A country wedding

parisdiaHappy moments4 Comments

And the bride came riding a unicorn!

And the bride came riding a unicorn at sunset!

The date, October 3rd, was a little risky weather wise, but the young couple was eager to get married and since Felix had proposed to Marguerite, kneeling down on a beach in Cuba, last April, it seemed silly to postpone… After a civil ceremony in very trendy Cap Ferret in July, the mixed Calvinist and Catholic marriage was celebrated, in Borest, north of Paris, in the middle of the forest, on an insolently beautiful day, with blue sky and golden autumn sun.

Aymar de Lastours leads his daunter to the altar

Aymar de Lastours leads his daughter to the altar

The young couple met through Agathe, the groom’s sister, who studied at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne with Marguerite. Thus, the organisation of the wedding had to be perfect, and parents from both families made sure to obey the bride’s every wishes during the week of preparation. Her year at running banquets for the Kempinksy hotel in Geneva, had given her a very high sense of perfection…
Dinner took place under a transparent tent built on the tennis court and dominated by magnificently lit oak trees which acted as decor, to a stage of family and close friends.

Fabienne de Sèze oversaw the last details

Fabienne de Sèze is overseeing the last details in church

Young waiters had been selected on their good looks and pretty smiles (and were still very efficient) and wore white Indian type outfits with a red belt. The food came from Frédeville, a caterer in Tours (200 miles away) which was excellent, and each table was decorated with animals from the forest, heather, wild moss, mushrooms and trees (cut the same day), by Marianne Robic from atelier Marie Marianne.

Raphael like "Three graces", Alize André, Cécilia de Lencquesaing and Florence West,

Raphaël-like “Three graces”, Alize André, Cécilia de Lencquesaing and Florence West

The bride and groom had insisted on everyone wearing their own countries’ outfits, so Bavarians, Austrians, Chinese, Thais and Indians (Marguerite opened the trendy restaurant « The Pantry » in Bombay) indulged in silk and color. It was a perfect mosaic of elegant International beauties. Noone could get over how beautiful the sunset was over the lake and the very special evening organised with a sharp sense of celebration, shared by both families, was a huge spectacle.

The insolent autumns sun shone on the lake and the groom forgot his fear of horses for one minute…

The insolent autumn sun shone on the lake and the groom forgot his fear of horses for one minute under his brother’s eye…

Taittinger champagne and Fourcas-Dupré claret in magnums, were provided by cousins of the groom as was the De Dietrich car called « Lorraine ». The Oratorian priest, Père Gérard Bénéteau got on famously well with Pasteur Jean-Marie de Bourqueney who spoke brilliantly in church about Catholics and Protestants not always getting on as well as today.

Père Beneteau, Pasteur JeanMarie de Bourqueney gave a beautiful ecumenical twist tot he ceremony

Père Gérard Bénéteau and Pasteur Jean Marie de Bourqueney gave a beautiful ecumenical twist to the ceremony in Borest

Sanche de Montesquiou and the Lorraine de Dietrich

Sanche de Montesquiou and the Lorraine De Dietrich

Marguerite and Felix are young and delightful enough that everything seemed magical around them, and the wedding was a feast for everyone. The fathers’ speeches were short and witty, the siblings’ compliment in rime, was accompanied by British bard and actor, Orlando Seale, on the guitar. The « demoiselles d’honneur » (flower girls) Judith, Cybèle and Irène, nieces of the bride, were dressed in Zara clothes with ferns and wild flowers.

Cybèle and the band

Cybèle and the “fanfare” from Versailles

Judith and Irène dressed by Zara

Judith and Irène dressed by Zara

The band of eleven musicians from Versailles welcomed the couple back from church. After drinks and hors d’oeuvre on the lawn, overlooking the lake. Dinner was a casual buffet with « gigot de 7 heures », shrimps, “poulette de Racan” and a large choice of vegetables, cheeses and salad. Very modern in conception and in style. Since the bride had decided not to leave a dull moment in the evening, guests were moving around constantly, dancing twist and drinking away.

Fireworks glitter in the dark

Fireworks make everyone glitter in the dark

Before dessert appeared, fireworks were lit in front of the house and guests were handed golden blankets to survive the dampness of the woods. After a cheese raclette (a reference to the Swiss citizenship of the groom) was served in the early hours, dancing went on till 6.10 am when deers could still be heard rutting away. From this very wild forest, Felix and Marguerite eloped to Namibia and Bostwana, to see more wildlife, having left their cell phones behind…
What a wonderful way to start a marriage !

Birtish bard, Orlando Seale

British bard, Orlando Seale, plays under my window

 Artist Sarah Kalvar conceived the unicorn and her own necklace!

Artist Sarah Kalvar conceived the unicorn and her own necklace!

Table centers were designed by Marianne Robic

Table centers were designed by Marianne Robic

4 Comments on “A country wedding”

  1. Dear Laure,
    How wonderful to read your account of the magical wedding and be transported back to that ‘insolently beautiful’ day from this rather grey London morning. What a perfect tonic and reminder of that precious time. Xx

  2. Grâce à tes commentaires et aux ravissantes photos , Laure, nous nous sommes senties proches et émues par ce merveilleux mariage .

    De Bogota, nous souhaitons un long et grand bonheur pour Félix et Marguerite avec l’espoir de vous retrouver un jour, tous.

    Francine et Sylvie

  3. Dear Laure,

    Your account of this magical wedding with the photos so beautifully illustrating the celebration is vivid. I can feel the warmth and joy from here.

    Thank you for sharing this with me.

    Helen

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