Ooooh la la! ladies and gentlemen, today we are taking you to the romantic French countryside. The exclusive château our real wedding couple wed in, is nestled in the south west and provided romance, character, cocktails and croquembouche for Cheshire natives Niall and Stephanie. This unique destination wedding sees French rustic elements combined with black-tie elegance from Persian rugs to caramel and coffee-hued roses, all enjoyed in al fresco feast style dining in a fairy light-adorned courtyard. Artur Loboda from Bodart Studio captured the day as the autumn sunshine bathed over the blissful surroundings of Château de Lartigolle in October.

Niall proposed in the couple's garden on the May bank holiday. After the engagement celebrations, they got straight to planning their dream French wedding. "We felt like it was fate that we found Château de Lartigolle. We were just about ready to give up on our French wedding ideas when Steph did a google maps search of wedding venues near to where we always travelled as a family," said Niall. After spotting their idyllic venue, the couple arranged a visit. "Everything was stunning on first impressions and then you actually get into the planning and get to know the people that work at the Château. It is truly next level - the people, the exquisite attention to detail and the food," said the couple.

Stephanie's dress and veil was effortlessly chic and complemented the relaxed and intimate vibe of the day. The sublime dress from designer Enzoani was embellished on the upper half and seamlessly sleek from the waistline down. The groom and groomsmen, who opted for a dapper black-tie tuxedo were dressed head to toe from Marks & Spencer. 

Like many other couples, Niall and Stephanie had to reschedule their original wedding date due to the pandemic. "Seeing our friends and family altogether in one space was truly the most overwhelming and special thing," said Stephanie. Relaxed, informal and elegant were the words used to describe the overall day and we can't think of anything more fitting. Jo Faiers and the team at Château Lartigolle were the creative hands behind the beautiful rustic aesthetic. Trestle dining tables were paired with plentiful candles and flowers with roses in shades of caramel and coffee, creating the perfect autumnal tables-cape. "I love flowers but know very little about them, I absolutely put my full trust in Jo and her expertise and she created something far beyond my imagination," said Stephanie.

The handfasting ceremony was thoughtfully created by their celebrant. "We worked together with Jacqueline to put together our ceremony, and she was always on hand with special touches and recommendations for us to look at," said Steph. For those who may be unfamiliar with this ritual, the hands are tied together to symbolise the binding of two lives. A beautiful symbolic ceremony that is becoming more and more popular.

From the whiskey toast, to the stunning bridesmaid gift-boxes and the rustic flower girl basket, the touches to this wedding are fabulous. The creative bride and her mother also spent hours drying and creating home-made confetti. "We had so much help from our families, bridesmaids and groomsmen in the lead up to the wedding and over the wedding weekend and this really helped us both to not feel too stressed or overwhelmed," said Stephanie. We're giving a special mention to the unique table names below, which featured 70s style graphic posters which celebrated their home town.

Being surrounded with their nearest and dearest and spending valuable quality time was on the top of the priority list for Niall and Stephanie. "The actual wedding day flies by so quickly (we know that now more than ever) and so it was really important to us to be able to have the day after with our family and friends and to be able to spend time with everyone," they said. As the sun set, the venue magically transformed with twinkling festoon lighting hanging along with the flickering candelabras along each table.

Second on their priority list was ensuring that all guests felt relaxed and were well fed and watered - bliss! The couple who welcomed their guests with delicious cocktails before the ceremony, made sure they finished the evening with a rustic whiskey bar - specifically requested by the groom. The guests danced all night under the starry night sky on laid-out Persian rugs, until, saving the best for last, Stephanie and Niall chose a traditional croquembouche wedding cake. Basically, a tower of mouthwatering choux pastry bites drizzled in caramel.

We couldn't conclude this gorgeous wedding without asking Stephanie and Niall for some words of advise: "It’s the obvious one that everyone says, but soak up every moment of the day. The day goes so so quickly and before you know it, it’s the last dance of the night!" Merci beaucoup to the lovely couple and Artur Loboda from Bodart Studio for allowing us to share their special day.

Join us down the French Destination Wedding rabbit hole here to see some more beautifully Gallic weddings. While on your travels, take a stop in our Destination Weddings for some more inspiration!