An Intimate Summer Wedding at a Private Château in Burgundy

The ceremony was held in the gardens, with the château and Burgundy countryside as the backdrop. Haley walked down the long gravel allée between the topiary before joining Tyler in front of their 45 guests. The floral arrangements were kept soft and natural, so that nothing distracted from the setting. Once the ceremony ended, the same part of the garden was transformed for the evening reception.

Cocktails were served in the château gardens, giving guests time to enjoy the estate before dinner. For Haley and Tyler the point of the weekend was a real experience of Burgundy: French food and wine, and plenty of time together throughout the celebrations.

With 45 guests the weekend stayed small. Juno Photo advises couples marrying abroad to keep the list small enough that everyone can live on the property. A weekend spent together is a different thing from a single event people fly in for.

After the ceremony the same part of the garden was completely transformed for dinner, so the setting the guests had just sat in met them again in an entirely different form as evening arrived. The table ran along the central axis of the garden, dressed with textured linen, seasonal flowers and candles. Maison Pignol served dinner outdoors as the last of the daylight went over the estate.

Later in the evening, after the toasts, their parents brought them onto the gravel for a dance. The celebrations continued outside with sparklers and an ice cream cart before Haley and Tyler left in a vintage car belonging to the château's owners.

The design took its cues from the château and the gardens around it. Soft neutrals, muted greens, seasonal flowers, textured linens and candlelight complemented the setting. Instead of matching gowns, Haley asked her bridal party to wear different shades of green and blue. The mix of tones gave the group a layered, organic look that worked with the gardens.

Fleuriste Delaveau worked with seasonal blooms sourced from the region, arranging them in a loose, natural style. Because the flowers were bought locally, the money stayed with growers in Burgundy, and the arrangements belonged to the place they were standing in.

One of the reception details was kept as a surprise. The design team had custom textured linens made for the tables without telling Haley and Tyler, who saw them for the first time on the day. The linens became one of their favourite details of the wedding.

The family's connection to La Chassagne made it a particularly personal place to celebrate. That friendship had begun with the exchange and outlasted it by years. Coming back to marry there carried a meaning that no search of château wedding venues in Burgundy could have returned.

Haley and Tyler had visited the estate a year before the wedding, during the same trip as their engagement session in Paris. Haley's parents were part of that visit too. Walking the grounds, they saw the spaces that would later hold each part of their wedding.

Across the day the estate held everything: the ceremony overlooking the countryside, cocktails in the gardens and dinner along the garden's central axis. Each part used a different aspect of La Chassagne while keeping guests within the same private estate.