Are you ready to be our guests at our French château luxury elopement styled shoot? We shared in a recap of our last styled shoot that France is something special. Our recent Paris Elopement Inspiration was an absolute dream. Coming from an American perspective, we have our culture and our history dating back a few centuries. But France, she’s been around, she doesn’t need all of the American hustle and bustle. We enjoyed moving from the beautiful city life to an ancient, yet beautiful chateau. There is just something about a structure that has stayed strong through the test of time that fits the mantra of the love stories we tell. Swooooon.
For context, there are a few reasons to have a styled shoot. For our photographer friends it is to create content to inspire and delight potential couples. Psst check out our blog on how to plan a styled shoot to book elopements if that’s you! For our couples, it is to inspire and delight YOU! We hope this helps your elopement brainstorming session. If you feel like our vibe vibes with your vibe, call us and we can vibe together. If you want to skim some more information before picking up the phone, WikiHow has the basics on how to plan a romantic elopement.
Chateau de Courtomer
Now, our chateau, Chateau de Courtomer, was a beaut for many reasons. As elopement photographers and entrepreneurs, we walk the line of being creative spirits and functional souls. For this chateau, we LOVE it for both the creativity it allows and also because it’s logistically feasible. Our recommendation is to fly into the Paris Charles airport and make it a two day elopement with one full chateau day and one exceptional Paris adventure. Parlez-vous français?
FUN FACT – This chateau was actually our Honeybee pick from our 7 luxury resort wedding venues. It is a mix of the stylish and classic elegance of a forgotten era blended with 21st century comfort and convenience. Stroll through the little town of Courtomer, just a few minutes walk. You’ll find a charming little town of perfect little espresso shops and fresh baguettes. The estate is over 350 acres of lush trees, rose bushes, fountains, and moats. It connects you to the best of rest and relaxation. A private chef onsite is the perfect way to accomplish everyone’s dietary needs.
Courtmer is characterized by its large lavender fields in June and July. May and October’s climate is sunny and hot. For those wondering how much does it cost to get married in a chateau in France, the per night stay at Chateau de Courtomer is $2,800+. However, with over 22 rooms on the estate, splitting it with your closest family and friends is the best way to go.
Real talk, if we weren’t already obsessed with Chateau de Courtomer, our second pick is Château de Challain-la-potherie. We go in depth about this story book chateau in our 2022 How to Elope in France guide. That being said, we haven’t met a castle wedding venue that we didn’t like.
Alright you get the picture, now let’s get into our pictures!! If you are wondering what is a luxury elopement, this styled shoot will answer any and all questions you may have. This styled shoot is so well designed, ahm we thank our host and coordination magician Darcy Benincosa for this. We bow down to your brilliance and radiance! There is a certain amount of luxury that can happen with a French château luxury elopement and we trusted Reala Gore at RSVP Events to plan, design, and style the shoot.
There is a lot of behind the scenes magic we HAVE to share with you.
Dress to BLOW IT OUT OF THE WATER
Forget dress to impress, our models Bianca Senatore and Francesco Brunetti were ABOVE AND BEYOND. Our sweet bride wore two incredible dresses brought to us by Monique Lhuillier at Monique Lhuillier Bride. I love that it has some color in it, it’s not your everyday white but it’s also not overt. The gown is flowy with these gorgeous sleeves. The perfect mix of modern and unique, it’s truly stunning. Insert star emojis here! Monique Hill, you are a visionary!!
The fetching groom was dressed by Chirs Von Martial. The classic tux screamed black tie (bow tie) affair. Individually, they are gorgeous, but together. DAMN. WHAT A LOOK! Bianca makes the cotton candy pink typically reserved for a princess look like queen martial. Can we petition pink to be the new white?? Barbie and Ken move over!
The devil is in the details
No outfit is complete without the right accessories. Nicola Bathie Jewelry got our girl iced up. If you want to indulge and get yourself something really gorgeous that you can wear all the time, this is a perfect occasion. Jewelry is also a way to pay homage if you have something that’s special to you and your family. For our bride, Nicola Bathie chose some chunky earrings. We see a lot of dainty studs for brides and this was a great choice to add some more personality to the ensemble. Later in our French château luxury elopement, these were swapped for a set of emerald earrings, rings, and bracelet. 10/10 for dripping in luxury.
