British Meets French - The Wedding of Chantal and Pascal

This summer we had the pleasure of planning Chantal and Pascal's wedding. They were such a fun couple and with Chantal being British and Pascal being French they really wanted to incorporate the two nationalities into their day.

We met Chantal and Pascal at Helen and Thomas's wedding which we planned in Studland earlier this year. After attending Helen and Thomas's wedding as guests, Chantal and Pascal realised how much they still had left to do in a relatively short space of time so decided to hire Bellissimo for our "Final Three Months" including On The Day Co-ordination to motivate them and help them finalise plans and bring everything together for their big day. 

A special thank you must go to Amanda Clay Photography who was the photographer and has very kindly given us some of the beautiful images which she captured during the day for our blog and thank you to Chantal and Pascal for allowing us to share their day.

The ceremony was conducted in a beautiful church in Western Avenue in Poole which was filled with amazing purple and cream flowers by Simply Flowers.

Stunning pew ends

The guys looking really smart and getting ready for the arrival of the Bride

The first British treat of the day was awaiting guests outside the church to take them to the wedding reception- a Big London Red Bus! It was gorgeous and during the ceremony, Melanie and Nicolle were busy putting up Union Jack and French flag bunting. The bus made a great background for a confetti shot outside the church.

All of the guests loved going on the Big Red London bus- its such a novelty and a real treat for the French guests who see the Big Red bus as being a British icon. The bus driver was given French music to play for the guests to sing along to on the journey making the journey a truly British and French union.

The reception was held at Parkstone Golf Club where guests were greeted with Kir Royale on the sunny terrace over looking the beautiful Golf course. Chantal and Pascal were blessed with a wonderfully sunny and warm day and their guests were entertained on the Terrace by the wonderful voice of Katie Francesca who sang throughout the drinks reception.

For some more personal photos, Chantal and Pascal took a golf buggy across the golf course with a 'Just married' sign tied to the back!

Chantal and Pascal chose a lilac and purple colour scheme and Busy Bee Events provided the chair covers and sashes and Balloons which we helped set up before the guests arrived together with draping to create sections within the open plan style of the venue. 

There was a traditional British fruit wedding cake decorated with more beautiful flowers from Simply flower and a Croquembouche, a traditonal French dessert served at weddings so guests could decide which they wanted to have - or both!

 

The Croquembouche by Patisserie Angelique was spectacular! It had a real 'wow' factor when guests walked into the room and looked delicious.

The guests were treated to Smoked Salmon for starters, Chicken served with a mustard and cream sauce, potatoes and seasonal vegetables for main and then a selection of English and French desserts and French cheeses. Delicious macaroons and chocolates were served with the coffee after the meal.

Then it was time for the speeches which were just brilliant. The speech by the Father of the Bride was very emotional but also very funny and he even handed out lyrics for everyone to have a sing-a-long! He also did amazingly well to not only hand around translations of his speech in French for the French guests but also translated the speech into French himself. Pascal also made a very touching speech. Chantal also said a few words and had everyone in tears by the end of it!

Beautiful cream lanterns were lit after dark to light the terrace. It looked very romantic and magical!

When the evening guests arrived, it was time to cut the cakes and the first dance! Chantal and Pascal's first dance which they had choreographed beautifully. 

 

Chantal also had a first dance with her Dad to a medley of songs which they had also choreographed together.

In the evening, the guests were treated to the amazing Photo Lounge  which was themed with British and French props. We love this Photo Lounge because its not a booth but a big back screen so loads of guests can fit in each photo. You can also personalise it for your event and you get four photos printed on each postcard on the night.

 

It was lovely to see Helen and Thomas, one of our Bellissimo couples from earlier this year. They loved the photo lounge and they even won the award for 'Photo of the night'!

 

Melanie got in on the fun with Helen and Thomas too!

We had an amazing time helping Chantal and Pascal plan their wedding and we loved being part of their wedding on the day- they were so much fun! We loved worked with Amanda Clay again and with Katie Francesca and Simon from Final Cut Film who was great fun to have on the team.  Thanks so much to everyone who worked hard to make the wedding a truly wonderful day for everyone.  We wish Chantal and Pascal lots of love and happiness for their future together.

