Wedding | Maélys & Basile

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We are Maélys and Basile a wedding photographer and an event DJ and we met working at a wedding in the South of France 8 years ago. We consider ourselves a untraditional couple, we don’t live together but wanted our special bond to take shape and be celebrated through marriage.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We are both from Provence and we decided to get married in Maélys’ parents home where she grew up. It’s a typical stone Bastide near Marseille. In November 2024, Basile proposed in that very same house and this place is very meaningful to us.

How many guests did you have?

We had about 100 guests attending.

What was your budget?

We were lucky enough to be surrounded by incredibly talented friends from the wedding industry, and we wanted them to remain part of our story even in our vendor team. We also DIY’d a lot: the long dining table, the vichy-printed tablecloths and cushions were sewn by Maelys’s mum and Basile personally installed the full sound system, lighting, draping for the dancefloor, and disco balls. All of this definitely helped us create the wedding of our dreams while keeping it within budget. We spent about 25k euros excluding outfits.

Tell us about your outfits.

We told our guests that our wedding would be a laid-back cocktail reception, inspired by a picnic on the grass. We encouraged everyone to wear comfortable, summery outfits, nothing too formal or too warm, as the celebration took place in August. We mentioned that the groom wouldn’t be wearing a suit.

Most of our outfits were from Jacquemus, a French designer born and raised in the South of France, just a few kilometres from Maélys’ childhood home: it felt like an obvious and meaningful choice.

Maélys: For the town hall ceremony, I wore a fitted off-white, linen-like dress. I wanted my bouquet to be carried in a basket (from Cult Gaia), as if I had just come back from the flower market.

My second outfit was a more flowy slightly see-through dress, perfect for dancing in the garden and sitting on the grass, paired with sculptural jute mules from Cult Gaia.

For the dance floor, I changed into a short version of my civil ceremony dress, with a fun off-the-shoulder sleeve.

Finally, for the brunch the next day, I wanted something that truly screamed Mediterranean summer. I chose a two-piece set with a short bubble skirt, paired with an oversized statement hat from Eliurpi, a Spanish brand I love.

Basile: I wore an oversized short-sleeved shirt with a mimosa flower motif — unintentionally a lovely nod to the mimosa tree that blooms every February at Maélys’ parents’ house. I paired it with Jimmy Fairly sunglasses for a modern, practical touch, perfectly suited to a summer wedding.

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

The most important aspect for us when planning our wedding was to keep it as stress-free as possible for both of us which is not always easy when you work in the wedding industry and know exactly how much goes into it.

We were very intentional about surrounding ourselves with people we trusted 100%, both professionally and personally. Working with vendors who truly understood us allowed us to let go and enjoy the process instead of overthinking every detail.

We also had most of our wedding party arriving two days before the celebration, which made a huge difference. Having our closest friends and family around ahead of time created a calm, joyful atmosphere and meant we could share the preparation moments together. They were incredibly supportive and hands-on, helping with last-minute details and, most importantly, reminding us to slow down and enjoy what really mattered.

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

We wanted an aesthetic that felt deeply personal and outside of traditional wedding codes, with elements that were truly unique to us especially after having worked on hundreds of weddings before our own. The picnic concept immediately resonated with us because it felt fresh, playful, and informal, perfectly suited to a summer evening.

Our Provençal heritage was our main source of inspiration. We wanted to bring a sense of nostalgia, authenticity, and generosity into every detail. The photo backdrop was inspired by laundry drying in the sun and made from our actual grandmother’s old embroidered sheets. The decorated breads were meant to evoke abundance and a feeling of times gone.

Any tips for couples getting married?

It might sound a bit random, but three days before the wedding, friends who live further away in France started arriving, and we decided to organise a pre-wedding date at Maélys’ favourite museum, the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, together with our first guests. Our maid of honor took photos of us on film, which made the moment even more special. It felt timeless and deeply warm, a quiet pause before the celebration truly began and it set the tone for our wedding week in the most beautiful way.

We were also facing a bit of a challenge with the weather. Thunderstorms were forecast for the day of the reception, and with a picnic planned for nearly 100 people, the backup plan would have been far less magical. So we decided to follow a Scottish tradition meant to bring good weather: we buried a sausage in the garden of the house where we got married.

Against all odds, we were blessed with radiant sunshine for the preparations, family photos, and the civil ceremony. During the cocktail hour, we even witnessed a golden sunset all while hearing thunder rumbling in the surrounding villages. It felt surreal, almost symbolic, and incredibly special.

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

Clarisse and Johan for their patience, kindness, and the absolutely exceptional quality and quantity of film photographs — it was truly remarkable.

Gaetan from Monsieur Cocktail for his infectious good mood and the quality of his setup — not to mention the incredible cocktails he created with his team.

Romain from Studio Maison Ciero, a true floral artist who perfectly captured the revisited Provençal atmosphere we envisioned, blending local inspiration with a fresh, contemporary sensibility.

Delphine Ruffini, makeup artist, who created the hairstyle of my dreams: a ponytail somewhere between a Greek goddess and a contemporary work of art. I absolutely loved my look and received so many compliments. Beyond her talent, Delphine has the most calming, friendly presence, making wedding mornings feel even more joyful and serene.

Clarisse from Alaïs Agency, our coordinator, who seamlessly picked up the thread of our preparations and allowed us to fully enjoy our wedding day. Thanks to her, everything ran with flawless, precise organisation — huge kudos to her.

And finally, Becky and Belha, an English pop cover band who perfectly adapted their set to the atmosphere we wished for. Our first dance as a married couple to Just the Two of Us is a moment we will never forget.

Photographer: Clarisse et Johan @clarisseetjohan | Coordination: Alaïs Agency @alaisagency | Styling: Maélys Izzo @maelysizzo | Flora: Studio Maison Ciero @studiomaisonciero | Videographer: Chloé Cioffi @chloecfi | Ceremony & Reception Location: Maélys’s Family Home in Aix-en Provence | Rentals: Baz Music Light Concept @bazmusiclightconcept | HMUA: Delphine Ruffini @delphine.ruffini | Catering: Maison Nans @maison_nans | Cocktails: Monsieur Cocktail @monsieur_cocktail | Stationery: Morgane Massiani @morgane.massiani | Entertainment: Becky & Belha @beckyandbelha | Ceremony Dress, Shoes & Basket: Cult Gaia @cultgaia | Reception Dress & Suit:Jacquemus @jacquemus | Brunch Outfit: 

Citronnad @citronnade_aixenprovence | Engagement Ring: Made By A Family Friend | Brunch Hat: 

Eliurpi @eliurpi