This beautifully romantic wedding at CHÂTEAU LA DURANTIE in the Dordogne was two years in the planning for Charlotte & Jordan. Working with wedding planner and stylist BEST EVENTS CO. they initially starting with a neutral palette of muted creams and whites and as time went on it evolved to better reflect their personalities and the end result was the prettiest of pinks throughout. NASTJA KOVACEC captured their day.
Why did you choose this location? Soon after our engagement we started looking for venues and stumbled across the incredible Chateau La Durantie online – we knew straight away this was going to be our venue.
HOW DID YOU MEET? We met at secondary school back in 2008, Jordan was in Sixth form and I was in year 10, we've been inseparable ever since!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL: Jordan surprised me for my birthday in 2017 by taking me to Iceland. On my actual birthday he had booked a private helicopter tour where he popped the question on top of a mountain which overlooked the harbour – so romantic!
TELL US ABOUT CHOOSING A WEDDING DRESS: I always knew the style of wedding dress I would like to wear on my big day. I wanted it to be tight on my waist, have a nice sparkle to it and have a gorgeous train. I had seen a Watters dress called Stuart on Pinterest and hunted down the bridal boutiques that stocked this range as I was absolutely obsessed with it. I found London Bride Couture online, I made an appointment and brought my mum, Aunty and cousin with me to try on the dress and I knew straight away it was the one. They let me try on another 5 dresses in similar styles but Stuart was the one! I had three fittings and every time I tried the dress on again I fell more in love with it.
I had visited another boutique previously in Essex but had felt totally overwhelmed by how many dresses they let me try on and none of their dresses had wowed me.
DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: Flowers were a huge part of our vision, right from the outset we had imagined a floral centrepiece for the ceremony: “We had a dreamt of getting married under a huge arch of flowers and put all of our trust in Veronique, our florist. She created a truly stunning arch which was the focal point of our ceremony.”
We ended up choosing a stunning floral moon gate which looks incredible in our wedding photos. We were also able to move it to create a backdrop for the top table at dinner, so we could enjoy the installation as much as possible right through the evening.
FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: The flower moon gate!
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? If you’re planning a destination wedding, invest in an experienced wedding planner who you can trust. Sam from Best Events Company was incredible and she helped with many decisions during the planning process and was calm and organised on the day and has stayed a friend since the wedding.
MOST MEMORABLE MOEMNT? One of the most special moments of the day was a surprise firework display. We had kept the fireworks a secret from their guests. After everyone had been dancing for a little while, everyone gathered on the steps in front of the chateau with sparklers, and watched the fireworks. It was a romantic and magical moment for everyone, and really kicked off the after party.
WHAT ASPECT OF THE WEDDING WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND? We were lucky enough to book the Chateau for 7 nights with 43 of our closest family & friends – so our wedding celebrations were all week long, which we absolutely loved!
ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT HELP TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DAY? The feel of the wedding day was very relaxed, Charlotte & Jordan had rented out their venue for a week. After the ceremony, guests gathered around the couple for a ceremonial champagne fountain, canapés were served, before guests made their way to an alfresco dining area in the grounds of the chateau. The florals and decor in this area were designed to echo the statement flower arch from the ceremony. Opulent flower garlands acted as centrepieces down the middle of the long tables. The couple also hired an adorable vintage caravan that was used as a bar… “We had a pink caravan bar that served our favourite signature gin cocktails – this really got everyone in the mood to dance!” Mid-evening snacks of classically French croque monsieurs were served, along with rosemary chips.
The guests who stayed at the chateau were able to enjoy activities in the run up to the wedding, including yoga and water skiing. The following day, guests were invited to a pool party and barbecue, which was one last occasion for everyone to spend time together before heading home.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR HONEYMOON: We embarked on an incredible four week long honeymoon in December returning in the New Year.
