Wedding | Kristin & John

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met in college through mutual friends and have been dating since (over 10 years ago). We live in North Carolina with our dog, Nessie. We love traveling and got engaged in London – although John first wanted to propose in Norway. He didn’t have a ring and tried to propose with a ring fashioned from a blade of grass, but Kristin made him wait and do it properly.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

No special reason – we knew we wanted some sort of destination wedding and something on the more intimate side. We both had been to France before and really enjoyed it, so it felt like a place that could offer a good time for everyone. 

How many guests did you have?

Around 60.

What was your budget? 

We tried to stay reasonable and prioritized ensuring guests have a great time. Most of our budget went towards things like food, wine and transportation to the venue – basically anything that would make the experience enjoyable for everyone.

Tell us about your outfits.

Kristin’s dress was final sale from Anthropologie, it was a good deal but three sizes too large so significant alternations were needed. Kristin’s tailor, Olga worked magic with the alterations, and also added a wrist strap for the train and a bustle for the evening – both great touches. Kristin liked the off-white color of the gown and its elegant simplicity. 

John bought his suit last minute when he realized his usual suit was too small. He ended up finding a Hugo Boss suit, heavily discounted from Saks Off Fifth. It was a bit of a scramble to get it tailored in time, but he made it work.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We wanted to have a fun time and we wanted our guests to as well. It meant a lot to us that our guests were willing to travel so far to attend. For us, a good time meant great food and wine – which fortunately are easy to achieve in the South of France. 

All the food from C&N Traiteur tasted as good as it looked, there was an Iberico ham station during the cocktail hour that was very well received. They also made a very delicious raspberry cake. For the wine, we went to two cavistes in Toulouse to purchase it ourselves, one of which specialized in natural wine which we both enjoy. Both were incredibly helpful and provided thoughtful recommendations based on the menu for the evening. We purchased a large variety of wine so each table had something different but all were blessed by the cavistes. 

We were also pretty particular about the music and had playlists for the entire day. For the cocktail hour and dinner, we wanted to create a nice ambiance that felt personal to us without imposing our music tastes on the guests. It was a fine balance to strike. 

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

We loved the nature at the venue – the Pyrenees mountains in the distance, the open fields and particularly, the trees on the property. The old abbey and gîte also made for beautiful scenery. We really tried to let the gorgeous setting speak for itself and keep decorations to a minimum. 

Any tips for couples getting married?

Definitely get a wedding planner from the start – we learned that lesson the hard way. Our wedding planner Clementine was hired around six months before the wedding and I really wish we just hired her sooner. There’s so many things to consider that you don’t realize until you get into it, and then there’s even more things that you’ll never consider unless you’ve planned dozens of weddings before. 

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Olivia (Alchemia), our photographer was incredible. The photos really speak for themselves. Olivia was thorough and got to know us ahead of time, asking about our music preferences, general vibes, and all the small details for the wedding day. The effort really came through in the photos. A portion were shot on film, which added a completely different feel. She captured candid moments beautifully and kept the photo sessions to a minimum which we appreciated as we really wanted to spend as much time with guests as possible.

Clementine (Awardweddings), our wedding planner really saved us – we had no idea what we were doing and she came in late and really took the reigns. We both tend to procrastinate and were probably not easy clients because of this, but Clementine made things happen. She brought everything together experience and poise. She had great suggestions too like having guests throw petals after the ceremony which made for some great photos. Thanks to Clementine, the entire day ran smoothly. 

Laura, our florist from Naudy went above and beyond. The table arrangements of fruits and flowers, the candles – all exceeded our expectations. She really collaborated with us and brought our vision to life. The strawberries in the vase were a personal favorite, but it was all so good.

Aurelien (Cameraman Wedding Films), our videographer, said he would be like a ghost on our wedding and he really was. He also cranked out a wedding trailer the next day. He caught lots of candid moments and made our wedding look like something out of a movie.

C&N Traiteur was phenomenal. The food was exception and the staff were so kind. A lot of the guests were coming up to us that evening saying how lovely and helpful all the staff were. They also made a very good breakfast spread the next morning which cured everyone’s hangover. 

Photographer: Alchemia @alchemia.photoandfilm | Flora & Styling: Naudy @naudy.laviesimplement  | Planning: Awardweddings @awardweddings | | Videographer: Cameraman Wedding Films @cameramanweddingfilms | Ceremony Location: Domaine du Beyssac @domainedubeyssac | Reception Location: Domaine du Beyssac @domainedubeyssac | Celebrant: Trong van Nguyen @trong.v.nguyen | Rentals: Imexia @imexia31 | Catering & Cake: C&N traiteur @c_et_ntraiteur | Beverages: Vignoble Arnaud / Chopes and Potes @chopesandpotes | Stationery: WolfAndWaterLab | Entertainment: DJ Ian Winterton @englishdjinfrance | Dress: Jenny Yoo @jennyyoonyc | | Suit:  Hugo Boss @hugoboss | Veil: VeilshopBoutique | Engagement & Wedding Rings: Alexandria & Company @alxandcompany | Shoes: Aeyde @aeyde | Earrings: Chan Luu @chanluu, other ring – Grandmother’s | Wedding Party Attire: Anthropologie @anthropologie | John’s Haircut: Mustve Been Jayy @mustvebeenjayy