Lauriane

Location:

" We wanted a venue that looked like us: no chateau, no flashy, simple things, no headaches. But a place where we could hold an outdoor secular ceremony. We chose a venue we already knew: La ferme sainte Geneviève near Nancy, for its rural setting and excellent cuisine. And the possibility of doing just about anything we wanted.

We wanted the lay ceremony to be very personal, with lots of laughter. Our masters of ceremony were one of the groom's brothers and his partner. Perfect in their roles. Then 4 witnesses (long-time friends and cousins) took turns telling stories about themselves and us. Finally, our parents exchanged vows and wedding rings. All this was interspersed with music thanks to the exceptional voice of Mathieu Cailotto (Mathieu spectacle). An excellent moment where we laughed, often at our own expense, but just as much as the audience. Unforgettable.

Shoe design:

" I had first created several pairs via the website. I wanted color to match the wedding theme and the groom's accessories: so blue.

A friend who had ordered her own shoes from Dessine-moi un soulier for her wedding had advised me to call to be reassured about my size, etc. And then, a business trip took me to Paris, so I came straight to the showroom. Then, with a business trip taking me to Paris, I came straight to the showroom. The welcome was perfect. I was initially rather attracted by a pair of platform pumps, thinking they would be more comfortable. So I opted for this 'ballerina pink' model, with a little blue patent bow on top. (It seems that glitter should be avoided with long, flowing dresses, as it can damage the bottom). If I'd chosen on my own, I think I'd have matched the color of the heel to the bow, and the result wouldn't have been as pretty. So it was very good advice from the person in the showroom. The curve of the shoe means you don't feel the 8 cm heel.

I didn't really "make" them, as they say. The material is very supple. I wore them for 1 evening at home a few days before the wedding, and I was able to keep them on all day and all evening, dancing and stomping around without a hitch (well, not until the wee hours, I'm still a human being).

Delivery times were a little long (7 weeks, and I hadn't planned ahead), so for dress fittings, which were also in Paris, the showroom lent me a pair with the same heel height."

Their inspiration:

"Pinterest and the web in general are full of great ideas. We have a family of do-it-yourselfers of all kinds, so we let them take care of making the decorations. For the secular ceremony elements (lectern, aisle decoration, etc.) as well as the table decorations, we called on the services of a decorator (Ambiance et Déco near Nancy) who offered to rent the accessories and give you a few tips on how to set them up. A very practical and economical formula for those who don't want to store thousands of little things at the end of the wedding."

Lauriane's advice:

"The most important thing was to have fun, to enjoy every moment, and not to stress, because as everyone had told us, this day goes by very quickly. So yes, it does go by fast, but we knew how to make the most of every minute, not dwelling on details and little imperfections. There will always be some (the weather first), and most of your guests won't even notice them. All they'll remember is the atmosphere, the overall impression of the meal and whether they looked good in the photos. We delegated a lot of things to our families (decorating, organizing the secular ceremony from A to Z) while supervising a little. It was a gamble, but one that paid off in the end. And that means plenty of surprises on the big day, and no stress (since the people involved do it for you).

One thing: choose your service providers carefully. Maybe it's better to rent a less fancy venue and still be able to afford a really good entertainer and photographer. Because that's what will be remembered."