For more information on our wedding planning packages please visit our wedding page

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Suppliers for Chantal and Pascal's Wedding:

Wedding planning- Bellissimo Wedding Planning

Venue- Parkstone Golf Club

Photographer- Amanda Clay Photography

Videographer- Final Cut Film

Church- All Saint's Church, Branksome

Flowers- Simply Flower

Venue Dressing- Busy Bees Events

Drinks reception Entertainment- Katie Francesca

Photo Lounge- The Photo Lounge

Crouquembouche- Patisserie Angelique

Its all in the detail...

Whilst you want your wedding as a whole to be stunning and special, your wedding day is ultimately about you, the Bride and Groom. Obviously you want your guests to have a fantastic day, but don't get too caught up on this, bring the day back to yourselves! Its a celebration of your future life together and should be special for the two of you. Its a really lovely idea for the Bride and Groom to do something special for each other. The small details really can make your day perfect.

We wanted to share with you some of our favourite details that Brides and Grooms have done for each other.

Writing letters to each other to be opened on the wedding morning is a really special thing to do. Hand written letters are really romantic and after spending the eve of your wedding apart it will be really comforting and touching to read letters from each other. The letters are just between the two of you so you can write from the heart exactly what you are feeling. Ask the Best Man to deliver the letters to the two of you on the morning of the wedding so that you don't see each other before the ceremony and so that you don't get tempted to open it the night before! If writing a letter really isn't what you are about as a couple then draw illustrations instead. They will be treasured forever.

Image courtesy of Angela Ward Brown Photography

Giving each other gifts on the morning of the wedding is also a lovely idea. Its a popular idea for the Groom to give the Bride jewellery or perfume to wear on the wedding day. It is also popular for the Bride to give the Groom cufflinks or a pocket watch to wear on the day. Why not make it even more special by having the item engraved. It could be engraved with your initials, the wedding date or why not even have the co-ordinates of the wedding venue engraved? If you want to create something even more personal then create a scrap book or memory box filled with all of your special memories so far, something you can continue to add to throughout your future together.

Image courtesy of Columbia Photography 

Create a time capsule on your wedding day! On your wedding day write letters to each other and seal them in envelopes. Place the letters in a chest with a bottle of champagne or your favourite wine and then seal the box. Open the box on your 5th wedding anniversary (or 1st if you don't think you can wait that long!) and then read each others letters whilst you enjoy the bottle of champagne. To make it even more special, get your guests to sign the bottle of bubbly or wine. You could always extend it so that your guests write messages to you to put in the box or provide a Polaroid camera for them to take photos of themselves at your wedding to put into the box which you won't see until you open it 5 years later! Guaranteed that it will bring special memories of your big day flooding back to you!

Image courtesy of This Modern Love

Everyone loves a surprise- especially on their wedding day. A wedding car is usually something that is booked for the Bride but not necessarily for the Groom so why not surprise him with one on the morning of the wedding. Or if the Bride has given up her dream wedding car to pay for other parts of the wedding then book it for her as a surprise- she will be bowled over at the gesture!

Music is a big part of any wedding day. Does your Bride or Groom have a favourite song or is there a song which is 'yours'? If you don't want the full version blaring out whilst you leave the ceremony then ask a string quartet or an acoustic singer to do a special arrangement for you as a surprise. It will be worth it just to see the look of surprise and excitement on your Bride or Groom's face. Bellissimo's Melanie did this for her husband at their wedding. One of her husband's favourite songs is 'It must be love' by Madness and they had chosen to have a string quartet at their ceremony as opposed to tracks played from a stereo so she asked them to do a special arrangement of his favourite song so that they could leave to something more upbeat and to something that had real meaning to them. Four years after their wedding and he still talks about it and is still bowled over by the fact that she did it for him.

Design your wedding bands together so that you have something unique and something that has a bit of each of you in it rather than buying plain bands from the jewellers. Or if the Groom is feeling confident then he could design them as a surprise for the Bride! The fact the Groom has designed them will make them really special and one of a kind. If you don't want to design them yourselves or you can't afford to then get the inside of the bands engraved with a special inscription to make them personal and unique to you. The date of your wedding is always a great way to make your wedding bands unique or how about the title of your first dance? Melanie and her husband have 'always follow your heart' engraved into their rings- it should be something special to you both which means something really special. 

Image courtesy of Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery

Your wedding dress is something to treasure and keep forever but the Groom's suit often doesn't have the same significance. Make the Groom's suit really special by having a bespoke suit made- after all unlike your dress, the Groom's suit is something that can be worn again and again over the years. Your special day will be remembered on every special occasion that the suit is worn. To make it really special, have your wedding date embroidered onto the collar of the jacket. It won't be seen when he's wearing it but you'll both know its there as a special memento from your day. Melanie's husband had this done for their wedding and they both signed the collar on the wedding day.

