Anouck & Julien

The Encounter

After 4 years of living in Paris, I decided to return to my roots in Lorraine following a complicated breakup. Upon returning to Nancy, I had no intention at all of meeting someone. But one evening, I decided to sign up on a dating site to pass the time, and Julien caught my eye in the photos. Text and call exchanges began. The meeting took place on August 15th, not something I had planned, but we saw each other every day for a week and became inseparable.

Our story began 4 years ago; we moved in together two months after we met, and the rest happened naturally.

_{Crédit photos : Charlotte Beaune Photographie}

The Proposal

We became parents of a beautiful baby boy in August 2019. During my pregnancy, I felt a strong need to have the same last name as my little boy and to be united with him and Julien.

I wanted to simply go to the city hall and have a party when Abel was older. But Julien did not agree with this. I gave in !

Two months after becoming parents, my desire was more than present, so I decided to take the lead. Keeping it simple, reflecting our relationship.

I decided to propose to him one evening after putting our son to bed.

Like everything else, it felt natural. I have never been very romantic, and neither has Julien, so it suited us.

Bohemian wedding by Dessine-moi un soulier

The Preparations

The idea was to organize a wedding that reflected us : simple and friendly.

Julien wanted a wedding in his garden with a barbecue and our loved ones, I wanted a wedding in the South, in a farmhouse and completely outdoors, but we couldn't gather both our families.

We decided to mix the two, while staying in Lorraine.

It was only natural that we looked for a venue with a large park. The Domaine de Stanislas was an obvious choice under a Nomad tent, completely outdoors.

We wanted a wedding focused on conviviality, family, and good spirits. We didn't want to spend a lot of time at the table, so we chose the plancha option to delight everyone.

We chose our vendors naturally, with people who shared the same spirit as us.

The Wedding Atmosphere

We decided to do everything in one day to have our families and friends together. We have friends living all over France, so it was important for us to have them by our side for at least one day.

The day started with a moment of discovery. Julien and I decided to have this moment together, to have our own moment before reuniting with everyone.

I always said that on my wedding day, I would be wearing pants, so it was natural for me to wear a jumpsuit. I didn't surprise anyone! 😊

This moment was magical, suspended in time. I cried and cried again. My future husband was also so handsome in his blue suit.

I think I cried all day long.

Then the civil ceremony and the secular baptism of our little boy.

For Anouck, it was important that Abel had a place on this important day – HIS place.

Then a secular ceremony at the back of the park, officiated by a longtime friend of Julien. A ceremony full of emotions, filled with love and authenticity.

I surprised Julien by arriving in a dress, escorted by my little brother. The surprise was a success!

After the secular ceremony, for this convivial moment with the guests, we imagined a long cocktail hour to enjoy to the fullest, with a mojito bar, whiskey bar, mozzarella workshop, and a live music band, friends. The perfect harmony for a successful cocktail hour. And a beautiful ray of sunshine.

For the meal, we opted for long tables with a buffet plancha. We wanted to enjoy everyone's company and move around freely. To eat a little with everyone without feeling like we were spending hours at the table, as if we were having a big meal with friends.

For the decoration part, Julien let me handle it, much to my delight.

I knew what I wanted, and so did he. A mix of vintage, natural, and conviviality.

Large wooden tables with mismatched vintage chairs, the perfect combo.

And lots of blue. We went with this color for our son's announcement and it stuck with us.

I also have a great love for peacock feathers, which I wanted to incorporate everywhere. They became our signature!

We surrounded ourselves with several florists to truly achieve what we wanted.

In short, a wedding filled with laughter, joy, and tears of happiness!

The Dress

I have always wanted to get married in pants or a pantsuit; it was a given. Julien knew that too :)

I find a woman in pants as elegant and refined as a woman in a wedding dress.

But to please my future husband, I decided to wear a dress anyway.

I went for a 50/50 approach, which means pantsuit for the civil ceremony and a dress for the secular ceremony.

Long dresses don't suit me, and when I went back to Créanne, my dress was a perfect fit even before trying it on.

It was love at first sight, which was confirmed during the fitting.

A short dress with a leather jacket for a touch of rock 'n' roll, a lively touch that matches my personality and our relationship.

Designing the shoes

Dessine-moi un Soulier has been an obvious choice for me ever since I discovered the store in Paris. I fell in love with their shoes and always said, 'When I get married, it will be Dessine-moi un Soulier,' and Julien loves it too. So, let's go!

Visiting the showroom helped me choose the right color. Since the color theme of my wedding is blue/teal, I really wanted the perfect color (especially with a short dress).

My advice to you is to choose a heel height that you feel comfortable in, like your everyday shoes, because you'll be dancing all night :)