[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]Antic pink, corals, orange, white[/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]The bride really wanted a bright colored design mixing rustic and modernity with wooden table and peps florals with a touch of gold.
The color palette was in the tones of pinks, corals and orange.[/field]
[field title=”Proposal Story”]In late 2019, the two started planning a trip to Brussels, Paris, and Prague for the following February. Victoria offered to organize Airbnbs and flights, ensuring that they would be in Paris for a particularly romantic holiday. Little did she know that Ryan was simultaneously doing his own planning to ensure everything was perfect for that day. Upon arrival in Paris early in the morning on February 13, they went straight to Disneyland for a magical day. The next morning, Valentine’s Day, they visited a café in the 16th Arrondissement for a coffee and a pastry (Ryan’s breakfast of choice) before walking around the city. It wasn’t until they reached the banks of the Seine River, with the perfect view of the Eiffel Tower in the background, that Ryan got on one knee and proposed. It was an even more magical day filled with happy tears, croissants, incredible food, and still-vivid memories. They made the most of their time in all three cities, not realizing that their world would turn upside down less than a month later due to the Covid Pandemic.[/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]
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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]
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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]
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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]Victoria wore a beautiful gown designed and created by Moonlight Bridal.[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”][/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Ryan wore an elegant tuxedo created by SUit Supply where he worked several years ago.[/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]
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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]
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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]
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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]”The drinks are on us, the hangover is on you” sign says everything, cocktails were colorful. Spritz is definitely the best !
For this very special celebration, private chef George Winterford created a timeless menu.
It all started with a crispy soft egg with salad lyonnaise & truffled Vinaigrette.
Guests had three options concerning the main course :
° Filet Mignon with red wine sauce, truffled pomme purée & pearl onions
° Filet of organic salmon, citrus leeks, rattle potatoes & shellfish bisque
° Summer squash tandoori with turmeric onion beignets & pilau rice[/field]
[field title=”Florals & Decor”]Lilas Wood used a lot of different flowers in terms or variety and colors giving this gorgeous result.[/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]Victoria & Ryan chose the typical French Dessert, a Croquembouche Tower, to celebrate their love ![/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”][/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Victoria grew up in Montréal, Québec, Canada and moved to Southern California at the age of 15. Ryan was born in San Diego, California and lived in both Northern and Southern California, Seattle, and Washington, DC (where his parents have lived since) before moving back to Southern California for college.
Victoria and Ryan met in the undergraduate dining hall, and he was interested in interviewing her for a linguistics class project. The two quickly became inseparable, and a few months later, they spent Memorial Day weekend in 2011 together at Disneyland. They finally became official boyfriend and girlfriend on the Little Mermaid Ride, after it unexpectedly broke down at the perfect moment.
In 2012, only a few short months into their relationship, they flew out to the east coast to enjoy each other’s company during winter break. They started in Washington, DC, where they played tourist, met Ryan’s family, and explored the vibrant capital area. A few days into the trip, however, and almost on impulse, they booked the least expensive route north to Montréal to visit Victoria’s extended family. Ryan, a much more naïve traveler at the time, thought the climates would be similar and packed few layers prior to their departure from Union Station. Sixteen hours later, they disembarked Amtrak’s Adirondack service in Montréal’s Gare Centrale to windchills of -15F and howling winds. While it was the first of many culture shocks, Ryan quickly grew fond of the area and, with only a few words of French in his vocabulary, loved his visit to the city.
From fraternity formals to weekend trips in Las Vegas, Victoria and Ryan became college sweethearts. However, they didn’t pick up the “travel bug” until after they graduated. Their first big trip together was a month-long backpacking trip in 2015 across (where else?) the many regions of France. While most others their age opted for trips across Europe without staying in a city, or even a country, for more than a few days, they sought to dive deep and learn as much as they could. And they did – they visited dozens of cities, prioritizing UNESCO World Heritage sites, world-famous wine regions, places significant to Victoria’s family history, and anywhere with good food. The trip also inspired Ryan to start formally learning French, kicking off years of formal classes and informal practice.
In the years to come, Ryan and Victoria would continue to travel in the same spirit, often sticking to one country, making impromptu plans, and letting their interest in trying new foods (e.g., India) guide the way. However, after a few years, Victoria made sure to schedule hair and nail appointments before any big trip – after all, proposals can happen anywhere! Future trips took them through the rolling hills of Tuscany, atop stunning observation decks in Taipei and Tokyo, and along the postcard beaches of Costa Rica and Vietnam. Each was more memorable than the last, but one detail remained missing.[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]Why France?
Of all the places we’ve been, it’s our favorite place to return to! In 2015, we spent our first trip together backpacking France for a month, visiting over 35 cities. Returning every few years for visits, Ryan became mostly fluent in French, while Victoria speaks French (due to her upbringing in Montréal). On Valentines Day in 2020, Ryan proposed in front of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately due to covid, our engagement would end up being prolonged. We knew we wanted to celebrate our wedding in France from early on since it’s where we explored together for the first time, fell in love, shared the language and the place where we were eventually engaged. Even though the travel borders were still closed, we booked our venue and began to plan from abroad. We knew we wanted our celebration to be more than a 6 hour wedding like in the US. We had envisioned a multi day event where we could share the experience of the beauty, culture, and food that France has to offer, that we fell in love with. [/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″]Why Chateau de Varennes?
Though we had previously visited multiple potential venues in France, none fit all of our needs. During the pandemic, we booked a FaceTime visit with Château de Varennes and fell in love. It was the perfect mix of classic and modern. It had a wide array of amenities that we were eager to share with our guests, who would be spending a few days with us on-site. It hosted the perfect backdrop for our ceremony, with dreamy additions like nearby horses and a beautiful lavender field. We loved that the Château was not only able to accommodate most of our guests, but was also a truly historic property with over 400 years of lineage.[/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]
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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Weekend Events”]
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Photography: Thomas Audiffren | Cinematography: Jino Agnelli | Event Planning: Peony Moments | Floral Design: Lilas Wood | Gown: Moonlight Bridal | Stationery: Shine Wedding Invitations | Ceremony Venue: Chateau de Varennes | Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes | Catering: Privat chef George Winterford | Make up: Annette Thornton | Hair: AM Coiffure | DJ: ABP Evenements | Cuff links: Kent Wang | Menus: Cain and Co Stationary | Rentals: Joli Bazaar | Save the date: NZL Studio | Second photographer: JD Bascio Photography | Signage: Monique Paper Art | Tuxedo & shoes: Suit Supply