We love all of these ideas- they are so personal and romantic! What did you do for each other on your wedding day? We would love to hear your stories! Please share them with us on our Facebook page!

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Gemma and Stuart's Elegant Sunny Wedding

A gorgeous sunny day, Saturday 1^st June 2012 was Gemma and Stuart’s wedding day.

Their reception was to be held at on Stuarts’ parent’s farm in Wimborne. The marquee from Pole to Pole Marquees was set up on their lawn the week before and was installed with cream carpet and stunning crystal chandeliers chosen by Gemma. The day before the wedding, we went to the marquee to dress it. With 120 guests, it took us all day to make sure everything looked perfect!

A special thank you should go to Damien Bailey who was the photographer for Gemma and Stuart’s special day and has allowed us to use his stunning images in this blog.

Although the rain threatened on the morning of the wedding, it soon cleared off to be a beautiful sunny day! We were back to the marquee bright and early the next morning to greet the arrival of the flowers, cake, bar, photo booth and technician for the band.

Gemma and her bridesmaids got ready for the day at her Mum’s house in Throop. Gemma looked breath taking in a custom made Suzanne Neville dress. The beautiful lace and low buttoned back were a perfect, romantic combination. Gemma’s bridesmaids wore pale rose pink floor length dresses by Two Birds which can be tied in up to 15 different ways. Their dresses matched perfectly but allowed them to each wear a style that suited each of them.

The ceremony took place at Throop Church and the girls were all driven to the church in a stunning black and cream classic car provided by Barnes Wedding Cars. Gemma’s Dad gave her away and the ceremony was an extremely moving one but luckily Melanie was on hand with tissues! 

After the ceremony Gemma and Stuart went back to her Mum’s house to have some photos taken in her stunning garden which backs straight onto the river.

Whilst Gemma and Stuart were having photos taken, all their guests made their way back to Stuart’s Parent’s house for the reception. A smaller drinks marquee was set up right next to the house where guests were greeted either with Champagne or Elderflower presse. Gemma didn’t want guests to go into the marquee straight away as she wanted it to be a surprise to them all when they first walked in to sit down for their meal so it was our job to make sure they stayed out! As it was such a beautiful day, all the guests were more than happy to stay outside and enjoy the sunshine! Guests were entertained by Keysworth String Quartet who played amazing versions of songs both new and old- a cover of Coldplay was a particular favourite of ours! They were also treated to delicious canapés of Mini bangers and mash on toast with red onion chutney, Smoked salmon & dill mousse on crostini with keta, Asparagus wrapped in Parma ham with truffle oil, Gazpacho soup shot with basil oil and Wild mushroom and herb tartlets

 

At 2.45pm Melanie called everyone in to the marquee to be seated for the wedding breakfast. By the front door of the marquee was the stunning seating plan in an ornate white antique style frame which was made by Emma Farwell Designs. Next to this was a vintage ivory bird cage for guests to put their cards in. The tables were laid with Ivory table cloths with gold table runners, silver cutlery, ivory napkins rolled and tied with gold ribbons, gold rimmed red wine glasses, gold rimmed white wine glasses, gold rimmed champagne glasses and water glasses. 

The place names also made by Emma Farwell Designs were luggage tag style which were tied around the stem of the wine glasses. Gemma and Stuart opted to give their guests charity pin badges as favours which we put into cute little gold envelopes and leant against the water glasses. In the centre of the tables were stunning floral arrangements by Arcade Flowers. Some arrangements were high whilst others were low and were made up of blush pink coloured roses, stunning peonies and cream roses which also matched Gemma’s bouquet and the bouquets carried by the bridesmaids. The flowers were placed on mirrors and had glass tea lights place around them.  The guests were bawled over by how stunning the marquee looked. Gemma and Stuart were equally as delighted with the end result. In the centre of each table was an envelope. Guests were asked to write their names on either a ten or a twenty pound note and put them in the envelopes. Melanie then went round each table and pulled a note out of the envelope and whoever the winning not belonged to won the beautiful table centre! All the money was donated to a childrens' charity.

