Joanne and François – Part 2 : The Wedding

After their sea style engagement session in Antibes, let's meet Joanne and François to celebrate their wedding at the magnificent Domaine du Planet near Pourrières in the south-east of France.

Joanne and François

Domaine du Planet

The Domaine du Planet is lost in the Garrigue barely north of Pourrières, at the end of a small dirt road... Lost to the point that the network does not pass at all within 15 minutes drive around the estate, perfect for a quiet weekend in short!

After passing a long and beautiful driveway (and an airfield) you reach a magnificent Provençal farmhouse surrounded by a charming garden and a small lake guarded by a few ducks...

The inside of the farmhouse is just as typical and full of charm. This large property looks like a parade of rooms, one after the other... to the point that it was able to accommodate a large part of the 100 wedding guests, as well as the bride and groom and yours servant.

Bride preparation

When I arrive, François' family is in full swing: nothing is set up... 2 hours before leaving for the chapel, we can say we're at the top! All the more so as the bride-to-be is absent. The time for me to go around the estate and I find Joanne who goes directly to see Marion to make herself even more beautiful than she already is... We leave for the hairdressing session... And as you can see, there is always work to do before having a beautiful bridal bun.

At the same time, François' family is working miracles outside and is gradually setting up the dining area, the civil wedding venue and the small side activities planned for the evening.

Then they leave for the chapel, which also needs to be decorated... François will change in a camper van next to the chapel, far from my objective, so... It's a shame about the preparations for the future husband :(. Let's come back to Joanne who is getting her make-up done by Marion... We can feel the tension rising.

Between Katia, her bridemaid, Marion and me (used to brides under stress), we are not too many three to reassure and relax her... And let's go for the putting on of the dress.

So, our bride is ready to go, the tension drops a little when she sees herself in the photo... And off we go to the Notre-Dame de Brue-Auriac church!

The religious ceremony

When I arrived on the scene, I discovered a small church full of charm, without electricity, it is entirely lit by candlelight. So, the ceremony begins, François walks up the aisle with his mother, then it's Joanne's turn... Time for her to get her dress out of the way.

The ceremony takes place in this charming place and we arrive at the long-awaited moment of the exchange of wedding rings.

A kiss, a few signatures and a round of applause later and it's time to leave the church. The bride and groom are greeted by the green and white petals thrown with joy by ecstatic guests.

Then we leave for the domaine in the bride and groom's car, after having taken care to remove the cans that were hung up to avoid a fire starting on the small paths through the garrigue.

The civil ceremony

Arriving at the Domaine, it's time for refreshments and group photos before the long-awaited arrival of the mayor for the civil ceremony on the Domaine... What luck! In the middle of Covid-19, being able to do the ceremony in the open air saves us from wearing the unsightly mask on the photos :)... And in the idyllic space that is the Domaine du Planet, it's even better!

Once the wedding rings have been (again) exchanged and the signatures placed in front of the assembly, it is time for us to leave for the intimate couple's session, an intimate moment I love.

The couple photography session

So, we start by heading towards the small lake on the domaine for a few photos. Joanne and François relax, it is their moment that starts: a small bubble of intimacy in the middle of a very rhythmical day.

They gradually relax and then we decide to move to the century-old oak tree on the property, an ideal place to forget the guests. The couple is now really enjoying the moment and getting into their bubble: little hugs, kisses, glances and teasing.

François takes the opportunity to go back a little to his childhood and goes down the swing from the tree.

Once François has been taken off the swing, we join the guests for the vin d'honneur composed of excellent cooking workshops.

The Diner and Dancing night

Once the stomach has been opened by the excellent appetisers, it's time to sit down to the table and, quickly, the entertainment begins, with films edited by the parents and activity - embarrassing questions for the bride and groom in the middle of the stage - which allow us to discover who is the least responsible for their little habits.

Then comes the traditional opening of the ball for the lovers before everyone joins them for a lively evening.

It is now time to go to bed.

Brunch

A good night's sleep later, I get up and meet the guests at brunch. On the menu: scrambled eggs, pancakes and coffee!

Brunch is always a nice moment where people are much more natural than the day before: here no suits, no nice dresses, just everyday clothes and habits.

But no rest for the heroes, Joanne brings everyone together to pack the little biscuits she made for Andrea's baptism.

And we leave for the church of Brue-Auriac

Baptism

But, the Domaine du Planet being literally cut off from the mobile network, we hadn't seen the calls from the priest who warned us that he would be a good hour late. So we set off again for a moment of relaxation and I take the opportunity to take a few photos in the middle of the vines with our newlyweds.

Finally, the priest arrives and the baptism begins in front of the church and then we enter for the last blessings and the water bath.

It is now time to taste the excellent cake and pastries prepared by the caterer of the day before.

And here we are at the end of this weekend full of photos and emotions!