An Artistic Wedding Amongst a Hidden Stone Quarry in Provence

A destination wedding that marries heritage and design – with sculptural florals, silver accents, and cinematic romance beneath the Provençal sun

In the heart of Provence, beneath the golden light and textured stone of the Carrières des Lumières, Lauren and Sevag celebrated a wedding that felt like stepping into a modern masterpiece. Designed with intention and depth, every detail – from sweeping drapery to the sculptural florals – spoke to the couple’s shared love of art, architecture, and atmosphere. Following a traditional Armenian ceremony in Maussane-les-Alpilles, guests were led to a secret venue reveal that unfolded into a moody, romantic dinner under silver accents, loaves of bread, and flickering candlelight. Lauren’s archived Oscar de la Renta gown and her second look by Danielle Frankel mirrored the celebration’s balance of classic elegance and contemporary edge. The stationery, crafted by our member Samantha Colling Creative Studio, perfectly echoed the event’s refined aesthetic – a poetic reflection of love, heritage, and timeless design.

An Artistic Wedding Amongst a Hidden Stone Quarry in Provence

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

I don’t think either of us can remember the exact day we met, but I do remember the day my family met Sevag—it was the day our two families were reconnected through a long-lost friend. My father and Sevag’s mother were part of the same Armenian church youth group growing up. My dad actually took my mom as his plus-one to Sevag’s parents’ wedding. After that, the group sort of faded, and they lost touch.

Years later, through a mutual friend, we were invited to Sevag’s school fundraiser, where our friend introduced us to his best friend—who happened to be Sevag. We were probably around nine years old. Of course, my dad happened to spot Sevag’s mother behind him, and it turned into a whole reunion. Since then, we’ve gone on vacation together every summer. Our dads have been inseparable ever since.

An Artistic Wedding Amongst a Hidden Stone Quarry in Provence

^{The Proposal}

Sevag proposed in an art gallery I had taken him to when we first started dating. As an architect, he was drawn to the gallery since it was designed by Frank Gehry. The gallery has a downstairs and an upstairs loft, and he had placed a bouquet of dried flowers on the floor in the upstairs loft. When I saw them, my heart skipped a beat, and every thought went out the door.

^{The Engagement Ring}

We designed the ring with Sevag’s father, who runs an engagement ring manufacturing company. It’s a cushion-cut diamond set on a thin yellow gold rounded band. I actually had my father-in-law make me two bands, the exact same width as my engagement ring band—one for our civil ceremony and one for our wedding in France.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

We wanted to keep the wedding authentic to the setting. Since we chose to get married in France, we were inspired by the culture and overall aesthetic, and we wanted to honor that by including stacks of French butter on the tables, trays of olives, and carts with cigarettes and cigars. I wanted the entire event to feel moody and romantic—almost like you were at a branded event—where everything felt cohesive and true to who we are.

^{Our Team of Vendors}

I realized how detail-oriented we both were once it came down to picking vendors. Some were an easy choice: I had seen our photographer’s work and knew I wanted to work with her, and it was the same with our florist and with Mia Sylvia, who did all the draping. For a few of the other vendors, Sevag and I went with whoever best fit our vibe and aligned most with what we wanted. It’s always nice to feel like your team of vendors understands you—there’s less that needs to be said, and you just feel aligned.

^{The Location}

We got married in Provence, France. We decided on a destination wedding because it felt right—since we’ve vacationed together in Europe nearly every summer since our families reunited when we were nine years old. Sevag and I picked the venue together, and it was the only one we both agreed on. In true fashion-lover manner, I later found out that Chanel had held a runway show at the Carrières, which made the choice even more perfect.

Sevag is an architect, and I studied art history, so having a venue that was both structurally interesting and also used as a museum for projections was a beautiful blend of our interests. We also kept the venue a secret from all our guests so they could experience walking into the Carrières and being as wowed as we were the first time we saw it.

