Vintage Romance Meets Parisian Elegance at This French Château Garden Wedding

Collin and Betsy brought a distinctly fashion-minded perspective to their wedding weekend in the French countryside, transforming a 19th-century château into a romantic, highly personal world of draped satin, candlelight, silver details, and soft garden florals. Planned with an editorial eye yet grounded in warmth and intimacy, the celebration balanced Parisian elegance with playful nostalgia — from poolside martinis and cocktail jazz to handwritten dinner menus tucked inside blush envelopes at a single impossibly long reception table. Creative direction came naturally to the couple, with every detail layered thoughtfully alongside THE WED member Edénique Floral Design, whose refined vision and florals added texture and softness throughout the estate. Betsy’s bridal wardrobe became a defining part of the weekend’s visual identity: two reworked vintage gowns styled with dramatic basque waists, velvet ribbons, delicate ballet flats, and Victorian-inspired corsetry that felt equally timeless and fashion-forward. The atmosphere throughout the celebration felt cinematic yet effortless, filled with movement, candle glow, champagne coupes, and the kind of old-world charm that can’t be manufactured — only deeply felt.

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

Collin and I met in college. He attended the University of Missouri while I went to Stephens College, an all-girls private school just across the street. He studied engineering while I studied fashion PR and event planning. We met through mutual friends at a local wine bar, and before long he was picking me up at my dorm with flowers in hand. It was all very sweet.

^{The Proposal}

The proposal was a surprise—until I caught my fiancé ironing his linen pants for brunch at our lake house, which was usually very casual. I immediately had a gut feeling, threw on a sundress, a little blush, and hopped in the car. He proposed on our family friends’ dock with a bucket of Veuve Clicquot and two dozen roses waiting. It was a beautiful summer day that ended with champagne, a few oysters, and our families.

^{The Engagement Ring}

We spent many summer afternoons ring shopping and would make a date out of it each time. It was fun trying on different styles, but I ultimately couldn’t stop thinking about the emerald-cut ring with a surrounding wreath that I tried on at a local jewelry store in my hometown. After getting in cahoots with my mom, Collin secretly had it shipped! We always say the wreath reminds us of Parisian crown molding.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

As a little girl, I always loved the bridal industry, and now, working in the fashion industry, I was excited to start planning. My fiancé ultimately let my creativity run wild but was an amazing soundboard throughout the process. It was important to me that everything was thoughtful—there’s such beauty in small details. The vision was a Parisian garden wedding that was editorial yet feminine with a little Victorian drama. The weekend was filled with endless draped fabrics, candlelit dinners, lace details, and silver everywhere.

^{Our Team of Vendors}

We had a fabulous team of vendors that I'm so grateful for. Specifically, our wedding planners, Lotte & Beau, and our florist, Edenique, helped our vision come to life. It’s special to meet such talented people from around the world; I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for them. I knew I picked the right vendors when I received a bridal box from Lotte with a handwritten note along with a vintage lace garter she made. We all have similar interests: a love for creative projects, vintage fashion, and events. I couldn’t have been in better hands.

^{The Location}

We opted for a beautiful venue in the French countryside. The venue was a château built for the Duke of Isles in the 1830s. Once we saw the historic estate grounds, along with rows of lush cypress trees, beautiful gardens, and enough rooms for our guests, we knew it was perfect.

^{The Ceremony}

Collin and I are Catholic, and it was important for us to get married at our church before running off to France to get married officially! We had an intimate, family-only ceremony in the States and another garden ceremony with 60 guests in France. My brother Freddie walked me down the aisle toward rows of cypress trees as our guests sat on benches draped in satin. Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Act II played as I walked down the aisle. It was truly magical.

^{The Cocktail Hour}

Guests socialized poolside with white umbrellas, beautiful green shrubbery, and martinis in hand. We had a live band playing cocktail jazz to set the mood, including a lot of Frank Sinatra and Marvin Gaye.

^{The Reception}

The reception was dreamy. One long rectangular table was lined with single-stemmed pink roses, each draped in soft tulle. Guests found a baby pink envelope at their seat with their name, the “Le George” dinner menu, and a Madeleine quote: “We love our bread, we love our butter, but most of all we love each other.” 

Growing up with French au pairs and loving Madeline, it felt perfectly fitting to let a little piece of my childhood come through. Dinner featured pea soup, steak frites, and local French wine. We passed around our Canon G7X camera and asked guests to take selfies to commemorate the evening.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

Our favorite moment was after we cut the cake. We slipped away with a slice of vanilla buttercream cake filled with fresh raspberries and sat on the château steps under the twinkling lights. We were a bit like flies on the wall as we watched guests socialize and dance under the stars. We giggled and fed each other cake with our hands before our planner, Lotte, popped over to save the day.

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

In the back of my mind, I always knew I wanted to wear a vintage wedding gown. I created a mood board with inspiration to help guide me, but in reality, I was open to falling in love with something more unexpected. After visiting several bridal boutiques in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, I ultimately found my wedding gown and bridal looks at I Do Designer Bridal. It was vintage heaven, and Kelly, the owner, and I still keep in touch. My wedding dress was a dream, and I actually ended up wearing this and my second look backwards! My bridal atelier, Stephen St. Jaymes, brought my ideas to life.

The gown featured a hand-beaded halter, a deep basque waist, and a Victorian-inspired corset that hooked up the front—it figuratively and literally took my breath away. The dress was iconic, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. For my second look, I wanted something more ballerina-esque that I could frolic around the property in. It had a softer basque waist, slinky straps, and a dramatically low scooped back. I paired it with a floor-length blue velvet ribbon in my hair and my pink ballet flats. It was very playful. Each of my vintage looks was carefully transformed while still preserving the integrity of the original dress. With every visit to Stephen, I brought along new ribbons, trims, and special details to incorporate. I was definitely a bride with a vision!

^{The Groom Looks}

I wanted Collin to feel as special as I did with his wedding wardrobe. We partnered with Peter at Phillips in Barrington to design custom suits and a sleek black tux for the wedding weekend. One of our favorite memories was sitting together and flipping through books of textiles—choosing satin linings, buttons, and thoughtful details to create pieces Collin will wear for the rest of his life. For the wedding, Collin wore a black tux with cigarette trousers and a piqué shirt before changing into a white dinner jacket later in the evening.

^{Bridesmaids’ & Groomsmen’s Looks}

I sent the bridesmaids lookbooks with the overall aesthetic and personalized dress ideas, but ultimately I wanted the girls in dresses they loved. They each wore either baby pink or champagne floor-length gowns. Think slinky straps, low backs, basque waists, and pink sheer tulle gloves—each girlfriend of mine had something unique about her look. I gasped when I saw them all together! I loved the groomsmen’s outfits! We went with traditional black tuxes and bow ties, cigarette pants, and black velvet slippers. When they walked, there was just a hint of ankle showing. It was very chic—they looked like a Ralph Lauren ad.

Our Advice

^{For the Planning Process}

Planning was one of my favorite memories. We would go on coffee or happy hour dates to chat about all things wedding and create mood boards for each event. My advice would be to enjoy planning and make a date out of it!

^{For On The Day}

Plan every small detail prior to the wedding day that you can so you can be fully present. Also, take a moment alone before you walk down the aisle—I appreciated having a moment for myself amidst the beautiful chaos. I captured a sweet video of myself in the powder room before walking down the aisle. It’s something that I’ll cherish forever.

^{For Post-Wedding}

Enjoy the newlywed bliss! We ran off to the South of France afterward and spent the next week in hibernation. Go off the grid for a moment.