Charlotte and Sam had one vision from the start: an intimate wedding in Europe, surrounded by the people closest to them, in a place that felt like it had a story to tell. Château de Tourreau in Provence turned out to be exactly that. A soft vintage aesthetic, alfresco dining beneath chandeliers and candlelight, and every detail shaped around exactly who they are. Wanderlust Wedding shaped the entire celebration, delivering a wedding that felt exactly as they had always imagined it.
Location: Provence,France
Style: Classic, Vintage, British Charm
Time of planning: 2 years
Number of guests: 70
Setting: Chateau
Season: Summer
Charlotte and Sam came from different worlds when they first crossed paths in London, Charlotte studying at Cardiff University, Sam playing professional football. Distance defined their early relationship, the two of them speaking almost every day for a year before officially becoming a couple. Over the years that followed, demanding schedules, relocations more times than they can count, and long drives just to steal a few hours together quietly shaped something unshakeable. “Home was never a place, but each other,” Charlotte says.
Sam proposed at Lake Como, a place Charlotte had always dreamed of visiting. What followed was romantic and gloriously chaotic: a room that wasn’t ready, getting dressed together in a public bathroom, and Sam nervously finishing a glass of rosé he’d never normally touch. A boat carried them across the still waters to Villa Monastero, where champagne, flowers, and a photographer were waiting. Sam got down on one knee. “Emotion took over,” Charlotte says, “but it was perfect all the same.”
Bride's Morning & Fashion
The morning started with breakfast outdoors, the kind of slow, easy start the day deserved, before the bridal party gathered to get ready, with Andrew Bayda capturing it all from the first light of the day.
Charlotte always knew she wanted something timeless. A dress she could look back on years from now and still feel connected to, not one that belonged to a particular moment. Calm, confident, and comfortable guided every decision, including hair and makeup, kept deliberately understated and natural, effortless in the best possible way.
She chose a Vivienne Westwood gown for its classic silhouette and construction, finishing the look with Baccarat Rouge, her favorite perfume, one she has always saved for special occasions. Open-toe Jimmy Choo heels carried her through the ceremony and into the evening, before she changed into a lace Dana Harel mini dress, chosen so she could move freely and enjoy every moment of the night.
Groom's Fashion
Sam’s morning started rather differently. While the bridal party gathered indoors, he and his groomsmen kicked things off with a pool party, the kind of easy, celebratory start that set the tone for the day ahead.
For his look, Sam chose a tailor-made suit by Forbes Tailoring, finished with classic Prada Oxford shoes. Clean lines and impeccable fit, refined and confident, and built to last well beyond the day itself.
Ceremony
The ceremony was held in front of the château, the couple stepping through the grand doors and into the manicured gardens under warm summer light. A meter-high wall of soft, neutral florals surrounded the space, creating something intimate and serene, while the aisle was lined with a flowing bed of matching blooms.
Their daughter was led down the aisle by Charlotte’s mother, setting the tone for everything that followed. Charlotte walked in to the sound of a string quartet. The celebrant shared their story, from how they met to the life they had built together, before the couple exchanged vows they had written themselves. “Nothing was scripted or overly traditional,” Charlotte says. “It was simply about sharing our story and making promises to one another. It never felt like a performance, just a moment to be fully present.”
A close friend of Charlotte’s read a poem she had written about their relationship and their daughter, adding another layer of meaning to the afternoon. Exchanging vows was, for both of them, the favorite moment of the day. Calm, intimate, and deeply meaningful. Hand in hand, they walked back up the aisle to an upbeat string quartet, before stealing a quiet moment alone together in the château gardens once it was all over.
Cocktail Hour
From the beginning, Charlotte and Sam had one vision: an intimate wedding in Europe, surrounded by the people closest to them. They wanted a celebration that felt personal and true to who they are, understated and unperformative, with real feeling running through every part of it. With a shared love of period houses and the kind of architectural details that carry a history, they were drawn to a venue that felt warm and characterful, somewhere guests could genuinely settle into and feel at home for the entire weekend.
