French Wedding Inspiration in Rich Jewel Tones

From planner and stylist Shannon Leahy: "For Sylvie Gil's 2018 workshop, we were really inspired by the idea of bringing fine art into a wedding, specifically French fine art from the Renaissance period. In our research, we became very interested in the work of Primavera by Botteceili. Primavera means Spring, and being that the workshop is in April, we thought this was very fitting. There is something about Primavera that also feels bridal, which we loved.

For the color palette, we chose to work with a lot of variety - from lavender to deep burgundy, mustard, sage green and golden tones. We knew we could spread this palette through out days of the workshop for different looks.

For the welcome dinner, we chose a tonal look of reds and yellows, we affectionally called it the "ketchup and mustard" palette. We wanted to bring in spring bulbs and trays of pears and fresh fruits, along with flowing arrangements by Moon Canyon, to echo the bounty of an outdoor seasonal dinner at the chateau.

We found a beautiful setting behind a classically-inspired statue that we thought was very fitting to our theme; and even adorned the statue with florals to tie it into the story.

The ceremony was a stroke of genius by Kristen of Moon Canyon. I loved her idea of placing the ceremony in the center of the church to create a ceremony in the round with flowers and greenery adorning the space.

The vibe of this church felt very medieval to us, leading into the Renaissance. The inspiration came from the color of the writing that was etched into the stone walls of the church and the stunning Naeem Khan dress. The bridal look was completed by a modern interpretation of Botteceili's Primavera in the hair and makeup style from Ava Belle .

The boudoir look was one of my favorites. Inspired by Renaissance nude portraiture, we simply chose to drape fabrics in a dark corner of the chateaux that was lit only by natural light, Our beautiful bride in a simple robe from Girl And a Serious Dream was adorned with an epic floral crown by Moon Canyon. I love the nod to the Roman god, Bacchus, with the grapes in her hand.

Finally, the reception dinner we set in the foyer of the chateaux. We incorporated a C lassic bust that we found on-site at Chateau Varennes . The table was lined with long candlesticks and another beautiful arrangement that incorporated our entire palette. We wanted this on a backdrop of tone on tone sage with nude chair covers to create a draped classical look that tied in the rest of the wedding .

Overall, we wanted this workshop to feel moody, a little dark and different from the light and bright weddings we are used to seeing in California; we wanted this to stand out.

Working in France with such a wonderful team of creatives was truly inspiring; it was so much fun to be pushed creatively in a new direction. I particularly loved working with Kristen of Moon Canyon, her stylist prowess is unmatched. Also Alexandra from Aerialist Press really took all our inspiration and tied it into a beautiful invitation suite that I think perfectly tells our story and gave our attendees, as Sylvie put it, "flat lays for days!"

Photographer & Workshop Hostess: Sylvie Gil | Planning & Design: Shannon Leahy | Business Strategist: Ideaction Consulting | Floral Design: Moon Canyon | Paper Design & Gifts: Aerialist Press | Production Manager: NKT Events | Makeup & Hair: Ava Belle | Press Sponsor: The Knot | Venue: Chateau de Varennes | Gowns: Naeem Khan | Accessories: Bekah Anne | Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes | Tuxedo & Men's Accessories: The Black Tux | Boudoir & Veil: Girl and a Serious Dream | Linens: La Tavola Linens | Rentals: Options, Vaisselle Vintage | Cake & Macarons: Cakes in the City | Ring Boxes: Secret Keeper Box | Ribbons & Textiles: Tono & Co. | Wax Seals: Wax Seals