Jennifer & Vincent
Discover the vibrant world of Jennifer, our beautiful bride in yellow shoes...
Photo credit: Anne-Lise Jegun
The encounter
We met 10 years ago, on July 31, 2006, on a train platform in Paris before heading off to a camp in England. Initially, I didn’t want to go because my brother wasn’t accepted, and Vincent (my husband) wasn’t supposed to go either because his friend wasn’t accepted. In the end, I went with my brother Jéremy, and Vincent went alone. When I saw him on the platform, I immediately told my brother that he should become friends with him. My suitcase accidentally fell on his feet (I really didn’t mean to), which gave us a chance to joke around and start talking...
As part of his studies, Vincent had to spend a few months in Ireland, and when he returned, we decided to start a family. In January 2014, Louis arrived and filled our lives with happiness. On July 31, 2016, Vincent proposed to me at a bar overlooking the sea that I love, in Rosas, where my in-laws live. It was on the anniversary of our 8 years together.
What stood out to them:
It’s very difficult to choose just one memorable moment, as the day was filled with so many beautiful memories. But I promise I’ll try not to be too long! The very first significant moment was when Vincent saw me at the town hall in my civil outfit. I had been getting reports all morning that he was very emotional.
Then, after the town hall, I went to change into my dress for the church with my four amazing bridesmaids. I wanted my brother to walk me to the hotel, so he hid inside the house and saw me for the first time on the terrace. He literally burst into tears, showering me with compliments and telling me how proud he was of me.
There was also the moment I entered the church, holding my brother’s arm, with my heart pounding and him in tears. Seeing all the people we love there to share our happiness, and then seeing my husband, moved to tears as he saw me, I thought, “This is it—we’ve finally arrived; it’s our turn!”
Finally, another moment I loved was when our photographer, Anne-Lise Jegun, had us dance in the church to our exit song, “This Old Heart of Mine” by The Isley Brothers. It really set the mood, and we exited with a bang. We could count on our guests to fully embrace the moment and join in on the confetti toss!
The Venue :
We got married at Moulin de Nartaud, in Bourg Saint Bernard in the Southwest. It was a very rustic location, exactly what we wanted. As soon as we visited, it was love at first sight, not to mention the kindness of the hosts!
Their inspirations:
We decided to go for a yellow-themed decor. I spent hours on Pinterest looking for decor ideas and DIY projects. My sister-in-law helped me with the vases, my in-laws made the ring holder and kraft paper cones for the confetti, and I made some lace-embellished embroidery hoops—it was truly a family affair! I drew a lot of inspiration from blogs like La Mariée en Colère, Queen for a Day, and Un Beau Jour.
As for the outfits, we found the bow ties for the groomsmen, the page boys, and my husband at Le Colonel Moutarde, where they provided excellent advice and were very patient!
Vincent found his outfit at Soulery in Toulouse; he went with his parents and quickly found exactly what he wanted. He looked perfect in his blue suit, yellow polka dot bow tie, a floral boutonniere matching my bouquet and flower crown, and camel shoes. Finding my civil ceremony dress was quite chaotic, but my sister-in-law was incredibly patient and helpful. I thought we’d never find it, but we finally went to Darel, where I found MY lace dress with long sleeves.
For my church dress, I went with my four amazing bridesmaids and my mother-in-law to Fleur d’Oranger boutique in Toulouse, where I could try various models and styles (I was sure I wanted a simple, rustic dress, but it was fun to try styles I wouldn’t have considered). I chose a skirt, bustier, and lace blouse ensemble from Lambert Création. It was perfect for my figure.
The design of the shoes :
The shoes, the famous shoes… We took two years to plan our wedding, and from the beginning, I fell in love with the DMUS concept. I reached out, and Laura took care of me, guiding me through the whole process.
Since there’s no boutique in Toulouse, I had to do everything remotely, but Laura was very attentive and addressed all my questions and concerns perfectly. I chose an open-toe pump model with crossed straps in neon yellow suede, and on Laura’s advice, I went with 8 cm heels instead of 6 cm.
The colors can look different on the website compared to real life, so if you're unsure between different shades and can’t visit the showroom, it’s a good idea to request leather samples—that’s how I made my decision!
Her favorite vendors :
For catering, we chose La cuisine de Guillaume, who was very patient (we were 1.5 hours behind schedule!), highly professional, and the dishes were delicious, all served at the same time and hot! For the brunch, we hired Les mecs au camion, a food truck from Toulouse. The burgers were incredible and made for a great Sunday activity. The guests loved it, and the ladies even more so ;)
For the photos, we could rely on L’appartement d’Anne-Lise. She was fantastic: discreet, patient, and always in a great mood! The result was amazing; she took original shots, and the photos are stunning. We’re planning to see her again for a trash-the-dress shoot (among other things!).
We also used the decor site Save the déco for some decorative items. Jessica was very helpful and suggested lots of great decor items. I highly recommend this site for decoration ideas! For our temporary tattoo bar, we got supplies from Save the déco and Bernard Forever.
For the flowers, La fille aux fleurs took care of our wedding arrangements. The compositions were perfect, and the flowers lasted all day, even those in my crown and bouquet. She didn’t show me any models beforehand, so I trusted her completely, and it paid off!
For hairstyling, Sandrine Hair did a fantastic job, responding to my expectations and my changing ideas… So much patience!
Then, Aude B Colrat took care of the makeup for my bridesmaids, mother-in-law, and me. Corine showed remarkable patience, and to be honest, I was a little worried since we started sessions at 8 a.m. for a wedding at 3:30 p.m. at the town hall. I feared it wouldn’t last, but I ended up dancing all night without needing a single touch-up!
For guest gifts, I made yellow candles myself. For the men, we bought straw hats from a wholesale site and colorful sunglasses from Amazon.
Finally, I also bought apple crates on Leboncoin for a rustic touch, along with Le Parfait jars, and my brother made wood slices for the table decorations.
Jennifer's advices :
My first piece of advice would be to stay super organized. I used to tease Vincent at the beginning of our preparations because he was so attached to his timeline, where he detailed every action (from “contacting the caterer” to “placing the apple crates at the entrance”!).
In the end, it was thanks to his discipline and organization that we didn’t feel stressed at all (well, except on setup day… I mean, let's be real!). It’s also why we were able to enjoy everything calmly.
A few days before the wedding, we made a to-do list for each of our groomsmen and bridesmaids for setup day, the day before, and for the big day itself, so everyone knew exactly what they needed to do. I can honestly say that if everything ran smoothly during our wedding, it’s also because our bridal party was incredibly efficient!
My final piece of advice is, of course, to enjoy every moment (or at least try to!). Sometimes, I would do a little “mental snapshot,” and today, I think back on those moments with so much emotion. The day goes by so fast...
To avoid feeling blue after such a wonderful day, we went on a holiday with our son a week later. It was fantastic, and we were still on cloud nine. When we got back, we placed a few of our wedding decorations around our home to keep some memories alive. We looked through Anne-Lise’s photos, and had a movie night to watch our wedding video.
That helped us relive the day and avoid the post-wedding blues everyone talks about !