Every detail was personal, built around exactly who they are. The cocktail menu, the ceremony wording, the bars, the stationery, and the flow of the reception. Each decision was made with care and beautifully documented in full by Whitesfilm. Before the celebrations began, their wedding planner brought them their favorite cocktails and gave them a few quiet moments alone, just the two of them, to let everything sink in. “A simple, beautiful pause,” Charlotte says. “It’s a feeling we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.”
Reception
Wanderlust Wedding brought every part of Charlotte and Sam’s vision to life, shaping the details and holding the whole weekend together. The vision itself was soft and vintage, inspired by the feeling of stepping back in time. Arriving by classic car, winding through vineyards and olive groves, the atmosphere of a relaxed European holiday settling in as a grand château came into view. Distinctly French and so naturally chic, with long tables set alfresco beneath candlelight along the château promenade, guests sharing fine wine, lingering conversations, and unhurried moments as the evening stretched out around them. Warm, intimate, and nostalgic, as though the day existed somewhere outside of time.
The reception took place in front of the château, long tables set beneath chandeliers suspended from the vines, glowing softly as the sun went down. Guests arrived to the sound of The Phly Boyz roaming through the crowd, setting the tone for the evening ahead. Speeches came from Charlotte’s maid of honor, Sam’s brother as best man, and Charlotte’s father, each one heartfelt and laced with humor. Charlotte’s father later realized he had forgotten to turn the page and hadn’t mentioned Sam at all, returning mid-evening to finish his speech to a room full of laughter. A moment, Charlotte says, that could only belong to him.
Into The Night
As guests settled into their starters, Tim Gallagher and pianist Ollie Walton performed classic and emotive songs that had the whole room singing and swaying. Charlotte and Sam chose to sit at their own table, just the two of them, taking everything in side by side and letting the evening come to them.
The cake cutting turned into something nobody planned. Sam started dancing around the cake, Charlotte quickly following his lead, and the whole room went with it.
Later, The Phly Boyz returned with an upbeat set that pulled everyone from their seats. After dessert, Charlotte and Sam slipped away for a quiet first dance in front of the château to You Are the Reason, performed live by Tim Gallagher on piano. “Neither of us are natural dancers,” Charlotte says, “so we simply moved together, sang along, and felt the music.”
Into The Night
The party took on a life of its own as the night went on. Every song pulled more people onto the dance floor, the kind of collective happiness that makes a room feel like it’s moving as one. The music was personal to Charlotte and Sam but landed with everyone, which is exactly the balance they were after.
Thomas Dusseune brought an energy to the evening that kept the whole thing going, with The Phly Boyz adding live rhythm and feeling to the night. Dancing beneath the stars in front of the château, Charlotte says, was the kind of moment that doesn’t feel real until it’s already over.
"What mattered most was that everything reflected what we love and what makes us happy. As a result, the wedding felt warm, personal, and entirely authentic — a true expression of us."
Advice from the couple:
• At some point in the planning, decision fatigue will hit, and even small choices can feel overwhelming. When that happened to us, it helped to come back to our original hopes for the day — how we wanted it to feel, not just how it would look. In the end, it’s the feelings you remember, not whether everything was picture perfect.
• Remember, this day is about celebrating your love. Everyone else is there to witness it and join in, so stay present and spend the day together.
• It’s hard to fully relax in the lead-up, but trust that everything will unfold as it should. Even if things don’t go exactly to plan, it won’t matter — you’ll still have the best day of your life. Let go and enjoy it.
PLANNING & DESIGN Wanderlust Wedding | VENUE Chateau de Tourreau | PHOTOGRAPHY Andrew Bayda | VIDEOGRAPHY Whitesfilm | DESIGN Coramour | FLORALS Sisters & B | DRESS Vivienne Westwood | SUIT Forbes | AUDIO VISUAL South Prod | RENTALS Oravis Joli Bazaar Options | GRAPHIC DESIGN & FLATLAYS Creme de Papier | CATERING Cinquieme Saison Traiteur | BARTENDING DNA Bartending | DJ Thomas Dusseune | MUSICIANS Ollie Walton Tim Gallagher | BAND The Phly Boyz | STRING QUARTET Elegy
