Good morning folks, today we are heading to the famously glamorous stretch of southeastern France on the Mediterranean coast for a sweet French Riviera wedding day of childhood sweethearts Natalie & Gordon.
We are hopeless romantics here at FWS and can’t get enough of todays gorgeous French Riviera Wedding Day! N&G’s day even included not one but two FWS vendors.
Creating delicious treats for all the guests was FWS vendor Chef a Domicile who are based in the South of France and offer their clients an exceptional service. “My clients desires and ultimate satisfaction are my first priority.”
There to capture their beautiful day on film was talented FWS vendor and videographer Story Cabin Wedding Films who capture weddings all over the UK and abroad. “We pride ourselves on capturing raw moments with a discreet and unobtrusive approach”. To start todays feature here is their romantic wedding film…
“One day in April 2015 he came home from work and gave me an invitation with ‘New York New York’ across the front! He had organised a surprise trip; I have always wanted to go and was so excited. Two weeks later we were walking round Central Park and he was being really strange and distant and I was about to have a massive strop about how he was ‘ruining’ the experience but then he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him! I burst into tears obviously! We celebrated that night on the roof of our hotel, drinking champagne looking up at the Empire State Building.” 
“As soon as we became engaged all we could talk about was our wedding. We knew we wanted to do something different from the traditional formulaic English wedding. We also knew we wanted something small with our closest family and friends around us, as I think the intimacy can be lost when there are lots of people.” 
“As a couple we had visited the French Riviera several times and loved the romance of the area. When looking for venues there were lots of big grand Chateaux but I wanted something that was very Provencal, and being outside with olive groves, lavender fields and vineyards near by was my idea of heaven. Bastide Saint Mathieu ticked all our boxes; it is a magnificent 18th century manor house which had the most beautiful grounds to hold an outdoor wedding. As soon as I saw the old faded pistachio green shutters that frame the windows, I knew it was perfect!” 
“We had a great lead up to our wedding; the day before Gordon and the boys went to Monte Carlo for my dads 60th birthday and watched the Grand Prix. The girls and I spent the day around the pool drinking Aperol Spritz. The morning of the wedding was perfect. My family, bridesmaids and I had breakfast and champagne outside on the terrace, then I enjoyed a long bubble bath before getting ready with my bridesmaids. One of my bridesmaids has her own wedding stationery business, Jeccabox, and provided all the stationery for my wedding. We decided on a beautiful muted watercolour theme of blues, pinks, purples and greys, and that was reflected through all the stationery.”
“The ceremony was held by our English speaking celebrant, Celia, who tailor made the ceremony to make it more personal to us and my sisters surprised me with a reading for us. We said our vows in the most beautiful surroundings, under a canopy of trees which provided some much needed shade- it was 30 degrees! After the ceremony we moved to the pool area for the cocktail hour(s)! Our guests were able to relax, dip their feet in the pool and enjoy the sun whilst eating canapés and drinking mojitos. After our cocktail reception we moved down to the main terrace for the speeches.”
“Lori Maziotta at Chef a Domicile was our caterer and created our wedding breakfast to reflect our surroundings with a Mediterranean inspired sharing platter to start and a slow roasted Provencal lamb for the plat principal. We then cut our traditional French croquembouche wedding cake which our guests enjoyed with strawberries and cream.” 
“Following all the food and plenty of wine, we enjoyed our first dance together. I will never forget dancing under the festoon lights surrounded by our family and friends all waving sparklers. This was followed by a lovely dance with my dad to a Rod Stewart song I loved from my childhood.” 
“The party then moved inside to the Grand Salon for the disco provided by DJ Nick Boot from UK DJ’s Abroad. Our guests certainly took advantage of the beer on tap and open bar! At 11pm we had a ‘crepe station’ set up where fresh savoury and sweet crepes were made to order. Cigars and limoncello were passed around and we were the last ones standing, crawling into bed at 4am.” 
“We chose Claire Basiuk as our wedding photographer. Her style is very romantic, using lots of natural light and capturing candid moments. I didn’t want any traditional formal photos so she got really creative with our group shots which turned out spectacularly. She also happens to be a close family friend who did the photography for my sisters wedding so it was really special having her there for the day.” 
“We chose Story Cabin Wedding Films to be our videographer as I adored their style of film making; lots of slow motion and attention to detail. Jagmeet came out to France and he was discreet, unobtrusive and a pleasure to have on the day. The final result is so special to us and something we can keep forever to show our families.” 
“I will remember my wedding day as a special day which oozed romance in the most incredible setting, surrounded by all those we love.”
Congratulations Natalie & Gordon from everyone here at French Wedding Style!
For even more beautiful wedding inspiration check out this glamorous French Riviera wedding inspiration board.
French Riviera Wedding Day Of Childhood Sweethearts Snapshot
Wedding Vendors
Reception Venue: Bastide Saint Mathieu | Photographer: Claire Basiuk Photography | Videographer: Story Cabin Wedding Films | Planner: JPR events | Stationery: Jeccabox | Catering: Chef a Domicile | Entertainment: UK DJ’s Abroad | Celebrant: The English Celebrant In France | Hair: Jennyfer Hillyard
It goes without saying that I love conducting weddings and this was no exception. Distance weddings mean that I often don’t get the chance to meet the couple in person so we make full use of video chats.
So it was great to finally meet them on the day, and meeting Jag and Claire as well who were so friendly and helpful.
It’s always a pleasure to work with Nick Boot, who kindly supplied the PA system for us to use during the ceremony.
A magical wedding of a delightful couple on a very hot day – once again, congratulations Mr and Mrs Bettany!
Such a beautiful couple and beautiful wedding. The brides dress and bridesmaids dresses were gorgeous. Great photography on this one!
Congratulations to the lovely couple. Wishing them a lifetime of happiness.