Destination wedding - Patricia & Chris, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue France

April 1, 2020 In Garden, International, Latest Posts, Luxe, Real Weddings By Natalie Drum

Destination wedding – Patricia & Chris, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue France

Patricia and Chris loved the idea of being married in a French provincial setting, though not necessarily in the traditional sense. A breathtaking 350-year old villia located in the Luberon province of France saw their dreams come to life.

Patricia worked with incredible Australian designer, Paul of Paolo Sebastian, to truly wow in a sugar plum muted silver and mauve gown. Chris, in his deep aubergine velvet tuxedo, also looked the part and the romantic garden setting, where their surrounds and some sublime styling all combined to create a breathtaking celebration of their love.

This wedding is a show stopper, and it’s no wonder that behind the lens was the wonderful Katie Harmsworth.

The meeting.

Our meeting story is oh-so-90’s rom-com. We both worked in the same building and Chris (apparently had his eye on me since I started working there), happened to catch the same lift as me one day and flashed his gorgeous smile and sparkling blue eyes, we chatted, shortly followed by a coffee date and the rest is history!

The ‘one’.

We knew from the outset that this was a special relationship. We had similar passions and our future visions were aligned. Our loyalty and compassion for each other and our families showed that there was commitment and bond from the very beginning.

The proposal.

We were traveling to Scotland to visit Chris’s Family. It was my first time visiting Scotland so we had planned a road trip and to pop over to meet up with friends in London. I had absolutely no idea, but Chris had originally arranged a surprise trip to Paris where he had planned to propose. Although shortly after we arrived in Scotland we were staying at Gleneagles, which is a stunning hotel where we had a wonderful night of talking about our future together, passions and goals. With whiskey in hand perched by the fireplace, he proposed and then we jetted off to Paris. It was incredible.

The process.

We had a relatively simple planning process, obviously made easier with a planner who spoke the native language. We chose a destination wedding because we wanted our family and friends to have a memorable experience. Many of the guests put the wedding at the centre of an extended holiday, which also added to the vibe on the day. We decided to have our wedding celebration at Le Petit Hopital, a stunning 350-year-old Bastide (villa) located in the Luberon area of France. We visited the venue and explored the region. It was a really fun process as we had planned a trip to do a reccy prior to our wedding. We had such an amazing time food tasting and sampling wines, we knew we made the right decision and were very excited for the main event.

We had the chance to have a pre-wedding photoshoot which we had jumped on and planned to meet Katie Harmsworth, our Photographer in Paris. Chris suggested that we themed the shoot “the morning after the night before” which sets the scene of after a romantic night out in the city of lights, a young couple playfully enjoyed the empty street of Paris. We worked with Katie and discussed ideas, the process was incredibly memorable. We love how our photos are the story telling of our romantic journey of our wedding experience.

Overall, we loved the process, don’t get me wrong it was very stressful at times but it all came together perfectly.

Style inspiration.

We loved the idea of having a French provincial wedding, although not in the traditional sense. My mother is an artist and I took inspiration from art works of Cezanne and Caravaggio, who both use light to evoke mood and emotion. We both love the dramatic contrasts in dark and light in art and photography so we specifically chose our photographer Katie Harmsworth based on her eye for light and use of shadow. We wanted the theme to be rich with texture and soft lighting to provoke an immersive emotional experience. Our colour palette was a play of deep and muted colour tones with hints of clean whites in florals and table settings.

The look.

We had been looking at recent weddings on blogs and Instagram and wanted to do something different, but that was also not too trendy or fad-like. We saw a lot of wedding fashion choices that have been overdone or didn’t speak to our personalities, but we are so glad we landed where we did.

I knew early on I didn’t want to wear a white dress, I had a style and a colour in mind which was very far from the final dress. We travelled to Adelaide to visit the designer Paul Vasileff of Paolo Sebastian. I knew shortly after our first meeting that I wanted a custom designed Paolo Sebastian dress. Paul is warm and genuine, the whole experience with Paul and his team as Paolo Sebastian was incredible. I had originally wanted soft peach but when discussing colour with Paul he suggested that a cooler toned dress would suit my colouring. We had previously discussed a platinum white dress but I had to follow my gut and changed to his sugar plum muted silver mauve. It was a risky decision but I absolutely loved the final dress. Chris wore a deep aubergine velvet tuxedo which was picked specifically to complement my dress. He worked with the Sam and Reece from DRESD who developed and tailored his outfit to be impeccably detailed and looked fantastic.

Favourite moments.

There was a moment during the reception shortly after our ceremony when the band started to play “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”. At the time we were on opposite sides of the room we instantly locked in a loving gaze and rushed to each other and we shared our first dance. Very impromptu and passionate, our guests loved our performance and was very emotional.

Meaning of marriage.

The bond of commitment and understanding. Marriage is a lifelong commitment to love, inspire and grow together.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Bridesmaids – Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap

Aisle: Bride – Gabriel’s Oboe by Ennio Morricone

Recessional: Like an Animal by RUFUS DU SOL

First dance: Shallow by Lady Gaga

‘Real’ first dance: The Best Is Yet to Come by Frank Sinatra

Funny stories (or near disasters).

Oh wow, so many funny stories and near disasters. Aside from Chris’ parents and our photographer’s luggage being misplaced on arrival, and the premature champagne pop that near took out Catherine our Wedding Planner, the main near-disaster was that we gambled and decided not to have a tent as we wanted to utilise the courtyard of the villa for our reception dinner. Of course it rained, like really rained. My husband and the planner had to coordinate manpower to move furniture and relocate the reception inside. I remember while I was getting touch ups, gazing down at the courtyard where a few of the male guests had their sleeves rolled up moving furniture out and helping the catering staff.

Planning surprises.

Probably managing the budget, adding everything up ahead of time and understanding what your non-negotiables are. We were very lucky to have such a wonderful team of vendors and a fantastic wedding planner.

Words of wisdom.

Choose a photographer that speaks to your style and establish a rapport. Additionally, know that not everything will go to plan, be prepared to make the most of it, relax and have fun!

Like Patricia and Chris’ day, we have been lucky to feature some absolutely incredible wedding celebrations. For some of our favourites from over the years, head here.

PATRICIA & CHRIS’ TRIBE

Ceremony and reception: Le Petit Hopital, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France – https://www.lepetithopital.com/

Celebrant/Officiant: Miriam Hall

Photography: Katie Harmsworth

Styling: Isla and Smith Bespoke Weddings

Florist: Lilaswood

Hair: Chad Nicholson

Make-up: Bride

Gown and veil: Paolo Sebastian

Shoes: Valentino

Rings: AG Jewellery

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Revolve