France is magic. Pure magic. So getting married there just seems like the most romantic way to say I do. It also makes me a tad bit envious of gorgeous couples like this one lucky enough to host their wedding at a place like Le Moulin Brégeon. It’s a venue dreams are made of and provided the perfect backdrop for a perfectly elegant party captured by Poppies & Me. The result is a gallery of images that are simply magical, and you can indulge yourself right here.
From the Bride… I always knew I wanted a destination wedding and considered several European locations as we wanted to make it very accessible for our family and friends travelling from Ireland. Being a Francophile since my school days, France was always going to be my preference.
I scoured the internet looking at venues in the Loire Valley as this was the best region for access from South West Ireland. When I found Le Moulin Brégeon it jumped off the computer screen at me, I instantly got a feel for the place and the kind of unique day we could create there. It is a lovingly restored 19 th century water mill in the heart of the countryside. We travelled to France for a weekend’s break and paid a visit to Le Moulin– it was the only venue we looked at.
We didn’t hire an independent planner, instead we worked directly with the venue planner so had a lot to do ourselves. We visited The Mill for a second time three months before the wedding to finalise menus and other details. We knew exactly the kind of wedding we wished to create and the rustic country style of the venue fitted that perfectly. We wanted elegant rural French simplicity, and a relaxed party atmosphere.
The color palette for the wedding included warm tones of ivory, gold and browns, with clean tones of white and navy and playful pops of lilac/purple. My dress was a sleeveless ivory lace fitted bodice with scalloped V neckline and full-length layered skirt of ivory tulle. Conor was in a three-piece beige suit with gold cravat, brown and cream brogues and lilac socks the same color as the bridesmaids’ dresses. The groomsmen and dads wore the same with the suits in navy. Other pops of purples were in the design of the invitations/menus/church missals plus the macaron favors and table décor. In the church each pew had a floral and straw design to add to the rustic country theme and this was carried on throughout the venue.
We had a jazz trio from the University of Angers of double bass, jazz guitar and saxophone perform on the lawn for cocktail hour and, many hours later after a delicious feast of many courses including scallops, duck and veal, Brian took up his guitar again for our first dance (a special version of ‘Invincible’ by Muse) on the dance floor outside under the stars, where we were joined by our friends and family. We danced until the coaches arrived to take our guests back to their hotels in the town of Saumur just 25 minutes away where we would join them the following evening. It was an incredible day that flew by but I can remember every detail and love to pour over the photos or put on the video footage to take me right back into it.
Wedding Photography: Poppies & Me /Wedding Ceremony: Church of St. Martin-de-Vertou in Linières-Bouton, France / Wedding Location: Le Moulin Brégeon in Linières-Bouton Pays de la Loire, France / Wedding Planner: Etsuko Sasao from Le Moulin Brégeon / Floral Design: Flore et Sens / Bridal Floral Design: Fleurs Ô Naturel Saumur / Wedding Cake: Chef Guy Izambard / Church Music: Brian O’Brien, Groom’s Brother / Wedding Stationery: DIY by the Bride / Favors: Au Cadre Noir / Wedding Car: Auto Passion “1953 Singer” / Wedding Dress: Marian Murphy Cooney / Bridesmaid Attire: Marian Murphy Cooney / Shoes: LK Bennett / Groom + Groomsmen Attire: Savoy Taylors Guild / Groom’s Shoes: Barker Shoes / Hair: Shaun Moriarty from The Greene Room / Makeup: Grace Sheedy from Urban Decay