Speaking of luxury, you will want to treat yourself to a glam session. Alesia Solo’s niche is enhancing beauty. The look wasn’t an over the top one, but really getting into the details of the brush strokes and crisp lines, making the bride’s natural features take center stage. Her hair was kept down and she was ready for the wedding and after party all in one. The balance of natural but refined was showcased well.
As we get into the rest of the details, I really want to emphasize how much those details weaved through every piece of this day. The pink linen, the pink dress, the flower wall that is just coming through with little touches of blues and reds. It was so well thought out and it made it all the more special.
A venue fit for a queen
Chateau de Courtomer is a venue fit for a king. Or kings. Maybe a queen or two. Whatever your love story, this is the place for you! One of our favorite things about elopements is repurposing the budget from the traditional cost. In this French château luxury elopement, the budget was influenced by the venue and the attire. Securing a chateau opens the door to sooooo many cool things. The biggest one is that if you are looking for the difference between a destination wedding and eloping, it’s virtually nil here. WIth 22 rooms, you can bring your whole family for an extravagant wedding weekend. Orrrr you can enjoy the place to yourself. Belle did.
XOXO, Wedding Babe
A creative way to indulge in the luxury element and also bring your family and friends into the fold are invitations. This is a twist on the postcard elopement announcement and really let your people into the experience. Studio Wren Co came through on this with vintage announcements that looked like something you would find on the chateau writing desk a couple centuries ago. We also HIGHLY recommend purchasing your stamps to send home in your elopement country. Recipients have fun seeing the difference. These post nuptials “invites” are the coolest way to let your family know that you’ve eloped, you’re thinking of them, and you love them!
Forever Florals
Another aspect you can focus on to make it luxury and go over the top are the flowers. Floriason Paris came through with this flower wall that was just absolutely stunning. HELLLOOO and I’m obsessed. Jake is going to have to hold me back from running home and recreating our entire house in florals. Flowers are another item that you can focus the elopement budget towards and go balls to the floral walls.
In conjunction with Floriason Paris, David Austin Wedding Roses added to the grand floral arrangements featured on the table. Have we told you yet that the limit does not exist on good flowers??? The fine china ready to serve looks and treats was placed by Vaisselle Vintage along with the Lumiere lookalike candles.
luxury = gourmet
Now what good is empty china? Let’s dig into the feast! A French chateau luxury elopement experience comes with a local chef and you can center the meal around classic french cuisine. This is your time for escargot, baguettes, a savory quiche. Make sure you pop the CHAMPAGNE! Having a local chef that can come and care for you is the very best way to celebrate your elopement. There’s nothing that speaks luxury more than good food and good wine.
The wedding favors were brought to you by MonAnnie Cakes and you can now consider us big fans of the dessert favor! So long drink koozies, give us more of the good stuff. The husband and wife team share, “a wedding favor will work best if it is meaningful. Consider a flavor that is special to you both. Was there a flavor you had at your proposal, your first date, a special holiday, something celebrating your culture or wedding destination? Think about how you can use that as a foundation for your favors.” Learn what their top ten edible favors are!
Channel your inner Bilbo and join us for an adventure
The coolest thing about a French château luxury elopement is building fun into the budget! For example, at Chateau de Courtomer they implore guests to take advantage of all Normandy has to offer by embarking on a cider, cheese, or wine tour of the region. Hot air balloon rides, horse-back riding in the country-side, bike tours, and private cooking lessons. Check out their website for all adventure inquiries!
The short of it is that this elopement was luxury from top to bottom. You don’t have to be camping in the back of your truck and hiking the highest peak for an elopement. When we tell you that we are the adventure elopement specialists, we mean adventure in every sense of the word! You don’t have to get dirty for an adventure, you can just hold up with French wine and cuisine and adventure around Normandy in a hot air balloon. Come, adventure with us!
Are you ready to create your own château luxurious elopement experience? Check out our guide devoted to how to elope in france! When you want to take the next steps with us to get you to french kissing your love while wearing white (or pink!), let’s talk.
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