This intimate chateau wedding is everything we love about destination weddings. Filled with a lavender and rose color palette, and an epic champagne tower to pay homage to the Champagne region where the event took place, Before the Moon planned and designed this special day to perfection. Soft, colorful floral installations by Linda Champenois have us feeling like we’re walking through a fairytale. Sophie Epton Photography captured every elegant detail exquisitely in her imagery, take a closer look at all the lovely in the full gallery.
From the beautiful bride…Truth be told, we knew where we’d get married even before we were officially engaged. Champagne, France, holds a special place in our hearts because it’s where we actually went on our “second date.” I happened to be in Europe for a friend’s wedding and had planned a solo wine tasting trip to Champagne. Little did I know I’d meet my future husband just days before that trip – and that he’d spontaneously fly halfway across the world to join me for a life-changing weekend!
We got engaged during the pandemic and wanted to play it safe with a small wedding. And since it’d be small, we figured, why not make a whole destination weekend out of it? Chateau de Mairy has a really authentic, pseudo-bohemian-farmhouse vibe to it – even though the 17th century mansion is immaculately preserved. We wanted something old-world but not opulent – something elegant but endlessly intimate. It was important that we took the weekend to celebrate not only us, but all of the birthdays, milestones and moments that we had missed the past two years. It felt particularly poignant that each of our guests blessed our rings during the ceremony, as a symbol of our collective commitment to the life that we are building.
We knew we had to have a great, France-based planner, and Tatiana was the centerpiece of this journey. She understood the vision for our 3 day weekend immediately, and helped us orchestrate the mood from our pig-roast “sangeet” to the black tie reception. It ended up raining during our dinner, but that only added to the misty romance of the candlelight table arrangements. We were absolutely floored by the flowers, the food (oyster bar!), our band, and of course, the champagne tower. Each of our vendors felt like an extension of a dream-team and in doing so, allowed us to be fully present and enjoy each and every moment.
From Sophie Epton Photography… Our bride wanted a romantic wedding with lots of lavender touches, and Tatiana with Before the Moon planned and designed her vision to perfection for 40 of their closest friends flying in from all over the US, Canada, and Europe. Guests enjoyed a welcome bag that included local treats from villages nearby handpicked by the couple to kick off the weekend. On the morning of their wedding, the bride spent her time getting ready with her best friends and slipping on her amazing asymmetrical ruffled wedding dress while the groom spent a slow morning with family and enjoying a few sips of local wine of course! Their first look was so sweet and intimate, followed by a portrait session with all the smiles and laughs.
The ceremony was set with a gorgeous floral arch by Linda Champenois, with sweetheart chairs, lavender pillows, and ground florals that added a whimsical touch to this intimate wedding, followed by a petal recessional that only added joy to the “Just Married” energy! Guests enjoyed the champagne bar and fresh oysters during cocktail hour before the couple did their own “champagne tower” pour which was so much fun!
Before the Moon and Linda Champenois set up one long, gorgeous table in front of the chateau for dinner, full of soft colorful blooms, gold flatware, organic paper menus, and crystal glassware that added such a classic, romantic feel to the evening. While guests dined on their first and second courses, the unpredictable Champagne weather showed up with a downpour of rain, but E & C – our lovely bride and groom – took it in stride, eventually moving all of their guests inside for a cozy hour of cake and speeches. Dancing commenced under a tent outside, where the bride changed into her second crystal-embellished dress and danced the night away with her handsome groom and guests.
Photography: Sophie Epton Photography | Videography: Studio 80 | Event Planning & Design: Before the Moon | Floral Design: Linda Champenois | Event Rentals: Evenement Objet | French Chateau: Chateau De Mairy | Rentals: Maison options | Styling Details: The Flatlay Design