^{The Ceremony}

We got married in a beautiful Catholic church in the town of Maussane-les-Alpilles. We were so lucky to have three Armenian bishops and two Armenian priests leading our ceremony. We walked down the aisle as husband and wife to Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer—it made our wedding feel like the early-2000s rom-com of our dreams.

An Artistic Wedding Amongst a Hidden Stone Quarry in Provence

^{The Cocktail Hour}

We decided to do a first look because we wanted to be able to spend time with our guests at both of our cocktail hours. Immediately after the church, we had water, lemonade, and champagne for all our guests in the town square, so everyone could have a drink while waiting for the buses to take them to our (secret) venue. Our second cocktail hour took place inside the Carrières, where we had a projection playing. It was so much fun to take in the moment with all of our guests and to see their excitement at the venue reveal.

^{The Reception}

Our reception was held in the outdoor space at the Carrières. I wanted it to feel like a glamorous and sexy dinner party while enhancing the natural beauty of the space. I didn’t think typical white flowers would fit—and they weren’t my personal vibe either—so we went with a dark purple and deep, warm yellow color palette.

We incorporated lots of silver details—silver cutlery, and silver dishes for the olives and butter. I also loved the idea of using food as a centerpiece. Our incredible florist included large loaves of bread (which were delicious!) and pears to add sculptural elements to the tables and break up the floral arrangements.

^{The Special Touches}

The most special touch of the wedding—without question—was the incredible drapery work by Mia Sylvia. She draped an entire wall that we used as a photo backdrop, as well as all of our tables. It truly made the entire vision come together and added such a stunning wow factor. The softness of the fabric against the stone was the perfect juxtaposition, and I was so giddy to see my dream wedding come to life.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

My favorite moment was when we saw each other for the first time that day. Every thought just left my head. It was so nice to be alone in that moment and to soak in the fact that we were getting married—that this was our special day and the reveal of our outfits to each other.

It’s not part of the Armenian tradition to do vows during the ceremony, so we wrote letters to each other on custom wedding postcards that Sevag designed. We kept them in embroidered linen envelopes I got from Gohar World. They’re such a beautiful memento of the day, and I plan on getting them framed!

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

I wore an archived Oscar de la Renta gown with a drop waist and waterfall train. My veil was also Oscar and had a thick lace border. For my second look, I wore a Danielle Frankel set featuring a corset top and a silk slip-style skirt with a draped train. I always knew the type of dress I wanted: strapless, simple, and clean-cut.

The moment I tried it on, I knew it was the oneand immediately pulled the trigger. I styled it with a thick gold choker with a single hanging oval diamond charm. My father-in-law fitted the necklace to my neck—it took a few fittings to get it perfect—but it sat so beautifully and will be a piece I cherish forever.

^{The Groom’s Look}

Sevag had a custom suit made by David Lim at High Society in Los Angeles. He got to choose everything—from the shape of the lapels to the material—and even added creative pick-stitch detailing.

Our Advice

^{For the Planning Process}

Get a wedding planner who understands your vision and doesn’t try to change or stray from it. Weddings are fun (but also difficult) because everyone has opinions and values different things. Sevag and I realized we both had strong opinions about even the simplest details—which made it both fun and challenging to align—but our planners always listened, understood our vision, and helped us bring it to life.

^{For On The Day}

Do a first look!!!! The morning is always crazy—everyone’s rushed and overwhelmed—but the moment you see your partner, everything else disappears. Locking eyes with your person and seeing them in their wedding look is the start of your dream day, and from there, you’re on cloud nine. But also—stay hydrated! Sevag and I both had multiple friends constantly bringing us water, and it was so thoughtful because we didn’t get a chance to sneak away to grab one ourselves.

^{For Post-Wedding}

Go on your honeymoon right away. Having that time to soak in your wedding experience and look through all your photos together is such a beautiful newlywed bubble—I never wanted it to end. That said, I definitely felt post-wedding blues. I keep joking with my friends that we’ll have a vow renewal in 2026 in a new European country so we can all be together again. They’re like, “Ha ha…” but I’m serious.

An Artistic Wedding Amongst a Hidden Stone Quarry in Provence