Inspiration

We were completely and utterly tickled pink when Emma of Epic Love Story Photography popped this immense French wedding in our inbox. Real bride and groom, Hannah and Benjamin have bags of style looking absolutely fierce in a feather wedding dress and black tie tailormade suit. Their sense of style and attention to detail doesn't end at the fashion though, they also shipped amazing wedding decor they DIYed themselves from the UK to France, as well as a full Welsh choir to entertain their wedding guests. What a treat! Once you've poured over the pictures, make sure you take a moment to swoon over the film too.

What Made Our Day Unique

God I’m not sure, I (Han) can’t really pinpoint one exact thing, my fella surprised me with a Welsh choir which was absolutely incredible, they blew everyone away! However, I think it was probably more so the venue, Chateau Grimaldi, we wanted something different and we wanted a garden party vibe so everything outside, so our whole day was set amongst the ruins of a French chateau. The venue was incredible. We dined outside next to a chateau and the remaining ruins by fairy lights and candles and then partied through the night inside an old chapel.

Hannah & Benjamin

Feather Wedding Dress

Real bride Hannah struggled to find a dress that was right for her. She wanted that Carrie Bradshaw couture bridal shoot moment, trying on lots of designer gowns, but none of them were giving her that 'the one' feeling. That’s when she knew she wanted to design her own wedding dress and enlisted the help of Welsh bridal designer Stephanie Allin. It was the perfect complement to her Welsh husband-to-be and it meant it would be one of a kind. And boy is it! The skirt is covered in ostrich feathers and the bodice is very reminiscent of Miss Bradshaw's Vivienne Westwood number. She looks Stella! And to finish off her amazing look, she added the cutest pair of bridal boots.

Planning & Diy

We chose all our suppliers, it was more difficult with it being an overseas wedding, as the style of the French is slightly different to that of what I was trying to achieve. So certain things such as neon lights, metallic gold geometric table numbers and place cards were all driven over. My old man is really good at making things, so he made our 3m2 hexagonal photo backdrop in wood and sprayed it gold for me and added to the load travelling from the UK to France. I purchased the hard copy of Rock My Wedding, Your Day Your Way, as soon as I got engaged. I used it for inspiration when deciding the direction I wanted to take our big day alongside good old Pinterest of course, and I have now passed it on to a friend.

Hannah & Benjamin

Inspiration & Styling

For us, it was all about the celebrations alongside the formalities as we had to do our legal paperwork back in the UK. So from start to finish, we wanted music, music, music and entertainment. We wanted everyone to have a great time celebrating with us. From the beginning we thought f*** it, it’s our wedding let’s go all out for this! So we went somewhere between glam, pretty, fun, French, black and gold! My bouquet had metallic leaves, black tulips and lilies! Think that sums up the styling of the day really.

Hannah & Benjamin
{Watch The Film}

Capturing The Day

It’s crazy... enjoy it if you can, don’t let it stress you out or create arguments with your partner! I wanted every finer detail to be just right but on the day all that really matters are the fundamentals. Get an amazing photographer and get an equally amazing videographer! These guys matter! .It flies by and you will relive your day through them. So make sure they are everything and more! Our photos are incredible, we can’t stop looking at them.

Hannah & Benjamin
If you're searching for the perfect photographer or videographer to capture your special day, search our handpicked supplier directory, The List, for the very best near you and beyond now. And, if you're thinking of having your own destination wedding, we can highly recommend giving our Destination Weddings and Where to Start Podcast a listen for lots of help and advice on planning a wedding abroad.
Lorna Shaw

Written by Lorna Shaw

Featured suppliers

Videographer: Jose Botella | Venue: Chateau Grimaldi | Marquee: Be Lounge | Food : Citron Pavot | Florist: Damour et de deco | Entertainment : After Hours Swing | This is Monka | Sax Max | Planner/Stylist: MC2 Mon Amour | Decor & Hire: Maison Options | Celebrant: Celia and Trevor Drummond | Choir: Côr CF1 | Wedding Dress: Stephanie Allen | Bridal Boutique: Frances Day Bridal | Fashion Accessories: Burt and Gurt Jewelley | Bridal Shoes: ASOS | Hair: Sarah Johanne | Makeup: Anan Makeup Studio | Bridesmaid Dresses: Jarlo | Nazz Collection | Grooms Suit: Moss Bros. Tailor Made | Gift List: Prezola

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