At Their Chateau Wedding in France, This Couple and Their Guests Danced Until Dawn

Sarah and Jed met at a tailgate in Boston when Jed was in town for a Boston College football game. The two exchanged some flirty messages over social media before he invited her to New York for a concert a few weeks later. After a few more trips to Manhattan, Jed asked Sarah to be his date for a mutual friend's party—and the couple has been inseparable ever since.

Over the years, the pair made a tradition of going to Paris every spring, and on their 2019 trip, Jed surprised Sarah with a getaway to the South of France. He proposed at sunset on their hotel's walkway, and the couple began planning their October 2020 wedding; ultimately, they postponed the event not once, but twice, due to COVID-19.

About a year after their original date, Sarah and Jed invited 95 guests to join them for a rehearsal dinner at Château de la Gaud and wedding at Château de Fonscolombe, both in Aix-en-Provence, France. Most of the couple's loved ones were able to stay in one of the 50 rooms at the lattermost chateau. "We wanted our guests to be able to appreciate this special place and feel like they were on a dream vacation that we happened to get married [during]," Sarah says.

The couple partnered with Mylene and Geoffrey from White Eden Weddings to help them plan their international celebration from afar. "We worked so well as a team. Any difficult decision we had to make was only hard because all the options they offered were so great!" the bride says. "Even at crunch time and on the day-of, the wedding planning stress was nonexistent."

The couple tapped Crème de Papier to create a custom suite on handmade paper, which they used to invite their guests to their destination wedding weekend in Aix-en-Provence. The stationery featured blue calligraphy and a drawing of the Château de Fonscolombe's tower on both the invitation and the envelope liner.

On the day before their wedding, Sarah and Jed hosted an al fresco rehearsal dinner at Château de la Gaud. "The South of France has always been a very special place to us, and we knew right away that we wanted to get married there and be able to share this special place with all our friends and family," Sarah says of the general locale.

Guests kicked off the weekend's festivities by dining outside on the property's terrace. White Eden Weddings, the pair's planning and design team, opted for a clean, neutral aesthetic to contrast with the lush French gardens and vineyards just ahead. The single long table was dressed in blue linens as a nod to the wedding's color palette.

All-white settings were punctuated by nacre cutlery, organic white florals from Sisters and B., pillar candles, and handwritten menus.

Guests enjoyed a Provençal dinner cooked by the Michelin-star chef in residence at Château de la Gaude—and then took part in an upbeat after-party; they danced along to a strolling live band in the chateau's salons until late in the evening. 

The couple's Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Nell, made an appearance in the bridal suite; Sarah and her attendants wore Hill House Home nap dresses while they got ready for the big day.

Sarah redesigned her great-grandmother's pearl earrings—that she and her grandmother wore on their own wedding days—for her own celebration.

The bride wore a fitted Vera Wang wedding dress with a folded neckline and cowl back. She didn't exactly enjoy dress shopping; she felt like every dress she tried on was too overtly bridal. "This one was different—I felt like me in it," she says. "I am all about comfort and representing myself through fashion, and this certainly did both."

A wild, asymmetrical, organic bouquet of cream, white, blush, and latte-hued flowers added a splash of color to her ensemble.

She also donned strappy white Amina Muaddi shoes—and pinned a few sprigs of baby's breath in her hair for a finishing touch.

Jed stepped out in a navy Tom Ford tuxedo and shoes. "Jed wanted to wear something different than the traditional black or white tux, so he went with navy," Sarah explains, noting that he polished off his suit with a gold watch that his grandmother gave to him.

Sarah gave her bridesmaids a mood board of colors and asked them to pick any dress they wanted. Each attendant ended up choosing a Marchesa number, and held miniature versions of the bride's bouquet on the big day.

Groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos; the color differentiation helped the groom stand out (his navy tux, however, did have black lapels, to ensure his ensemble spoke to his groomsmen's).

The pair's ceremony took place in the grand courtyard of the chateau, where cast iron chairs were set up facing the historical fountain and the property's two towers.

Blooming cherry trees framed the white stage that served as the altar; hundreds of white roses flanked either side of the aisle, the entrance of which was marked with two large arrangements.

