Chateau wedding in France – getting married in a fairy tale castle

Getting married with a chateau wedding in France has always been a dream of bride Tu-Anh. The couple planned their wedding in a French fairy-tale castle because it was also a good way to bring their families and friends together. Tu-Anh & Evan are based in San Fransico. But the groom was born in Taiwan and grew up in Canada. Whereas the bride was born in Vietnam and later moved to the US with her family. Therefore the couple’s families and friends are living allover Asia, the USA and Canada. Most of their guests would have had to travel anyway to attend their wedding. So the couple thought: Why not just getting married in France? We might as well plan our wedding in a French chateau.

The couple already traveled to France many times together. Evan says: “We love the lifestyle, culture, art, food and people.” Tu-Anh first visited France as a child and regularly came back since then. She says: “My Vietnamese heritage is deeply rooted in French culture. My mother’s first language was French, not Vietnamese. And I really love the honest, laid back culture.”

By getting married in France the couple also wanted to celebrate the people dearest and most important to them. They are especially thankful to their families: Tu-Anh & Evan’s families both immigrated into the USA. Their parents did everything in their power to provide them with a great education and a good start into life. The couple says: “We have been incredibly fortunate to be supported by such selfless, giving, and loving parents.” By getting married in France the couple also showed their gratitude towards their families by creating unforgettable moments for everybody with their wedding in a French fairy-tale chateau.

Getting married in France: Wedding ceremony inside the castle

Tu-Anh & Evan chose the beautiful castle Château d’Artigny near Tours for their destination wedding in France. Their wedding ceremony took place in a rotunda room inside the French chateau with large windows and a colorfully painted ceiling. A round floral wedding arch and oriental ceremony rugs  decorated the ceremony location. The decoration contained their signature color burgundy.

As their celebrant in France I created a personal and romantic wedding ceremony for Tu-Anh & Evan: The bride told me that she loved the Sufi poet Rumi. So I chose and incorporated a love poem and quote by her favorite poet. Tu-Anh also asked me to talk about marriage equality in their wedding ceremony as this topic is near to her heart. The couple personalized their ceremony even more by writing their personal wedding vows for each other. As their wedding officiant in France I also incorporated their beautiful loves story into their symbolic ceremony.

Love story: multicultural couple & love long distance

Tu-Anh & Evan coincidentally met 8 years ago through a mutual friend. At first they did not really like each other. Luckily they crossed paths again. When they met for the second time they unexpectedly realized that they completely misjudged each other during their first encounter. They actually enjoyed each other’s company. And not just that they also felt a strong attraction and immediate chemistry.

So a little later they went on their first date together. It was an evening full of fun and laughter and they hit it off right away. But they lived in two different states and had to lead a long distance relationship for the first years. When they finally moved to the same city Evan proposed to Tu-Anh in their first shared apartment. And it did not take long until they decided that getting married in France was the ideal way to celebrate their love!

Celebrating love with a chateau wedding in France

As Tu-Anh & Evans wedding celebrant in France I did not only officiate their wedding ceremony but I also emceed their wedding reception. As Master of Ceremonies (MC or emcee) I was hosting the wedding reception: I was for instance introducing each person who was speaking and announcing important events of the evening.

The wedding reception in a ballroom of the French château started with the entry of the bridesmaids, groomsmen and the parents of the couple. When Tu-Anh & Evan made their entry they started the evening with a key element of every wedding reception: the first dance to the perfectly dreamy song “Stardust” by Nat King Cole.

As their celebrant in France and wedding emcee I also introduced the speeches of bridesmaids, groomsmen and parents. Later I explained the rules of a wedding game that Tu-Anh & Evan were playing with their guests. The emotional highlight of the evening was a special dance that Tu-Anh’s parents were preforming to an old Vietnamese song. It was the bride’s wish to see her parents dance again. She said: “When I think back to my childhood, the carefree time in Vietnam I have this memory of my parents dancing together. I loved to watch my parents dance and I was totally fascinated when I saw the sparks flying between them.” So it was a pleasure for Tu-Anh’s parents to dance once more for their daughter on her wedding day.

Vendors of this chateau wedding in France:

Chateau wedding venue: Château d’Artigny
Wedding planner: Fete in France
Videographer: Alessandro Bordoni
Photographer: Julie Lim