Guest Blogger Margo and Me’s Jenny Bernheim Dishes on Her Destination Wedding Inspiration

By Jenny Cipoletti
Katie Mitchell Photography

The bride-to-be dives into the images that make her swoon—and dream about her big day.

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Katie Mitchell Photography
Meet Margo & Me’s Jenny Bernheim and Her Fiancé, Freddie

It wasn’t until I met my fiancé, Freddie, that I started to picture my wedding. I was never one of those girls who dreamt of it. I know, major confession! I've always believed that the vision of your big day should come from what you and your fiancé both love and appreciate. How could I dream of a wedding without knowing whom I would be walking down the aisle toward?

Freddie and I both believe we are old souls in that we like celebrations to feel very traditional and luxurious. Think Great Gatsby meets the film Midnight in Paris. We relish in every ornate detail, we love any excuse to dress up, and, most important, we both love elegance. These things are what have ultimately guided the direction of our wedding décor, and Freddie has been as equally involved in every step of the process as I have been.

Here is a sneak peek at some images that are helping us imagine our big day (and the night before) happening this summer in France.

For all things #JenFredWed2015

, follow along on Instagram

@MargoandMe

#margoandmeandmartha and check back here for more insight and inspiration as I plan for our big day!

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Color Our World

Scott & Zoe
Get Blue-and-White Color Palette Inspiration

We found choosing our colors to be one of the most difficult first steps in the wedding-planning process. There is such a fine line between too loud, or too feminine. We wanted to be in love with what we picked since we would be seeing a lot of it for the next year while we put together the event.

Without giving away too much about our upcoming celebration, one of our accent colors will be French Blue—which is equally feminine and masculine. Freddie and I agreed on it immediately.

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Something Blue

Troy House

I am definitely planning on incorporating some French Blue elements into the fashions for the wedding weekend as well. It will make finding my “something blue” an easier process! 

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Blue Velvet

Anastasiya Belik

The touch of blue velvet in this bouquet is exquisite.

The Details: Photography: Anastasiya Belik. Styling, Floral Design, and Paper Goods: PEONY Art Decoration Studio. Event Management: Oh’Marriage.

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Plate Expectations

In addition to other elements, we hope to source some tabletop pieces with classic details like these. 

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All Aboard

Courtesy of Kathleen Tyler Conkl
See Planning Tips for Getting Hitched in This French Château Outside of Paris

For a destination wedding, we believe the welcome dinner should set the tone for what your guests should expect over the next few days. We are hoping to be as creative as we can with this element.

Our guests will be arriving in Paris before heading outside the city limits for the wedding weekend. We are thinking, what better way to show our family and friends the city than a welcome dinner aboard a yacht?

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Location, Location, Location

KT Merry
See This French-Themed Wedding in Paris

When I began planning our wedding, a friend gave me a very good piece of advice: “Don’t select your gown until you have the location.” That was maybe the best advice I could have received. The one thing I’d always envisioned was the style of my dress—a mermaid silhouette. But after finding our venue, I knew that the dress had to be just as majestic as the setting and opted for something completely different.

Gardens make for a beautiful setting for pictures with your future husband.

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How About a Château?

Mademoiselle Fiona
See a Whimsical Wedding in France

France is very well known for its neoclassical architecture, something I simply adore about the country.

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Those Summer Nights

Jessica Antola

And for the reception, I love the idea of taking guests outside under the stars. Check out these tents!

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Bienvenue

Elizabeth Messina Photography

For a destination wedding, a welcome basket is one of the first things your guests will see, so it needs to feel, well …welcoming!

Each time my fiancé and I go to France, we visit different stores, restaurants, and bakeries. We have a list of things that we are planning on adding to our guests’ baskets from these spots. Each element shares another reason why we fell in love with Paris.

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Flower Power

Delbarr Moradi
See These Bouquets Inspired by the Most Popular Wedding Flowers

The bouquet has been possibly the most confusing element of the entire wedding for me. I can’t decide if I like a tight bouquet or a loose, more organic one. One thing I do know is what kind of flowers I like, and I’m praying we can still get peonies!

