Every wedding vendor team is created a little differently. In this series we explore how and why each couple selected the right wedding vendor team for their wedding day.
Model Cindy and photographer Franklyn originally met on a photo shoot in Paris in 2018. Love blossomed and they got engaged a year later. Initially, the plan was to have a wedding at a castle in the heart of the city, with 150 guests in attendance. But as the pandemic spread, that plan soon shifted. Yet the couple was determined to get married. And while they were unsure of what 2021 would bring, they did not want to wait until 2022, so they changed their plans, abided by the guidelines, and safely tied the knot. First with a civil ceremony (as is the custom in France), and then with a slightly larger celebration.
Thankfully they had the help of Estelle Bogaert of Madame Wedding Design to guide them along as they navigated regulations, a reduced guest list, travel restrictions, and other curveballs, on top of bringing it all together aesthetically.
“Cindy and I chose Estelle for our wedding because we felt that she was able to meet our needs with her eyes closed. Even amidst Covid-19, she knew how to be rigorous with the team that surrounded her to meet our requirements. We made a lot of concessions in the face of the pandemic but with hindsight, it was important to live this particular moment with our loved ones. The day was divine and we were charmed by the work of all the providers.” —Franklyn, groom
“I was lucky to know Cindy and Franklyn’s tastes and temperament. My goal was always to create a team that corresponds to both, and that creates good synergies in addition to being skilled. Cindy and Franklyn’s wedding style was African and European with a color palette of green, orange, and a touch of blush. The idea was to recreate a classic and refined version of tropicality, which is different from what you see everywhere else.” —Estelle Bogaert, planner/designer
To alert guests of the revised plan as soon as it was finalized (and give them a hint of the design of the wedding), the next move was to secure a stationer so that invitations could go out. That’s where Graphikkart came into the picture, who began working on a suite that incorporated custom illustrations, a wax seal, and a calligraphed monogram. Complementary day-of pieces were also created, including a simple dinner menu.
Next, Estelle of Madame Wedding Design helped the couple find a wedding venue. They headed about 90 minutes outside of Paris, to Burgundy, where there was more space and a beautiful change of scenery. Chateau Le Roncemay not only wowed the couple visually, it also had a renowned in-house catering team that made it all a bit easier to plan.
“Initially, the wedding was a fully outdoor wedding. We were supposed to have good weather but the sky played with our nerves for hours and hours. In the end, it was decided to move dinner indoors because the sun was setting one hour into the reception, and it would be a bit cool.” —Estelle Bogaert, planner/designer
Next it was time to find a floral designer who understood the couple’s vision for their destination wedding. Akiko Kovacs of Floraison embraced the couple’s requests and ran with them, creating a color palette of whites, oranges, and greens.
“One of the key words of Cindy and Franklyn’s wedding was ‘diversity.’ The couple wanted to mix tropical flowers and local, European flowers to reflect their African and French backgrounds. Birds of paradise were our star flowers and were mixed with locally-grown flowers. We absolutely loved the tropical-meets-European vibes throughout this wedding and enjoyed creating meaningful stories through flowers.” —Akiko Kovacs, florist
Since Franklyn is a photographer, the next decision was paramount. Estelle had initially proposed a photographer based in the United States, but with a travel ban in place, they could no longer get to France. So Franklyn selected someone equally talented, with a fine art approach, who was already in the country: Alain M Photography fit the bill perfectly.
Luckily, local options abound for rental companies, so Be Lounge and Madame de la Maison were confirmed to provide various pieces from seating to tabletop, including white Florentine chargers that really added dimension to the reception tables.
“We have great providers who serve all of France, so it was an opportunity to work with them.” —Estelle Bogaert, planner/designer
The next decision fell on Cindy: It was time to build her glam squad. Modern Bride Paris and Beauty by Maeva were chosen for hair and makeup, respectively, for the wedding day, while L’Artiste Qui Peint styled Cindy’s hair for the civil ceremony.
To ensure they’d be able to relive the magic of their wedding day again and again, the bride and groom chose to hire a videographer. For this, they were sure to select someone already in the country and whose work they connected with: 3 Petits Points.
To round out their dream team of wedding vendors, singer Stellia Koumba was hired to perform on the big day, and Wedding Cakes & Co was brought on to make a simple, three-tier wedding cake that could be decorated with fresh flowers to match the rest of the decor.
