Natalie + Kevin by Zara Staples

We wanted the day to feel like stepping into an old storybook.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

I’m a product designer, and Kevin’s an emergency room nurse. Before the pandemic, we both worked in the indie music industry in New York, Kevin in PR and artist management, and I in touring and booking. We actually met through our shared love of music, and that was what initially brought us together. Although our careers have changed since then, our passions have stayed the same. We both love art, culture, food, film, music, photography, history, and travelling together.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We met at a music festival in Portland, OR, in 2016 called Pickathon. I was crowd surfing during a set by Thee Oh Sees when Kevin spotted me, turned to his friend, and said, “I’m going to date her.” The next day, he found me backstage, and we quickly learned that we had mutual friends and had a shared love of indie music. Two months later, we were officially dating.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).

Our vision was to create something that felt timeless yet personal, that reflected our shared love of art, all things vintage, and a touch of fantasy. We drew a lot of inspiration from medieval revival and romanticism, but also wanted to keep the atmosphere fun, light, and easygoing. Since it’s become a yearly tradition for us to go to the Renaissance faire in our city, we wanted the day to feel like stepping into an old storybook. We also watched a lot of movies to get inspiration for our moodboard, like The Princess Bride, Romeo and Juliet, Excalibur, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Saltburn.

We had fewer than 40 guests at the wedding, so it was important to us that the day felt relaxed and natural, so we could capture ourselves, our friends, and our family just as we are.

We had so much fun blending vintage influences with modern details throughout the day. Kevin’s look was inspired by Sean Connery’s 1960s James Bond, while I paired a contemporary Cinq gown with a Victorian-era chain link purse to tie in the old and new. For the bridesmaids, we reimagined the “something blue” tradition with light blue dresses in different styles and textures to create a cohesive look that reflected their personalities.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

The setting of Chateau Allure du Lac was so beautiful that we wanted all of our styling to feel like it belonged there. Coming from a family of florists, not seeing the flowers until the wedding day was nerve-wracking, but our florist, Hortensia et Marguerite in Angers, completely understood our vision. The arrangements were natural and garden-inspired, as if they could have been taken right from the chateau grounds. From the bouquets to the ceremony arch and tablescapes, the florals helped tie everything together.

Inside the grand dining room, we incorporated the existing candelabras and added taper candles across the tables for a soft, romantic glow that also complemented the Victorian decor. When the sun set and we moved inside for dinner, the atmosphere felt a bit more gothic, intimate, and moody, which was exactly what we were going for.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

Initially, we debated whether to elope or plan a small destination wedding. After discussing it with our close friends and family who were equally excited about a destination wedding, we began planning. We started with the venue search across Italy, Spain, and France, but landed on a chateau just outside the town of Angers in France’s Loire Valley.

Once we secured the venue, finding a photographer was our next highest priority. That’s when we found Zara Staples on Instagram and immediately fell in love with her work. Luckily, she was already planning to be in France from New Zealand and happened to have our date available. From there, everything else started to fall in place.

For anyone planning their own wedding, our best advice is to start early and enjoy the process, because it goes by so fast! And if you can, choose a venue that handles most of the planning in-house. Especially for a destination wedding without a planner, it makes the whole experience so much easier and more enjoyable.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

All of our vendors were incredible, and we couldn’t recommend them enough, but two that stood out the most to us were our venue and our photographers. The venue was everything we could have hoped for, with historically accurate decor and layout that could host our immediate family and wedding party. Each couple or guest had their own room with an ensuite bathroom, which made the stay comfortable for everyone. Spending three days at the chateau with everyone was such a once-in-a-lifetime experience and made getting ready and the rehearsal so much easier.

For photography, we knew we wanted someone who could shoot both film and digital, as well as Super 8 or 16mm video. When we found Zara and Jared, we immediately knew they were perfect for the job. Their storytelling style aligned so well with our overall vision, and they made us feel really comfortable throughout the entire process. They also fit in well with our friends and family, since we all stayed at the chateau together. Looking back, we wouldn’t have changed a single thing.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

The dress was one of the most important style elements to me. Around the time I started wedding dress shopping, Cinq dropped their fourth collection, and I audibly gasped when I saw the Louise gown. It had everything I envisioned in my dream wedding dress. The problem was that the closest place to try it on was Los Angeles.

I tried to get it out of my head by going to other shops in Portland and Seattle, even trying on other amazing gowns by Danielle Frankel and Vivienne Westwood that I seriously considered. But I still couldn’t stop coming back to the Louise gown. Eventually, I planned a trip to visit friends in Los Angeles and made an appointment at Cinq to see the gowns in person. After visiting eight bridal shops, the moment I put on the Louise gown, I knew it was the one. It was even described as being “designed for brides getting married in a French chateau”, which felt like fate.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Kevin proposed to me with a locally made gold ring that had an ethically sourced diamond, two details that meant a lot to me. I later designed my wedding band with the same jeweler, adding small starburst diamonds that wrap around the band. For his ring, Kevin wanted something that complemented mine but still felt true to his everyday style. We found a local shop that had a 7mm 14k gold band with a soft matte finish, which we both felt was simple, timeless, and would fit his style

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

I wanted the dress and venue to feel cohesive and complement each other. When we chose the chateau, I knew I needed a gown that fit in well with the setting, something that was romantic and still had design features that could be historically accurate, like a corset and basque waist. I went to eight different bridal salons, in 3 cities, and tried on even more dresses. I did go a bit over budget, but it’s true what they say: when you find the right dress, you just know. That’s exactly how I felt when I put on the Louise gown from Cinq.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

It’s so hard to narrow down our favourite moments because the entire day felt like a dream. It went by so fast that we still talk about how much we wish we could relive it. If we had to choose, both Kevin and I agree that the first look was one of our absolute favourites.

We met at the front of the chateau, with Kevin standing there covering his eyes while I walked toward him. When I finally reached him, I gave him a kiss, and as he opened his eyes, he immediately started to tear up. He kept saying how I looked like a princess and couldn’t stop pulling me in for kisses. Even after nine years together, I was still so nervous walking up to see him; it was such an emotional and surreal moment.

Our vows were another unforgettable part of the day because they ended up being so similar. Hearing each other recount nearly the same version of our nine-year love story made it clear to everyone just how perfectly in sync we are. After the first kiss, we walked back down the aisle to “What Once Was” by Her’s, a song that means so much to us and takes us back to a very specific time in our relationship when we were young and living in New York City.

Of course, the time spent with our family and friends was also so much fun! Getting such an eclectic group of people from all walks of our lives together was amazing, and seeing all those people who travelled halfway across the world to celebrate us made us feel so loved and appreciated.