Melanie announced Gemma and Stuart in and they were received by a huge cheer and round of applause. Once Gemma and Stuart had made their way to their seats Beales Gourmet started serving the food. The starter was Buffalo mozzarella, avocado and tomato timbale with pesto dressing, followed by roasted Sirloin of Beef with horseradish mashed potato and vegetable bundles served with red wine jus for the main course and a delicious quartet of desserts of fruit skewers with strawberry dressing, apple crumble with rhubarb sorbet, chocolate espresso mousse and passion fruit cheesecake. It was such a beautiful day that Jason from Pole to Pole marquees was able to take the sides off of the marquee.

After the food it was time for the speeches, all of which were very moving but amusing!

By the time this was all done, it was time for the evening guests to start arriving  which meant it was time for cutting the cake followed by the first dance!  But before this it was time for Gemma to change into her Jimmy Choo’s for the evening and add a stunning crystal belt to her dress to add a bit of sparkle for dancing! The cake was a three tier white sugar paste cake which was delicately decorated with lace which was copied exactly from the lace on Gemma’s dress- stunning! The cake was made by Lisa Notely Wedding Cakes and was made up of a chocolate layer, a sponge layer and a fruit cake layer. For their first dance Gemma and Stuart danced to 'Long to be close to you' by The Carpenters and treated their guests to a choreographed dance at a pre-wedding dance lesson. 

Then it was time to get into the real party mood! The cocktail bar provided by the Great Mobile Bar Company was now in full swing and going down very well with guests! The photo booth from Smiley Booth was also set up and getting busy with some fun and fab photos which were to be put into a guestbook for Gemma and Stuart.  Gemma and Stuart also declared their sweetie bar officially open and guests loved  filling up their white and pink stripy paper bags with pick and mix sweets and taking them back to the dancefloor! It was an indulgence that took may right back to their childhood with marshmallows, bonbons, love hearts and sherbet lollies. Gemma and her Bridesmaids had worked really hard creating this sweetie bar and they did an amazing job - it looked fantastic. 

The band, Fat Chance and the Disco provided by MaxDiscos kept the guests entertained and got everyone up on the dance floor! After dancing away, guests were beginning to get hungry again so went outside to indulge in fish and chips from a traditional fish and chip van! Not surprisingly this was a big hit with the guests. And for pudding, a slice of wedding cake which was a choice of traditional moist fruit, chocolate and lemon cake. 

The party continued long into the night, with all the guests enjoying the music and cocktails! 

When Gemma and Stuart returned from their honeymoon they sent us a lovely thankyou card which was so appreciated:

'To Melanie, We miss you! The wedding already seems like a lifetime ago, I wish we could do it all again! Thank you so much for making our day perfect, we have had so many compliments from people and so many guests commented on how fantastic you were. You truly are every girls dream to a perfect wedding! Lots of love Gem and Stu xx'

We loved working on this wedding. Visually it was stunning and we hope we achieved the look exactly how Gemma and Stuart had imagined it but also we loved working with Gemma, Stuart and Gemma's wonderful Mum in the 18 months prior to their wedding day to ensure everything ran perfectly on the day. Gemma and Stuart made their own decisions but valued out ideas and suggestions which made them the perfect couple to work with. We wish Gemma and Stuart lots of love and happiness for their future together.

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Suppliers for Gemma and Stuart's Wedding:

Wedding planning- Bellissimo Weddings- www.bellissimo-weddings.co.uk

Wedding styling- Melanie and Nicolle, Bellissimo Weddings- www.bellissimo-weddings.co.uk

Marquee- Pole to Pole Marquees- www.poletopolemarquees.co.uk/

Photographer- Damien Bailey Photography- www.damianbailey.com

Catering- Beales Gourmet- www.bealesgourmet.com

Wedding Car- Barnes Wedding Cars- www.barnesweddings.co.uk

Flowers- Arcade Flowers- www.arcadeflowers.co.uk

Wedding stationary- Emma Farwell Designs- www.emmafarwelldesigns.co.uk

Cake- Lisa Notley Wedding Cakes- www.cakesbylisanotley.co.uk

String Quartet- Keysworth String Quartet- www.keysworth.co.uk

Bar- The Great Mobile Bar Company- www.thegreatmobilebarcompany.com

Photo Booth- Smiley Booth- www.smileybooth.co.uk

Band- Fat Chance- www.fatchanceband.co.uk

DJ- MaxDiscos- www.maxdiscos.co.uk

Traditional Fish and Chip van- Wedding Fish and Chip Catering- www.fishandchipcatering.co.uk