A few years ago on a anniversary trip Raphael proposed to Marianne on a quintessential Burgundy wine estate. When starting to plan their destination wedding, they decided to bring their friends and family to the place where it all began, France. They fell in love with the first venue they saw – CHATEAU DE VARENNES in the Bourgionne countryside – a stunning estate which has been run by the same family for over 11 generations. TANJA KIBOGO captured this beautiful celebration of the start of their lives together.
The château was the perfect venue as it provided the home away from home feeling with a 5-star service. When it came time to plan their wedding, they knew they needed someone knowledgeable in the local market but whom could also be sensitive to their needs and desires for their special day, so they were delighted to work with NKT EVENTS, a team specialising in destination weddings in France.
Marianne decided on a french blue and dusty blue-grey to complement their favourite colours, which were represented throughout their wedding day. With stationery designed by the bride herself and perfectly styled by TANJA, we can see the meticulous detail that went into the design. The couple welcomed friends from The Netherlands and Germany on a four day excursion in the vineyards of France, starting with a welcome BBQ the day before the wedding. The wedding day itself was filled with love and laughter. The cocktail hour following the ceremony was kicked off by the cutting of the cake (a Dutch tradition to eat cake before the wedding dinner) and then followed by dinner in front of the chateau which beautifully reflected the warm spring sunset.
Tanja tells us, "I particularly loved the soft, neutral colour palette and the whimsical blooms around every corner! The lovely reception design was truly a sight to see with the sweet harvest chairs and white linens. Overall, I knew this lovely destination wedding would be one to keep for the memory books. Destination weddings take a lot of work. They are often planned heavily by trusted wedding planners as the couple does not live nearby – design choices, logistical choices, and all decisions are slightly more labour intensive. But I am so fond of destination weddings, especially in beautiful France, for the enchantment that not only guests feel, but the couple themselves! To get married in a “neutral territory” if the couple is from two different places or a place that many have not visited yet is so magical!
France is a perfect place for your destination wedding. The food, the famously romantic cities nearby, the heart-stopping architecture… what more can I say? CHATEAU DE VARENNES provided this couple THE most incredible, storybook fairytale, type of venue and I simply adored the entire day."
