A Pastel Vintage Destination Wedding in France

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Aneta and Phil

On a ski trip to Switzerland in 2005, Aneta Mak and Phil Hopper found love on the slopes. When Aneta, a wedding and lifestyle photographer, returned to London and Phil stayed in Verbier (he was a ski coach at the time), they kept in touch. Five years later, Phil, now a garden designer, proposed. For their August 27, 2011, destination wedding, they headed to the French countryside and hosted an affair complete with Provencal touches (lavender sprigs, wine and cheese, macarons) and British twists (Pimm's Cup cocktails). The intimate, nontraditional wedding was filled with European style.

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The Location

Mas des Comtes de Provence in Tarascon, a small town near Avignon, France, was the idyllic setting for the relaxed, outdoor nuptials. The extensive property boasts a privately owned 15th-century country house, olive and cypress trees, gazebos, and old stone buildings adorned with sage-green shutters.

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Portraits

Photographer Leo Patrone captured the couple during cocktail hour in their venue's courtyard.

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The Fashions

Aneta donned a limited edition Anoushka G. gown with a detachable train. She paired it with Jimmy Choo heels and a bee necklace from Alex Monroe.

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The Bridal Party

The bridesmaids wore Vicky Martin dresses and carried smaller versions of the bridal bouquet. Phil and his groomsmen wore gray vests and trousers from Next and ties from Tie Rack.

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The Bouquet

Aneta's bouquet featured coral 'Juliet' roses, lavender, aster, and lush foliage.

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The Programs

The ceremony guides, created by Paper + Cup Design, featured illustrations of the couple. Inventive guests also used them to shade their faces from the sun.

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The Ceremony

Aneta walked down the aisle with her mother to Jose Gonzales's "Heartbeats," played acoustically by the band Fingers in the Jam. During the service, Phil's sisters read a poem by Edward Lear -- "The Owl and the Pussycat" -- and Aneta's cousin and friend recited the lyrics to Adam Sandler's "I Wanna Grow Old with You" from "The Wedding Singer." After their "I do"s, they walked up the aisle to Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks."

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The Ceremony Decor

Small arrangements of vuvuzela roses, lysianthus, ornithogalum, sweet William, olive branches, and lavender were secured to guests' chairs with raffia.

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Cocktail Hour

Leo Patrone Photography

Because they weren't getting married in the United Kingdom, Aneta and Phil wanted to have a touch of home. Pimm's Cups, an English summer libation, seemed liked the perfect fix. They were served in glass yogurt jars with striped straws during cocktail hour.

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Escort Cards

These tags were designed to look like cameras, in honor of the bride's profession.

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The Reception

Centerpieces of vuvuzela roses, lysianthus, freesia, sweet William, olive branches, and lavender were wrapped in burlap to add rustic texture. Tea light candles, housed in vintage milk bottles supplied romantic lighting.

Sprigs of lavender tied with raffia and customized postcards of the French countryside garnished each place setting. Guests were encouraged to write on them and mail them the following day.

Dinner began with a bowl of hearty French onion soup. A buffet of locally grown organic dishes followed and included ratatouille, potato gratin, thyme-and-rosemary lamb steaks, garlic-and-lemon chicken, olives, and cheeses.

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Special Seats

The backs of Aneta and Phil's chairs were decorated with long strands of VV Rouleaux ribbons.

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Booklets

Mary Lee Herrington of Forever & Ever Events found small notebooks from Moleskine and customized them with grosgrain ribbon bookmarks, washi tape binding, and custom labels from Paper + Cup Design. Each journal's cover asked the guests a different question about the couple, and colored pencils were set out for guests to answer them.

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First Dance

Aneta and Phil met with a professional choreographer to plan their first dance. They started with the sweet song "Close To You" by the Carpenters, then cut to a guitar riff from Fallout Boy's cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" (Phil played air guitar while Aneta removed the detachable train of her dress). Ending the music mashup was a line dance to "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO, during which the couple invited everyone to join them.

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Sweet Treats

The couple opted for a traditional French croquembouche for their wedding cake; a dessert buffet of decadent French pastries like macarons, miniature tarts, and petits fours provided extra-tasty delights.

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The Favors

Provencal-milled lavender soaps were given as favors.

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Sources

Photography: Leo Patrone

Stationery: Paper + Cup Design

Event Design: Mary Lee Herrington of Forever & Ever Events

Wedding Planning: Haute Weddings

Catering: Service Compris

Location: Mas des Comtes de Provence

Engagement Ring: Justin Duance

Wedding Bands: D'Argent

Flowergirl's Dress: Monsoon

Rentals: Options Hire

Officiant: Pierre Henri

Flowers: Aux Fleurs du Theatre, 33-490-435-005

Croquembouche and Pastries: David de Roy, 33-490-477-201

Music: Fingers in the Jam, 44-0-7740-427-766 (band); Charlie Davies, 33-689-488-055 (DJ)

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