Last weekend my husband and I did something we never do – we went to an afternoon movie. I always feel like it’s a waste of daylight to be sitting in a movie theatre on a Sunday afternoon but it was a sweltering hot day and we decided that a dark, cool cinema was a good place to be! We saw “Midnight in Paris” which I knew I was going to love because it was about Paris, and 1920s Paris at that!
Anyway, the movie was very charming and it got me thinking once again about travelling to France. I have been fascinated with anything to do with France since I started studying French in Grade 7. It’s quite inexplicable since I have still never been there but I have this funny feeling that when I go I am going to feel as if I’m where I belong and want to move there. I find many countries interesting and beautiful but France is the only one I feel this way about. I have always been able to see us living in a little French apartment, going down to the cafe on the corner to eat beautiful French bread dipped in hot chocolate and eventually having little French-speaking children! On the other hand, I may very well have built it up in my head to something more perfect than it really is and I could end up hating it… perhaps, but somehow I doubt it!
I would have loved to have a destination wedding in France but it wasn’t practical for us and I don’t know whether I would have been able to choose between the bustling and chic heart of Paris or the quiet and romantic countryside. I think the latter would have won out in the end – the French countryside is just so amazingly picturesque and countryside weddings always seem to have so much charm and elegance.
I came across these incredible photographs by Atlanta-based W Scott Chester Photography the other day of a wedding they shot at a private estate in Venasque, in the Provence region of France, and they were kind enough to allow me to share them on my blog. I have no doubt that once you have seen them you will as in love with the idea of a French countryside wedding as I am!
If you can’t actually get married in France but love the idea, why not incorporate some of the elements of a French wedding into your own? Think antique lace, sprigs of lavender and other wildflowers, pharmacy bottles with vintage labels, decorative bird cages filled with flowers, ornate photo frames and French themed dishes. Stay tuned for more French decor ideas in the coming weeks!
In the meantime, check out these lovely French weddings featured on other blogs for more inspiration!
A fun and romantic countryside affair over on Green Wedding Shoes: http://greenweddingshoes.com/real-wedding-alix-emmanuels-romantic-countryside-wedding/
An eclectic wedding in the Loire region featured on Polka Dot Bride: http://www.polkadotbride.com/2010/10/fanny-and-gabriel-2/
A Paris elopement on Intimate Weddings: http://www.intimateweddings.com/blog/real-weddings-lindsey-bobbys-mod-paris-elopement/
A stylish reception aboard a yacht on the Seine on the Parisian Events site: http://www.parisianevents.com/parisianparty/a-stylish-wedding-reception-on-the-seine/
Flights of Fancy by Kristy 