This one pretty much had me at France, but Rik Pennington's stunning images of Kelly and Sam's idyllic wedding in the Dordogne region just sealed the deal. I'm in love! With the gorgeous scenery, picturesque ancient buildings, the couple's thoughtful personal touches, the romantic color palette, and all the joy emanating from each part of the day. I think it's pretty inevitable you'll fall in love too!
The Couple: Kelly and Sam
The Wedding: 9.14.12 - Chateau de la Bourlie - Dordogne, France
What three adjectives best describe your wedding day? Personal, relaxed and inclusive
Was there a decor theme that ran through your wedding? What was the inspiration for that particular idea and how did it reflect you as a couple? Originally, we were going to have the dining outdoors but during the planning we started to worry about the weather. We decided to make all the decor ‘modular’ so that we could make a decision as to whether it would be used indoors or out the day before, depending on the weather. We used a variety of colors, but all were muted grey tones with jute twine and kraft paper accents.
All of the guests helped us make the decorations, wedding favors, flower arrangements and table decorations so that everyone really felt a part of things and could see their contribution on the wedding day.
What were some of the different ways you used decor elements to create the beautiful, cohesive event you were envisioning? I had asked all my friends and family to collect clear glass bottles and old baked bean tins, and we used a variety of them for table decorations and tea light holders. The day before the wedding, my friends sat around the kitchen table and stuck paper doilies on some of the bottles and jars and wrapped others in hessian and string, so each collection of table decorations had their own unique feel. Then we filled them with some of the fabulous flowers that we bought from Vert Tilleul. The florist was fantastic - she had such a wonderful taste and was very helpful with choosing the perfect flowers, bouquets and button holes.
Where did you choose to hold your wedding, and how did the location influence your decor decisions? We chose to hold the wedding in the beautiful Dordogne region of France, an area where I used to holiday as a child. The region reflects our tastes for all things simple, natural and elegant. The food is fabulous, the weather is beautiful, the buildings are stunning and yet not too flashy, and the locals are so friendly! We kept decor fairly simple using natural colors and muted tones to let the scenery and architecture do the talking!
Looking back, do you have a favorite project or successful decor idea from your wedding? Tell us what you loved about it! My husband San and I are involved in the world of motorsport, so we had the idea to use the names of motor racing circuits as our table names. My genius brother made each table name by laser cutting and etching the outline of the circuits onto plywood. He then stuck them onto garden cane and we put them in amongst the flower arrangements in a glass bottle. They looked fantastic and were so unique. We have now had them all framed and will have them hanging in our new home!
The Wedding Team:
Photographer: Rik Pennington Photography
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Chateau de la Bourlie
Planner: Jo Burgess
Officiant: Sue Ward
Invitation Designer: Kelly's brother, Tom Parker
Catering: David Oliver
Florist: Helene at Vert Tilleul
Cake: Made by groom, Sam.
Wedding Dress: JLM Couture
Bridal Accessories: Hair clip - Glitzy Secrets, shoes - Christian Louboutin
Bridesmaids’ Apparel & Accessories: French Connection, Joseph, Two Birds and Dynasty
Groom & Groomsmen Apparel & Accessories: Groom’s suit - Spencer Hart, groom's tie - Hugo Boss, groom's shoes - Russell & Bromley; Groomsmen suits and ties - Topman, groomsmens' pink socks - UniQlo
Hair & Make-up: Jane Emerson
DJ & Live Music: Epoq Events
Favors: Homemade
Rentals: Souchon Reception
Rings: Harry Collins Jewellers
Thank you Kelly and Sam for sharing your big day with us!
