Don’t forget, in the comments, that people who participate in the column are likely to read you. Please be kind.
Does a wedding have to be traditional to be successful? Where do we find decorative ideas? How to be original and far from clichés? So what if, on the contrary, we like it to happen like in the movies? Should we invite the whole family? And the restaurateur, how do we choose him? But above all, the big question: how much does it really cost, a wedding or a PACS?
In our new column “D’amour et d’eau fraîche” some readers have played with it and tell us about their big day, including finances.
The wedding of Anne-Sophie and Emmanuel
The couple : Anne-Sophie & Emmanuel
Age: 33 and 35 years old
Together since…: 2018
Married by: civil marriage in June 2022 and lay marriage in August 2022
Professions: Web marketing consultant and web developer – both self-employed
Place of life: Courbevoye
Wedding venue: The turrets of Fonville, in the Eure et Loire
Number of guests : 80 adults and 15 children
Total spent on D-Day: two different days, for a total of 32,110 euros
Before marriage
When and where did you meet?
In 2012, when we were still in school. She was in a relationship and I fell in love with her. Impossible story at the moment. I got married and we didn’t speak for 5 years. I messaged in 2018 following a breakup. And he was also alone.
How long ago did you decide to get married?
He proposed in 2020 on my 30th birthday while giving birth.
Why did you choose this merge mode?
We separated the town hall from the ceremony because it had been a long day. We wanted to get married at the town hall in the 12th arrondissement of Paris (Emmanuel was declared there, and we got married there too) and the secular ceremony was at 1:30am at our house.
We chose a secular ceremony because the church means nothing to us.
Did you live together before getting married?
Yes, we lived together just a few months after we got together.
How did you organize your party? How far in advance?
We started in December 2022, starting from the location, because it was the most important. We booked it in January 2021. And the rest happened naturally as we went along! No pressure, we had it when we wanted. Also, I got pregnant in June 2021 to give birth in February 2022.
Have you both invested so much in the preparations?
Yes totally. We don’t like the same tasks. I like making lists and researching suppliers for hours, comparing them, getting inspired. But I can’t choose. So, I prepared all the subjects and then Emmanuel decided. He also took care of all the decoration based on my inspirations.
Was the preparation stressful?
Not exactly. We arrived very early so no deadline pressure. And we are pretty smooth in life! We said to ourselves, worst case scenario, if it doesn’t work, people won’t even know about it. It’s not serious.
What were the things you really didn’t want at your wedding?
I absolutely did not want Patrick Sébastien! And we didn’t want a secular ceremony with too much love. We’re not the type to flaunt our feelings, so we wanted something fun in our image. We also engaged a magician for the secular ceremony as well as for the entertainment of the evening.
Which position do you think is the most important to organize? Which was less?
The most important thing was the place, because I wanted something rural, with wooden tables and chairs. We also wanted to eat well and dance well. The caterer was semi-imposed by the venue – we had the choice of four caterers – and by recommendations for other services. We chose the proposed DJ and it was perfect. The less important elements: the decoration and the flowers. We severely limited, because these are too ephemeral things and we didn’t want something too big. The estate was self-sufficient.
Was there a moment you wanted to take a step back?
Right after the marriage proposal when I saw the actual price it would cost. I told her we could stop, I had my engagement ring, alright.
Have you had to give up things in the organization to fit within your budget?
No, because the budget wasn’t fixed, we weren’t close to 2,000 euros.
How did you finance your union?
Apart from the dress my parents gave me, we paid for everything in cash. We didn’t want to take out a loan for it at all, and we didn’t want our families involved. Whoever says participation says opinion. We didn’t want their opinions.
Wedding day
Were you stressed on D-Day?
For the city hall, not at all. He was quiet, we had just planned a bar after the town hall. Not even for the big party. We started preparations the day before, and I had the impression that it was passing without me noticing. We had even forgotten some decorative items so Manu had to go back to our place to pick them up. And I changed my bun the same day, because the test didn’t convince me in the end. It was pretty cold in real life!
Did everything go as planned?
Yes except the restaurateur. We had a few hiccups from cocktail to dessert. But the guests saw nothing, and we were able to chat with him afterwards. Everything else was perfect, but we didn’t have any crazy expectations either. We just wanted to have fun.
Do you regret investing so much/not enough in your union?
Not at all, we had a good laugh.
Did you regret the choice of guests? Would you have liked to invite more? Less ?
We wanted to voluntarily limit guests. No distant family that we don’t know. No friends that we don’t even know. We had a simple rule: if one of us doesn’t know someone, then he’s not invited. If it’s extended family that we haven’t seen in 10 years, don’t invite. And we are happy with our choice.
Can you mention 3 moments that marked you during this day? For what reasons?
- The speeches of the witnesses for the secular ceremony. We said not too much gnananand there was a lot of humor in each of them.
- The mayor’s speech at the civil ceremony. He called us the day before at 9pm to find out if we wanted anything nautical for the ceremony or if we had some time we could give him some information about us to flesh it out. It was suddenly nice, less formal than usual.
- In the end, a little lost, when all three of us met again, nostalgic. “It’s already over, all this for that”
After the wedding, the debriefing
In which expense item do you regret not having put the package? For what ?
None, the most important elements were the venue and the catering.
If you could go back, what would you change?
I photograph. I am disappointed with the photos. Many moments, decorative elements are missing.
Do you think marriage has strengthened your relationship?
At all. Absolutely nothing has changed!
Are you still together now?
YES !
What are your big future plans as a couple?
The honeymoon in 2024 in the Galapagos. It was scheduled for September 2022, but we misjudged the weather and it’s not a good time. So, let’s change. And keep having a good laugh together, that’s the most important thing. Maybe a second child?
thanks to Anne-Sophie & Emmanuel for sharing this beautiful moment with us.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
