Duchess Satin and a Fully Draped Ceiling at Château Gassies, Bordeaux

Serena wore Danielle by Savannah Miller, a pearl duchess-satin gown with off-shoulder sculptural sleeves and hidden corsetry, cut to a flattering angled silhouette. The modern details did the talking: a bold side split, deep pockets and a dramatic pleated train.

Her bridal look stayed clean and modern, in step with the wider vision the couple had set for the day. Her makeup was done by one of her close friends, which made the morning more sentimental. The bridesmaids were in green, and Simon and his groomsmen were in black tie, a formal line that would carry through to the evening.

The ceremony was the emotional centre of the day: Serena's brother officiated, which folded family straight into the vows, and a live classical duo played underneath. What the couple remember is the balance, heartfelt moments sitting alongside lightness, with laughter and tears shared freely in the same few minutes. That mix set the tone for everything after it. For a wedding built around atmosphere and emotion, this was where the intention became real, and the cocktails, the speeches and the late dancing all took their cue from it.

A live singing duo played through cocktail hour while French Barmen ran the bar. This part of the day was deliberate: the couple had built a destination weekend for guests travelling in. Looking after those guests shaped the whole celebration, and after a ceremony that ran heavy on emotion, the hour worked as a release.

Dinner was where the design declared itself: the couple had the reception hall fully draped by Drap.d, ceiling and all, which turned the room into something close and immersive. A close friend acted as MC, and speeches from people who knew the couple well kept the emotional thread from the ceremony running through the toasts. Then the night changed gear: Truly Medley Deeply played, the dance floor filled and stayed full, and the energy carried through until late. It was the payoff the couple had designed for.

The design held to one idea, a modern-classic look on a clean white palette with soft green accents, kept understated so it created atmosphere without overpowering the rooms. The defining gesture was the draped ceiling, which lifted the whole evening, and the florals followed the same restraint. Working in whites and greens, La Bicyclette Bordeaux designed for movement and softness, so the arrangements enhanced the venue without crowding it. The furniture came from Our Fabulous Things, and the couple chose feeling over decoration throughout.

Château Gassies sits just outside Bordeaux, and the couple chose it for the flexibility a multi-day celebration needs. Each part of the weekend used the estate differently, from open-air moments looking out over the countryside to a reception space transformed indoors.

That range is the appeal. It let the couple move between relaxed and formal without sending guests off-site, and it carried a second day of pizza truck and DJ as readily as a black-tie dinner. The estate sits among the chateau wedding venues near Bordeaux that draw couples to a destination wedding in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.