This bouquet is so whimsical yet the peonies make it feel romantic and elegant.

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On the Loose

Landon Jacob

Another great example of a very beautiful, loose arrangement with peonies. I love the look of this. 

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Bits of Blue

Get Powder Blue-and-Nude Color Palette Inspiration

I keep gravitating toward the idea of sprinkling in a few blue floral elements, like in this bouquet. There’s something so soft and romantic about the look.

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Stop and Smell the Roses

See More Pretty Pink Bouquet Ideas

I’ve learned that a great alternative to peonies is French garden roses. Aren’t they exquisite?

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A Pause for Paper

Thayer Allyson Gowdy
See a French-Inspired Vintage Wedding

Much like your fashion choices, I believe your paper goods should be a topic of conversation. Paying attention to the smallest details will make the wedding feel very personal and even more memorable.

I love how regal these feel, but they are also playful with the custom artwork.

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Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Find More Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Wedding Invitations

I’ve always wanted an excuse to put a wax seal on an envelope. Having your custom crest created is a very nice touch.

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Monogrammed Moments

Mikkel Vang
Get Aqua-and-Gold Wedding Ideas

If you don’t want to go in the direction of a crest, opt for artfully monogrammed invites. We played with these two ideas longer than we should have before making up our minds.

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Map It Out

Marcus Nilsson

I think maps are a great addition to a destination wedding. I may select a few places around town for guests to visit for food, drinks, and shopping! 

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Gilded Accents

STEPHEN LEWIS
See More Gold Wedding Ideas

This invitation is one of my all-time favorites, because I love the gold foil details and script writing. Classic, elegant, perfect.

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Day-of Details

Larry Fink

Whether you’re a bridezilla or not, we all have those details we can’t live without, and you shouldn’t feel bad about that—it’s your wedding! These may or may not be a few of the day-of details we’ll actually have. A girl can dream!

What’s more fun (and more French) than a Champagne tower?

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Have a Seat

I love when the details, down to the furniture, tell a story. I am dreaming of a beautifully curated selection of rococo furniture.

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Going Vintage

Taylor & Porter

I’ve always collected vintage china, so having this element at the wedding feels very personal to me. My great-grandmother gave me a tea set that looked like this when I was a teenager. Having these at the reception will feel as if in some way, she is there celebrating in spirit.

The Details: Photography: Taylor & Porter. Floral design: The Garden Gate Flower Company. Stationery: Artcadia.

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Mix It Up

Raquel Leal Photography

There’s something very vintage feeling to mixing and matching your stemware and flatware. I’m personally obsessed with the look.

The Details: Photography: Raquel Leal. China, Flatware and Glassware: Central Valley Vintage Rentals.

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Light It Up

Aaron Delesie
See More Fireworks Displays From Real Wedding

To get the dance party started, I’m dreaming of fireworks after the reception.

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Decadent Desserts

Thayer Allyson Gowdy
See the Evolution of French Macarons at Weddings

What’s a wedding in France without French pastries? Extravagance is a given in the City of Love and the same goes for its pastries! Freddie and I love visiting Le Bon Marché for its completely over-the-top selection of pastries. 

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Cheers!

Elizabeth Messina Photography

I don’t think there’s one person who doesn’t enjoy a craft cocktail. It’s a great alternative to Champagne or wine, and if you create it to reflect the city you are in, it makes for a beautiful detail.

I love the look of a gold rim on stemware, and the addition of a floral element makes for an extra special treat.

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A White Wedding

Kimberly White Photography
Get More Centerpiece Ideas

I remember the very first wedding I went to. What left a lasting impression that night was the magnificent centerpieces. No matter how tall or short, they must have that “wow” factor!

There’s something about all-white centerpieces that really make a statement, especially when the color will be coming from the tabletop, flatware, and stemware.

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A Pop of Gold

Aaron Delesie

I love the juxtaposition of having fuller, larger arrangements among smaller, more delicate ones. These gold vases are a beautiful touch.

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Simple and Sweet

Braedon Photography
See More Simple Wedding Centerpieces

For the cocktail hour, perhaps we should keep centerpieces simple with a statement flower, metallic vase, and lots and lots of candles?

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