This bride’s lace and crepe sheath by luxury bridal designer Aaliyah Quinn was the prefect choice for her romantic French chateau wedding. Read on for food, decoration and styling ideas for your very own destination do…

Key takeaways: 

From a Venice proposal to a breathtaking French chateau celebration, Jodie and Oliver’s relaxed destination wedding was filled with personal touches, laughter and love.

Bride and groom getting ready for their wedding at Château de St Paul
Groom getting ready as the page boy holds a wedding sign at Château de St Paul

How did Jodie and Oliver meet?

Real wed2b bride Jodie met her future husband, Oliver, on a dating app. However, he was definitely the only one for her. “We met in April 2023 on a dating app, and he was the one and only person I swiped right on!” she says. “For our first date we went to a local pub called The Red Cow and the rest is history.”

Bride and groom sharing a kiss outside Château de St Paul during their romantic French wedding

How did Oliver propose in Venice? 

In October 2024, during a sunlit Venetian escape, Oliver told Jodie he’d booked a surprise lunch at an exclusive restaurant. Dressed in heels and full of excitement, she followed him across a bridge in San Marco — where a violinist began playing their song. With a photographer waiting and the canals glistening, he dropped to one knee. “It was completely magical,” says Jodie.

Finding ‘The One’ – Her wed2b Experience

Jodie had actually visited wed2b’s Hinckley store quite a lot, but for other people’s weddings! “There’s that saying, ‘Always the bridesmaid and never the bride’,” she says. “I had visited wed2b on many occasions before my very own bridal experience, but only to choose bridesmaids' dresses.”

Bride posing with her bridesmaids outside Château de St Paul before the wedding ceremony

When it was finally her turn she was impressed by the service. “The knowledge from all of the staff was great,” she says. “They knew exactly how to style the dresses and what suited my body shape.”

The Dress: Rory Wedding Dress wed2b

Her perfect dress was Rory an unforgettable lace and crepe sheath by luxury bridal designer Aaliyah Quinn. Covered in detailed botanical lace, it also featured contouring illusion side panels and a breathtaking train. “I had seen Rory online before coming into store and fell in love with the design,” says Jodie. “I loved the side panels and the gorgeous train. It was the first dress I tried on!”

Bride wearing her wedding dress on the morning of her Château de St Paul celebration

Accessories & Finishing Touches 

Close-up of wedding bouquets and flowergirl petals ready for the ceremony.

The only accessories needed were the perfect veil and a gorgeous topper to keep it in place. Jodie also wished she’s seen the new wed2b satin bridesmaids' dresses in Burnt Orange. “We had a burnt orange wedding colour palette but, at the time, wed2b didn’t do that colour. Unfortunately, about three weeks after buying my girls’ dresses, you released some!”

Bride and groom holding hands without seeing each other before the ceremony at Château de St Paul

Real Wedding Chateau de St Paul

The setting for their romantic day on 12th August was a beautifully renovated 12th Century chateau in southern France. It had its own chapel set in quiet, picturesque surroundings, as well as a much-needed outdoor pool for what would turn out to be a very hot day.

Close-up of the bride’s lace wedding dress and children’s outfits at Château de St Paul

Why did they choose a wedding at Château de St Paul?

“We knew we wanted a small intimate wedding abroad, possibly a destination wedding south of France” says Jodie. “When we found our wedding planner, Perfect Little Weddings, they suggested lots of French chateau wedding inspiration. Then they sent over details for Chateau de St Paul, which had only one date available for 2025, and we knew this was the one for us.”

Read more: Real wed2b bride destination weddings

A Heatwave Wedding Day to Remember

When the couple and their guests arrived, France was in the middle of a heatwave. “It was a whopping 43 degrees!” says Jodie. “Despite this, I had a lovely morning getting ready with four of my bridesmaids and my mum in the lodge at the chateau." 

Close-up of the groom’s cufflinks on his wedding day.
Groom standing outside with his groomsmen before the ceremony.

Ceremony & Celebration

Children sneaking a peek through a window to watch the wedding.

Jodie was escorted down the aisle by her brother, Paul, and stepfather, Steve. “We also had a wonderful violinist playing as all of us entered the chapel,” says Jodie. “She had learnt our song, ‘Cinema’ by Gary Go.” 

Bride walking down the aisle with her brother and stepdad in the Château de St Paul chapel

Personal Vows in The Chapel

The couple had a lovely relaxed ceremony in the venue’s whitewashed private chapel with vows that were very personal. “We had written our own joint vows, which made it so different and special,” says Jodie.

Champagne Towers & French Cuisine

Bride and groom posing with their children outside Château de St Paul on their wedding day

After the ceremony, guests cooled down with drinks and canapés. “We also channelled a French vibe with a classic Champagne tower and a round of snails for all the guests,” says Jodie.

Later, the four-course wedding breakfast included:

  • Charcuterie boards and camembert to start.
  • A main of duck breast in red wine jus.
  • Followed by a mix of French desserts.
  • And a wedding ‘cake’ stack made entirely of cheese!

First Dance & Evening Magic 

Bride and groom during their ceremony and first dance at Château de St Paul

Once the temperatures cooled a little, the guests hit the dance floor to music from an amazing band, whose show included sparklers, fibre lights and fans. “Our first dance was also to an acoustic version of ‘Cinema’ by Gary Go,” says Jodie. “This has been our song since we first met.”

Evening wedding celebration at Château de St Paul with romantic fairy lights

Wedding Style & Colour Palette

The couple chose a burnt orange wedding colour palette, with burnt orange roses mixed with bunches of white gypsophila and trailing green ivy. “We didn’t have a specific theme, we just wanted a relaxed fun vibe and that’s what we got,” says Jodie. 

Favourite Moments

One of the most heartfelt moments of the day was when these love birds were reunited after spending the morning apart. “My favourite moment was seeing my future husband waiting for me at the aisle,” says Jodie. “We hate being apart so being reunited after five hours was my favourite moment.”

Table décor at Château de St Paul and the bride wearing an apron during the celebration

Jodie’s Advice for Future Brides

“Relax, enjoy the little things and don’t stress,” she says. “Everything will be perfect!”

Suppliers Who Made It Special

Bride and groom pouring champagne and cutting their cake at their Château de St Paul wedding

FAQs

  • Where did Jodie and Oliver get married?
    They married at Château de St Paul in the South of France, a beautifully renovated historic château surrounded by vineyards.
  • Which wed2b dress did Jodie wear?
    She wore the Rory gown from wed2b Hinckley, a lace and crepe sheath with illusion side panels and a dramatic train.
  • What was the wedding theme?
    The couple chose a relaxed destination wedding with burnt orange tones, ivy foliage and elegant French-inspired styling.
  • What advice does Jodie have for future brides?
    “Relax, enjoy every moment — everything will be perfect!”
  • Why did they choose a destination wedding in France?
    They wanted an intimate celebration abroad and fell in love with the romantic setting of Château de St Paul, which had one final date left for 2025.
  • What was the most memorable part of their day?
    Jodie says her favourite moment was seeing Oliver at the aisle after spending the morning apart.

Read more: Real wedding stories IE

Planning your own destination wedding?

-Explore more destination wedding inspiration

-Find your nearest wed2b store

-Discover dresses perfect for warm-weather ceremonies

-Learn what to expect at your bridal appointment

We’d love to  hear from you! If you would like us to feature your big day, like this real wedding Chateau de St Paul, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. And for more inspiration for your own wedding dress, venue, or styling we have lots more stunning real wedding stories IE. Lastly, still looking for your dream dress? Click here for your local store and here for what to expect when you visit.