Bohemian Wedding on the French Riviera

When a Danish and Austrian couple marry in the South of France, you get an intimate and eclectic atmosphere full of joy and romance! Maria and Marcel worked with Et Voila Weddings to plan their destination wedding (in only 4 months!). The couple brought their friends and family from around the world together at Domaine des Grottes for a relaxed and comfortable outdoor soiree. Though Maria’s mother was ill and could not attend, she wrote Maria a message on the bottom of her wedding shoes, and Maria says “somehow I could feel her close to me that day.” Maria selected a Grace Loves Lace gown with a floral crown for a boho-chic bridal look. The outdoor reception features swaths of lush greenery and pink garden roses on soft blue linens from Options. The effortless beauty of the Côte d’Azur and Maria and Marcel’s special day is beautifully captured by Ingrid Lepan!

Grace Loves Lace GownBride in Grace Loves Lace

Cote dAzur Wedding

Boho BrideBoho French Riviera Wedding 2

Bridesmaids with Toddler Flower Girls

Bouquet with Astilbe and Eucalyptus

Boho French Riviera Wedding 9Boho French Riviera Wedding 4

Boho French Riviera Wedding 5

Groom in Classic TuxedoBoho French Riviera Wedding 7

Boho French Riviera Wedding 6

Outdoor Wedding Reception in South of France

Bride Wooden Sign for ChairWedding Reception with Greenery and String Lights

Wedding Reception at French Estate

How did you meet?
I was out of Denmark for the first extended period of time in my life, attending a university program in the Principality of Liechtenstein. Me and my friends went to this cocktail party to start our evening. When I walked to the reception, I saw this handsome boy starring at me. His Skandinavien look reminded me of home. From nowhere, he jumped into our group asking, if I would like to join the dinner with him. My first thought: “This boy is very straight forward!” But there was nothing much to do and actually he asked me in a very gentle way. We shared a lot of our lives, laughed and danced the whole night, when at one point it was time to leave. The next days, my head was spinning with his stories about being a gentleman by day, a philosopher by night, pervert by time and a rebel by fate. Lucky me, we started to write our first chapter in the library at the day we met again.

What is your proposal story?
Marcel proposed to me one day before my 27st Birthday in May 2016 in Barcelona in front of the Cathedral. On our way to have dinner, there was this beautiful place, in the background there was live classical music. We had spoken about marriage before, but still it was very surprising and incredibly romantic when he pulled out the most beautiful ring and proposed to me.

What were your favorite parts of the day?
I have so many, but there were two standouts. One was when I reached the end of the aisle and saw my husband-to-be, the look in his eyes. In that moment I knew that everything was as it should be. And the second was our first dance. Over a year earlier, we got introduced to this talented band called “Groovin Affairs”, when we heard them play for the first time, we knew we wanted them to play at our wedding someday. As soon as we started the planning, we felt compelled to contact them and see if they would be interested in playing at our wedding. We didn’t get our hopes up as we knew it would be a long- shot, but a few days later we heard back from them saying they’d love to! The Band surprised us signing our “Wedding Song, Holocene from Bon Iver” live for our first-dance and that was a moment in time I’ll never forget. It felt like Marcel and I were the only two people in the world, twirling to the sound of that beautiful voice, dancing under the stars.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Remember this day happens once in a lifetime. Have fun, laugh, take your time getting ready, don’t allow the day to just fade away in a rush. It can get so easy to become caught up in the little details like decorations, that you forget what the day is about! Ultimately, when you’re in the moment, none of those things end up mattering. You’re marrying your best friend and there’s no greater joy than knowing you won’t have to go a day without them, ever again. Breathe! And I highly recommend hiring an on-the-day-wedding-coordinator! I’m so thankful we did! Anne-Laure from Et Voila Weddings was fantastic to work with, incredibly thorough and organized. There was no detail too big or task too small. Having her there on the day certainly provided that ‘peace of mind’ every Bride needs on the day of her wedding.