Lauriane
Discover Lauriane's beautiful day, and her white and blue shoes 🩵
Picture : Julien Pontarolo.
The encounter :
"We met 10 years ago, on June 4th. It turned out that the day of our 10th anniversary, June 4th, 2016, was a Saturday. The opportunity was too perfect to pass up, so we decided to get married on that day. There was no official proposal from either of us."
What stood out to them:
"There wasn’t a specific moment that stood out, but the memory of all the emotions throughout this journey. Seeing our loved ones so moved and involved for us. From the start of the preparations to the last note of music early in the morning, they made every minute of that day unforgettable."
The venue :
"We wanted a venue that reflected who we are: no castles, nothing flashy—just simple, stress-free things. But we wanted a place where we could have an outdoor secular ceremony. We chose a place we already knew: La Ferme Sainte Geneviève, near Nancy, for its rustic setting and excellent food, and the freedom to do just about anything we wanted.
We wanted the secular ceremony to be very personal and filled with laughter. The ceremony was led by one of the groom’s brothers and his partner, who were perfect in their roles. Then, four witnesses (long-time friends and a cousin) took turns sharing anecdotes about us. Finally, our parents oversaw the exchange of vows and rings. The entire ceremony was interspersed with music, thanks to the exceptional voice of Mathieu Cailotto (Mathieu Spectacle). It was an amazing moment where we laughed, often at our own expense, but just as much as the guests did. Unforgettable."
The design of the shoes
"I initially created several pairs on the website. I wanted color to match the wedding theme and to coordinate with the groom’s accessories: hence, blue.
A friend who had ordered her wedding shoes from Dessine-moi un soulier advised me to call for reassurance about my size, etc. Then, a business trip brought me to Paris, so I went directly to the showroom. The welcome was perfect. Initially, I was more drawn to a pair of platform pumps, thinking they would be more comfortable. But after trying on the ones without platforms, I felt more comfortable and equally at ease. So, I opted for this model in 'ballet pink' with a small patent blue bow on top. (Apparently, it’s best to avoid glitter if you have a long, flowing dress, as it might damage the hem of the dress.) If I had chosen on my own, I probably would have matched the heel color to the bow, and the result wouldn’t have been as nice. So, the advice from the showroom staff was spot on. The curve of the shoe makes the 8 cm heel feel effortless.
I didn’t really 'break them in,' as they say. The material is very soft. I wore them for one evening at home a few days before the wedding, and I was able to wear them all day and night, dancing and standing without any trouble (well, not until the early morning hours—I’m still human).
Since the delivery times are a bit long (around 7 weeks, and I hadn’t ordered very far in advance), for my dress fittings, which were also in Paris, the showroom kindly lent me a pair with the same heel height."
Her inspiration :
"Pinterest and the web, in general, are full of great ideas. We have a family of DIY enthusiasts, so we let them handle making the decorations. For the elements of the secular ceremony (lectern, aisle decorations, etc.) and the table decorations, we hired a decorator (Ambiance et Déco near Nancy), who offers accessory rentals and provides some setup advice. It’s a very practical and economical option for those who don’t want to store thousands of little items after the wedding."
Her favorite vendors:
"I had my dress made by Elsa Gary. In the same spirit as Dessine-moi un soulier: models made in France, customizable, high-quality materials for a reasonable price from a designer with a Paris storefront. The result was exactly as I imagined.
Julien Pontarolo, our photographer from Strasbourg, whose work we had known for a long time. As he likes to say, 'The only thing that will remain from your wedding are your photo albums, so don’t mess up.' And he’s right—it must be frustrating to be disappointed with the result a few weeks after the euphoria.
Mathieu Spectacle (or Mathieu Cailotto) and his musicians: singer, entertainer, DJ. He combines everything perfectly. We chose his singer and live band performance for the ceremony and cocktail, and then his DJ service for the evening. He’s very attentive to your wishes (even if you change your mind along the way), neither too present nor absent, with just the right amount of interaction. In short: we highly recommend him!"
Lauriane's advices
"The important thing was to have fun, enjoy the moments, and not stress because, as everyone told us, the day goes by very quickly. And yes, it does go by fast, but we made sure to enjoy every minute, not to dwell on the details and small imperfections. There will always be some (the weather being the first), and most of your guests won’t even notice them. They will only remember the atmosphere, the overall impression of the meal, and whether they looked good in the photos. We delegated many things to our families (decorations, organizing the entire secular ceremony) while supervising a bit. It was a gamble, but in the end, it worked out. It allowed us to have lots of surprises on the big day and no stress (as our helpers took on that role for us).
One key thing: choose your vendors wisely. It might be better to rent a less fancy venue and invest in a great entertainer and photographer, as those are the things people will remember."
