This past weekend, I was in Provence, where I was the event designer for Aneta‘s wedding. From the second I woke up on that blissfully sunny and warm day, it was nonstop action, so much so that I had absolutely no time to take any photos and thus can’t share a sneak peek of the day. But do not despair! – renowned photographer Leo Patrone was on hand and we will soon see all of his beautiful film images! I just have to say now that Leo worked his tail off to ensure that he got every single shot that the client and family wanted, as well as every single editorial shot you could think of (without a single complaining peep about long lists of photo requests, or refusing to do things that aren’t his way). It was such a pleasure to work with someone I consider to be a rock star photographer, without the rock star ego. He was also extremely generous, acknowledging that his photos are not just reflective of his work, but reflective of other people’s work as well (after all, the genre of wedding photography documents the work that event designers, planners, florists and caterers have all created for the wedding, and therefore not entirely just the beautiful images that photographers take). To hear such a skilled and reputable photographer say that his work will be pretty because of the design work that I’ve done meant so much. :-)
Not just Leo, but every single supplier at Aneta’s wedding went the extra mile to make it perfect – the incredible stationer Paper+Cup Design (whose paper creations were just beyond perfection), the coordinator, the band, the caterer, the DJ, the venue. The wedding was oozing excellence everywhere. I think the fact that the client gave us all such complete and utter trust pretty much ensured that all of us would work that much harder. Not just the bride and groom, but everyone – including the suppliers – were happy. And not only could you see it, but you could feel it.
Even though I absolutely adored my event design and styling on the day, my favorite part of the wedding was the First Dance. All of us, including suppliers, were cheering for the bride and groom, who segued from a romantic slow number to a sudden electronic guitar riff, with the bride throwing off the top detachable layer of her dress with a dramatic flourish to reveal a white mini dress, electrifying the crowd who all hooted, cheered and whistled. The couple continued to dance in sync in a hilariously choreographed fast dance to the beats of house music, and when the choreography was done and the music still blasting, the couple motioned for all to join them and naturally the crowd all instantly hit the dance floor. There were fists pumping the air and the DJ was bopping his head feeling the music. It was seriously awesome.
Since I was so incredibly busy on this wedding day (and managed to stub my toes on iron chairs and rocks, resulting in two bleeding broken toenails!), I can only share some post-wedding images, taken the next day after dismantling and strike. At the very least, it gives a small sneak peek into the surrounding landscape and some of the wedding’s design. So, without further ado…
A pile of ribbons taken off chairs and the ceremony altar…
Some scenes of the romantic Provencal venue… (with colorful pieces from lawn games still on the lawn)…
Everything in France is just so pretty. They just know how to prettify everything, including and especially gates and window shutters.
As you can see, it was so warm. The sun was blaring down on me while I set up – and the fact that I tan so easily – I think I am now five shades darker.
The perfect post-wedding activity for a bride? – relaxing in the pool on a hot summer’s day with your friends… Look at how effervescent she is! Love her!
Aneta, you are amazing. An amazing person, client, friend, colleague, and, of course, bride. But, to see her as the bride, we’ll have to wait for Leo‘s photos… Can’t wait!!!
MLH x
{Photography by Forever & Ever Events}
So, needless to say, I am beyond thrilled to share some images from one such bride and friend, who married an incredibly sweet musician/conductor at a beautiful wedding in the Cotswolds.
