photos by Sarah Falugo; planned by Mon Plus Beau Jour
“Is this night for real?”
We must have asked each other the question at least 10 times throughout the magical evening that was spent in the shadow of the French chateau where our very own Chanel and her fiancé Eric would be getting married the following day. The perfectly manicured hedges, endless trays filled with hors d’oeuvres, and cool breezes that blew across the castle grounds – all set to a perfect soundtrack of clinking champagne glasses and guests’ laughter — left us transfixed in a fairy tale haze. Of course, after seeing the photos from the entire wedding weekend we couldn’t keep all this goodness to ourselves, so when Vogue.com came calling, we shared an exclusive look at Chanel’s wedding that took place the next day. The only thing I love more than a fantasy French cocktail party? Seeing two of my favorite humans on earth pledge their love to each other. Hop on over to Vogue.com to see how it all unfolded, and keep scrolling for the highlights from the night before, along with commentary from Chanel…
PS – don’t miss the insanely gorgeous pre-wedding picnic we shared yesterday!
“Chateau du Grand-Lucé is located 45 minutes from Paris by train. The stunning property sits in the heart of its namesake village, Le Grand-Lucé. Here, a view from one of the chateau bedrooms.”
“One side of the stunning great room. It’s totally grand, but the serene decor and deep sofas make it cozy and inviting.”
“My family were able to stay at the chateau throughout the entire weekend. Here they are en route to our rehearsal cocktail party.”
“I love everything about this dress. With a pattern that’s reminiscent of French Blue Bouquet China, I worried it might be too literal, but in the end it felt just right.”
“Eric and I at our rehearsal.”
“I’m glad our photographer Sarah joined us at the ceremony rehearsal. This candid shot of our family kicking back totally transports me to the moment.
“Walking from the rehearsal to the cocktail party, where the rest of our guests were waiting.”
“The cocktail party took place in the chateau’s Exotic Garden. Compared to the perfectly trim and manicured landscaping on the rest of the property, this garden is more wild and overgrown.”
“Passed hors d’oeuvres were served, plus we had this panini station where pressed veggie sandwiches were made to order.”
“Bubbly was a must, of course. After enjoying Le Grand Courtage‘s rosé and brut all weekend long, many of our friends now refuse to drink anything else. It’s seriously the best.”
“Was it a cocktail party or was it a photo shoot? Guests couldn’t resist the photo opps at every turn.”
“I love this shot of my stunning friend, Jade.”
“Just off the garden is The Orangerie. The beautiful space is where the lemon trees hibernate in the winter, but on our wedding night, it served as the space where our reception would take place.”
“We wanted to keep the speeches to a minimum, as both Eric and I have been to rehearsal dinners where toasts dragged on for hours. My not-so-little brother kicked things off.”
“My sweet dad enjoying the evening.”
“All throughout the speeches, I kept looking over at Eric’s beautiful sister, Eve. She and I are both total crybabies, so I knew that whenever I’d tear up at something cheesy, I could find her doing the same and not feel so bad about myself.”
“Three of our dearest friends had birthdays fall on our wedding weekend, and since I love birthdays, I had to seize the opportunity. After the toasts, we surprised the boys with a meter-long cake and sang happy birthday to them. I think I may have enjoyed the moment more than they did!”
“For one last surprise of the evening (that even Eric knew nothing about!), my Israeli family coordinated a henna. Middle Eastern music played on blast and costumes seemed to appear out of nowhere. Doesn’t Eric look amazing in a fez?”
“My aunts brought out platters of Moroccan sweets.”
“My grandmother holding the henna, while family danced around her holding sweets.”
“We didn’t have a henna artist, but guests had a blast pressing the natural dye onto the palms of their hands.”
See photos from Chanel and Eric’s wedding picnic here, and head over to Vogue.com for all the wedding day details!
