July 15th, 2014:
Blog post by Felicia
Foreword: This will be our most picture-packed blog post yet for a wedding!
It’s evident by now that Rob and I enjoy immersive travel experiences, the kind where we get to experience the culture, food, and nuances of the country or city we visit.
Liyi & Sebastien’s wedding was an incredible experience for us, one where we got to be part of the pre-wedding proceedings, and got well-acquainted with the couple’s families & friends. We arrived to a ‘farm-to-table’ welcome dinner prepared by the groom’s amazing mother, complete with requisite cheeses aged by his Dad. We were plied with course after course of delicious food, then when we thought we couldn’t eat anymore, were stuffed with dessert, and of course, enjoyed French wine throughout the evening.
The wedding took place at Chateau Beauvoir, a 12th Century castle of significance during the Hundred Years War. I guess this takes the title of “Most Epic Wedding Venue”! We had the luxury of staying in the castle itself, waking up for breakfast every morning in the grand dining room, under soaring chandeliers, and flanked by towering candelabras. It really felt like this: French hospitality at its finest.
A happy bride is the most beautiful one, and Liyi was all smiles throughout the weekend, glowing with exuberance and lots of laughs; while Sebastien proved to be a one-man wedding machine, taking care of matters big & small like an impeccably-dressed French whirlwind. But to be fair, it truly took a village, as everyone chipped in to help make Liyi & Sebastien’s wedding day a reality: from grandma picking the cherries that became wedding favor jams, to local bakers, florists, and friends & family from far & wide.
This wedding will be a very memorable one for us in so many ways, for many years to come, and we are so honored to have been part of their celebrations.
Liyi & Seb, felicitations, and thank you for having us. We hope to see you again soon, sometime, somewhere. Here’s to a beautiful lifetime together!
The day before the wedding, we gathered to watch France trounce Switzerland 5-2. There, my new friend Manon (the groom’s niece) waved the French flag yelling “Allez! Allez!” to cheer her team.
Sebastien carried his late grandfather’s Laguiole folding knife all day as a way to remember him.
Because when your mother says your tie needs ironed, it needs ironed. Even if you’re wearing it.
Sebastien’s brother Fred spared no effort to make the groom’s ride a very special one indeed!
France practices strict separation of church and state (laïcité), so all marriages MUST begin with civil paperwork at the Mayor’s office.
One awesome French child playing on his own. What is it about French children that make them so incredibly adorable?!
My new assistant Manon.
At about 1am, everyone headed outside for a tradition where the groom’s parents hat and culottes were burned in a frying pan. I believe it was supposed to symbolize the parents being relieved from their duties when their last child gets married.
Groups of people then took turns jumping over the flaming pan. It was crazy awesome.
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