Live violinists played Avicii's "Wake Me Up" as the wedding party made their way down the aisle. Nell reappeared during the service: She trotted down the aisle, accompanied by the groom's two brothers, while wearing a white floral collar. "All she wanted to do was jump on Jed at the altar, but she had to take her seat in the front row, whining," Sarah says.

The couple's mutual friend, Michael, officiated their ceremony. "We completely trusted him and looked forward to his speech!" Sarah says. "He started in French, making it very obvious he couldn't speak a word of it (to uproarious laughter from the guests) and then continued in English." The highlight of the pair's non-religious service was also facilitated by Michael; he whipped out berets for the couple to wear—and then Sarah and Jed noticed the groomsmen had donned them, as well.

The newlyweds made their way back up the aisle as musicians played Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" and guests tossed white flower petals into the air.

During the cocktail hour, guests mingled on the lawn and enjoyed passed appetizers including white truffle croque-monsieurs and avocado and mimolette quesadillas. They also enjoyed the duo's signature cocktails—one was tequila based, while the other had vodka—along with wine and Champagne, courtesy of the chateau. "The great bartenders truly put on a great show!" Sarah says. "Not only did they serve delicious and beautiful cocktails, but they also provided some entertainment."

Escort cards were printed on white paper and displayed on a table decorated with a blue-and-white runner, vintage vases, and neutral floral centerpieces. Arrangements of white roses—like the ones seen on the ceremony aisle—were displayed underneath the station, as if they were growing up from the ground.

Sarah and Jed hosted their reception in a crystal open-air marquee tent on the property's park. Chandeliers and disco balls were suspended from the rafters, and cherry blossom trees and white roses surrounded the structure's entry point.

A mix of long and round tables topped with ivory floor-length linens were paired with French country dining chairs. Blue fabric was draped from the ceiling for ambience.

Table numbers were printed in a blocky font, and offered a modern contrast to the otherwise classic stations.

Each spot was set with blue-and-white patterned plates and napkins, blue handled gold flatware, and gold rimmed glassware. Centerpieces featured white, cream, and blush roses, and were filled in with a mix of greenery. Latte-hued taper candles in gold holders were the finishing touch.

The couple wanted to do things their own way, so on their big day, they served a five course sit-down meal—and saved dancing for later. During dinner, the best man, maid of honor, and father of the bride shared heartfelt speeches.

The couple served a three-tiered lemon wedding cake—made by Made in Cake—with raspberry filling; its middle tier featured the same blue design seen on the dinner napkins.

After dinner, guests made their way to the chateau's restaurant, which was transformed into a disco-themed night club. Sarah and Jed shared their first dance to "Higher Love," the Whitney Houston and Kygo remix. "The lyrics, the music, and the feeling—it's what we feel together as a couple. We wanted to share and spread that to everyone at our wedding!" the bride says. The couple's good friend, DJ Betto, along with an electric guitarist, kept guests on the dance floor until 5 a.m. To keep the party going, the couple had a pizza food truck at the ready; guests grabbed late-night snacks, and then returned to the dance floor.

Sarah changed into an off-white, strapless Vera Wang mini dress with a bubble hem during the reception. "The second I saw this dress in a Vera Wang ad, I started hunting it down at a trunk show," Sarah says. She paired it with comfortable converse high tops, so she, like her and Jed's guests, could party all night long.

Photography, Oliver Fly 
Rehearsal Dinner Venue, Château de la Gaud 
Wedding Venue and Catering, Château de Fonscolombe 
Event Planning and Design, White Eden Weddings 
Videography, MG Image 
Flowers, Sisters and B. 
Invitations and Paper Products, Crème de Papier 
Bride's Attire, Vera Wang 
Bride's Shoes, Amina Muaddi
Bride's Hair and Makeup, Un Brin D'Audace 
Groom's Attire, Tom Ford 
Bridesmaids' Dresses, Marchesa 
Music, Incanto Musique; DJ Betto 
Cake, Made in Cake 
Rentals, Maison Options; Latini Design; JoliBazaar;  Nuage Design 
Favors, Une pincée de Provence 
Lighting, Phos Event 
Bartending, DNA Bartending 
Technics, South Prod