Chic, modern fall wedding in the South of France

If you're after inspiration for an effortlessly glamourous wedding style, look no further! This minimal yet modern & chic celebration of Emmie & Jon's in the South of France has a warm and approachable style – a direct reflection of the French countryside. Captured by MARION HEURTEBOUST the couple went for a mix and match style with several shades of blush for the bridal party and a romantic courtyard reception with lights strung over the dinner tables. Planned & designed by FÊTE IN FRANCE, it was held at CHÂTEAU DE MALLIAC which offered the perfect venue covered in foliage and a backdrop of rolling hills and flowers as far as the eye could see.

HOW DID YOU MEET? Our paths crossed in the humid Beijing summer. After awkward first impressions in an elevator, Jon found every excuse to spend time after office hours in my company. One night, I gave Jon a lift back to his hotel on my red scooter, and after driving the wrong way up traffic, over sidewalks and beeping at pedestrians, it suddenly hit Jon what he was missing in his life: the chance to adventure (and maybe get a little lost) with someone by his side.

Despite the long distance between Montreal and Beijing, we fuelled our whirlwind romance by talking almost every morning and night. We took trips around the globe just to spend time together — before settling down in our current home, San Francisco.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL: Jon surprised me on our 6 year anniversary by proposing on the Sonoma Coast on a beautiful summer day. We were picnicking with two of our closest friends, who turned out to be Jon’s secret co-conspirators. Jon got me to stand by a scenic spot under the guise of taking a photo — and that’s when he asked me to marry him! It was the best surprise ever: I’m pretty sure I didn’t stop smiling for weeks after. 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS LOCATION: The first time we visited France together, there was this immediate and visceral connection we felt to the land. We kept coming back, and each time it felt more magical — so we just knew we wanted to get married there. Our dream was to whisk everyone away to a cozy chateau for a weekend of celebrations with our nearest and dearest. After a few months of googling — yes, we found our venue on Google and booked it sight unseen — we found exactly what we were looking for. Just like love, when you know, you know.

TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS: Dress shopping was one of my favourite parts! I thoroughly enjoyed trying on all poofy, sparkly things with tulle. In the end, I went with a simple strapless Vera Wang because I felt like the best version of myself — which is exactly how I wanted to feel on my wedding day. You want to wear the dress, and not have the dress wear you. I also fell in love with the detachable sheer sleeves, which I donned for my second look. I don’t know how brides change so many times — I wanted to wear mine for as long as possible! So for the reception I let my hair down, popped on dangly earrings and added the sleeves for an extra oomph. 

DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY ELEMENTS: I designed our invite suite with a dear friend of mine — she even drew the flower line drawing and created a special e & j logo that we used on several different elements. We also really wanted to give our guests something special and representative of us as a couple. We’re huge believers in the power of gathering over meals with loved ones, and often host dinners with friends and family. So I made a cookbook of our tried and true recipes that we love to make for our favourite people, in the hope that it will bring a little bit of us with them into their homes.

DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: The flowers were inspired by the warm, earth-toned palette I pi
cked for the bridesmaids dresses. I also really liked the idea of fresh flowers mixed with dried palms, pampas and other dried grasses. I wanted the table decoration to be elegant but not overdone, so we made sure that there was breathing space between the arrangements.

FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: I wore these gold dangly A.B. Ellie earrings for my second look that were dainty and perfect. Unfortunately, I had so much fun dancing the night away that I lost them by the end of the night! I guess that’s a sign of a great party, right?

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING: Find a wedding planner that you click with and who understands your vision, because they will bring wedding of your dreams to life! Don’t sweat the small stuff — your family and friends are here for you. And finally, enjoy every second.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Emmie: I remember this moment during dinner, when I stopped and just absorbed everything that was happening around us. Our friends and family, many of whom had never met before, were laughing and joking like one big happy family and realising they were all here for us — it was the most magical feeling in the world. 

Jon: That perfect moment when I turned around to see Emmie in her dress for the first time: she looked absolutely stunning.

ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT HELP TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DAY: I was so nervous on the actual wedding day that I couldn’t even write! My bridesmaid had to help me write my vows into my notebook because my handwriting was so illegible that day. We grew up together and used to pass each other notes in school, so it was calming to see her handwriting when I read my vows to Jon. 

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR HONEYMOON: We love traveling and have always imagined taking a long honeymoon so knowing that, we opted for a minimoon. We spent a few nights exploring Marrakech and stayed at Scarabeo Camps for a night in the desert. Our eyes and bellies were full from the vibrant culture and delicious tagines — and our skin never felt softer after experiencing a traditional Hammam. I also picked up a gorgeous rug that now reminds me of our minimoon every day.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE OR DO DIFFERENTLY? Not a thing, it was more than I could have ever imagined.