking special moments for themselves throughout the experience. This is one of my top priorities as a planner and designer – to provide our couples with not only a stunning space but the ability to cherish the beauty of the moments together both alone and with their guests. The bride and groom were captured throughout the Chateau both in their private room but also in the sitting and dining rooms as they awaited their guests and celebrations to begin. We were also able to capture the iconic outdoor locations of the property as Lauren and James showcased both their love and their fun-loving personalities. As you can see through the beautifully captured photos and video from the bonphotage team, each detail of the celebration and experience at Chateau de Villette was thoughtful from beginning to end. The aesthetic and beauty was only heightened by the intimate moments between them and the intentional touches added for themselves and their loved ones. We hope this project inspires a timeless, yet highly personal and intentional approach to the celebration at a destination that fits a couple’s love, values, and journey together!
Photography: bonphotage | Floral Design: Véronique Lorre | Wedding Dress: Metal Flaque Paris | Wedding Dress: il giardino fiorito delle spose | stationary: Ciarra Claire Fine Art | jewelry: Lindsay Marie Design | Groom's Attire: maison faubourg | Planning: Krissy Campbell | Rentals: Vaiselle Vintage | chateau de villette: chateau de villette