A wedding in Paris? Oui!
Susie & Elvis T
09. . 05 . 2019
Image Credit: Kristine Grinvalde
Not many of us can say we knew where we wanted to get married at nine years old - I, for one, was still trying to get my times tables down pat - but our beautiful client Susie had her eye firmly on the City of Love.
When she was in Year Four, Susie was tasked with choosing a city from around the world and putting together a presentation for her class. She chose Paris, marking the start of a very special relationship with the French capital - and who can blame her! The global centre of art, fashion, food and culture, Paris boasts a history and several incredible landmarks to widen any young girl’s eyes to what a big, gorgeous world it is out there. The love for Paris deepened when Susie visited the city as a teenager, officially dubbing the city her “favourite place in the world”.
Image Credit: Kristine Grinvalde
Image Credit: Kristine Grinvalde
Susie met her now-husband, Elvis, through mutual friends, and their relationship grew steadily. She said Elvis “just appeared, was around more regularly at outings…and now I can’t imagine life without him!”. Knowing Paris held a special place in Susie’s heart, Elvis proposed there while holidaying together - so it only made sense the couple tie the knot there too!
So, Susie and Elvis decided to say “I do” in spectacular fashion at Hotel Le Marois - a day Susie describes as “magical”. While there were some nerves and the day certainly did fly for the lovebirds, Susie said they had so much fun.
Image Credit: Kristine Grinvalde
Thinking of a destination wedding? Read our chat with Susie below, who gives some great tips and tricks when planning a wedding overseas.
PS the magic of her big day is easily seen in the pics below!
What were some of the harder parts of wedding planning?
Planning a destination wedding has its challenges because you’re dealing with different time zones, potential language barriers or even changing venues last minute. We had a location in mind but we knew from the start that we wanted to work with a planner, Billy, who was experienced but was also aligned to our vision for the day.
Billy and his team were fantastic with staying on top of everything, it felt like our friend was looking after things from the other side of the world. It turned out, the location we wanted was closed for renovations the year we wanted to get married, but the location Billy had in mind for us really blew us away!
It was also hard not having all your favourite people with you on your special day, my siblings were back at home looking after the family business but this meant mum and dad could finally take a break, go on a holiday and see our relatives who lived in Paris.
Image Credit: Kristine Grinvalde
What would your top tips be for people planning a destination wedding?
Do your research and ask lots of questions. It might also be worth engaging a destination planner, especially when working with competing time zones - we were lucky that our planner, Billy, was always available and always had a “Plan B”.
What made you choose your venue, Hotel Le Marois?
The venue took our breath away, from the intricate interior and how each room was decorated - it really was the perfect place.
We were initially looking at a chateau outside of Paris, but with most guests already traveling from afar, Paris was a good idea!
What was your inspiration or vision when planning your big day?
The venue was so beautiful that it didn’t feel like it needed too much, so soft, romantic hues and a gold touch were what we had in mind.
Image Credit: Kristine Grinvalde
Image Credit: Kristine Grinvalde
What was the structure of your wedding day?
Our schedule was quite traditional; the bride and groom getting ready separately and then we met to capture our first look before visiting a few sites around Paris for more photos. Then it was en route to the venue for the ceremony, cocktails, reception, and after-party. Europeans celebrate well into the early morning unlike back at home so the party shoes were on!
What were your stand-out moments from the day?
The day went by so fast, but a few stand-out moments were getting ready in our penthouse apartment with my best friends, our first look inside Palais Royal and cocktail hour (we felt much more relaxed then!).
What did your European honeymoon look like after the big day?
It was magical. Elvis has always been a Formula One fan so we were lucky the wedding was perfectly timed with the Monaco Grand Prix. In between that, we got to honeymoon in the Amalfi Coast, Cote d'Azur and the Greek islands. We also got to spend parts of the honeymoon with our friends and family across Europe during the summer.
Custom Wedding Painting By Adrienne Monteverde
Custom Wedding Painting by Adrienne Monteverde
And about her experience with Adrienne, Susie said…
“Adrienne is so talented and amazing, I don’t think I’ve come
across anyone who offers this type of custom artwork so it’s
been so much fun working with her on it.”
Our photographer, Kristine, was amazing, capturing some of our most intimate moments — I wanted to turn the wedding photo into a custom painting because we were planning to return to Europe in 2020 but the pandemic hit - so this was our way of bringing Paris back to us on our anniversary. We also completed the celebration by recreating our dishes from our favourite restaurants!
A Note From The Artist:
When Susie stumbled into my inbox, I was instantly in awe! It’s clear to see that Susie and her husband planned such an incredible wedding for themselves. Down to every detail, from the bridal accessories all the way through to the hotel they chose for the night, they were clearly a couple with stunning taste, that loved a little luxury, in all the best ways! So, needless to say, it was a beautiful compliment that Susie wanted to commemorate this incredible day with not one - but two! - of my custom artworks. As Susie mentioned above, she wanted to bring back the emotions and memories of her beautiful day in Paris, and it was my pleasure to be able to recreate that for them.
Vendors:
Photographer: Kristine Grinvalde | Planner: Luxe x Billy Folchetti | Gown Designer: Lazaro Bridal | Suit Designer: Hugo Boss | Rings: Cartier | Jewellery: Chanel | Hair: Ciara Coiffure | Make-up: Sanni Makeup Artist | Celebrant: Billy (wedding planner) | Cake Designer: Maison Laduree | Venue: Hotel Le Marois | Bridal Party: @l_indaa.____ @skinkobeautystudio @lhuynh.n
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