French Wedding at Chateau de Courtomer | Chymo More

Published 13 February 2024

At a Glance

Chateau Normandie Winter (2024)

Beautiful French Wedding at Chateau de Courtomer in Normandy

Location: Courtomer • NormandyNorth of France

In the gentle countryside of Normandy, Karsen and Kacey gathered family and friends for a spring weekend full of connection and quiet elegance. Their celebration at Château de Courtomer, an 18th-century private estate encircled by pastures and tall trees, captured the balance of formality and warmth that defines weddings in the North of France. Guests arrived to the sound of gravel underfoot and cool air drifting across the lawns before settling in for oysters and champagne at a welcome dinner styled like a Parisian bistro. Pastel accents introduced the color palette, while this elegant, private chateau in Normandy’s salons and terraces guided each moment with an easy, measured rhythm.

Palette, Spaces, and a Plan that Moved with the Weather

The wedding design followed a spring palette of soft pink, lavender, and pale blue, anchored by touches of navy and burgundy. Florals, linens, and stationery repeated these hues throughout the house, while Château de Courtomer’s architecture offered both structure and softness. Rain arrived mid-afternoon, and the team adjusted seamlessly resetting the ceremony indoors without losing pace or mood. A concise venue note: the château’s generous salons, tall windows, and covered terraces make it perfectly suited to weather shifts, allowing ceremony, cocktails, and dinner to unfold within one address. The scent of fresh blooms and candle wax filled the rooms, the air calm and bright as vows began beneath high ceilings and pale stone.

Candlelight, French Cuisine, and the Team Behind the Flow

Dinner opened with candlelit tables and classic French cuisine that reflected the region’s comfort and rhythm - warm plates, precise service, and conversation rising naturally between courses. Glassware caught the flicker, and soft music carried through the halls as rain eased outside. Portraits continued indoors, with Chymo More, one of Normandy’s fine-art wedding photographers, capturing candid exchanges and the quiet glow of the château at night. Behind the flow stood Rachael Ellen Events, among the most respected destination wedding planners in Normandy, whose guidance kept timing steady and transitions invisible. The evening ended on the dance floor, laughter echoing through the salons a spring weekend where color, hospitality, and place aligned beautifully under Normandy’s shifting light.

For more Wedding Inspiration in France:

Getting Ready

Bride in strapless floral embroidered gown smiling as two bridesmaids fasten her dress in an ornate salon
Groom in tuxedo with satin lapels standing in chateau room with gold curtains and parquet floor
Bride reaching for embroidered tulle gown on hanger by backlit window in chateau room in B&W
A groom is captured getting ready, standing at an open French window and gazing outside at the grounds below. He is dressed in a white dress shirt with dark navy trousers, black suspenders, and an untied dark tie hanging loosely around his collar, suggesting the shot was taken mid-preparation. The interior setting features classic French château-style details including white wood-panelled walls, a cast-iron radiator, and floor-length curtains in a warm gold and floral toile fabric with gold tassel tie-backs. The shot is a medium portrait framed in profile, with natural window light illuminating the groom against the soft-focus garden view beyond.

Ceremony

Bride embracing her father at the altar in front of a circular greenery arch adorned with pink mauve and yellow roses
Couple shares first kiss under a circular floral arch during an outdoor garden ceremony with seated guests
Outdoor ceremony first kiss under circular greenery arch with blush and mauve florals along tree-lined grass aisle
Outdoor ceremony aisle with wicker basket floral arrangements in mauve and blush tones and wooden folding chairs on lawn

Cocktail Hour

Three couples toasting with coupe glasses on gravel path during cocktail hour in garden setting

Reception

French dessert table with croquembouche, sparklers, pastries, and pink floral arrangements at chateau reception
Bride taking group selfie with 40 guests on chateau stone steps flanked by pink and purple flower arrangements
Guests seated at a long banquet table with blush rose centerpieces and taper candles in a white ballroom
Wedding group portrait of 40 guests on neoclassical chateau steps flanked by lavender and blush floral baskets

Couple Portraits

Bride and groom kissing on chateau steps surrounded by garden floral arrangements
Couple kisses at golden hour with bride's floral-applique gown train spread across lawn at chateau
A couple portrait taken outdoors during golden hour, with warm backlit light creating a soft glow around both subjects. The groom, wearing a dark navy suit with a dark tie, stands behind the bride with his arms wrapped around her waist, leaning in close to her. The bride wears a strapless gown with a floral embroidered and sequined bodice featuring pink, blue, and green botanical motifs on a champagne/ivory base, paired with long delicate drop earrings and her dark hair worn in loose waves over one shoulder. Both are smiling and looking downward in a relaxed, candid pose. The composition is a close-up portrait with a shallow depth of field, set against an outdoor lawn setting with a heavily blurred background.

Bridal Portraits

Bride in floral-embroidered strapless gown looking over shoulder before ornate marble fireplace with garden flower arrange...

Design and Details

Wedding reception table with gold-rimmed chargers, amber and peach rose centerpieces in brass urns, and blush taper candles
Chateau salon fireplace with mauve rose peach spray and lavender delphinium arrangements gilt clock boiserie and chandelier
Toile-panelled bar with ground-level installation of mauve roses, blush blooms, and lavender delphiniums
A reception tablescape detail shot taken inside a French château ballroom or salon, with no guests present. The long dining table is dressed in a pale grey-blue linen runner over a white tablecloth, set with gold flatware, ornate white charger plates with calligraphy menus, and crystal glassware. Floral centerpieces in low bronze compote vessels feature blush ranunculus, peach and amber roses, white blooms, and trailing greenery. Slim taper candles in brass candleholders — including both blush pink and dark brown tapers — are spaced along the table. Gold Napoleon-style chairs with ivory seat cushions surround the table. The room features white boiserie wall panelling, gilt bronze double-arm wall sconces with lit candles, and tall arched French windows dressed with floor-length antique gold silk drape curtains with a fringe trim detail. The overall styling palette is soft blush, peach, amber, and muted sage with gold accents, consistent with a classic French romantic aesthetic. Wide shot with a slightly elevated angle. Potential venue feature image.

Bridal Party

Bridal party of six walking along tree-lined avenue with bride in floral applique gown and blush bridesmaids
A bridal party of six is gathered outdoors on a gravel path, raising coupe glasses in a champagne toast during what appears to be a cocktail hour. The bride wears a strapless ball gown with an ivory base and an all-over floral embroidery pattern in pink, blue, and green tones, holding a large bouquet of white peonies and garden roses. The two bridesmaids wear blush champagne satin slip-style gowns with thin straps and carry smaller bouquets of white flowers with trailing ivory ribbons. The three groomsmen are dressed in classic black tuxedos with bow ties. The group is laughing and interacting naturally in a medium-distance portrait shot taken on a sunny day in a formal garden setting.

Flat Lays

Flat lay on teal velvet with Dior tote invitation suite gold rings pearl earrings rose petals and blue ribbon

Venue

Three-storey cream stone French chateau with slate mansard roof and terrace set with white-clothed reception tables
Arched chateau window with olive velvet curtains and white sweet peas in glass vase on round table
Cream limestone chateau with pediment rose parterre and slate mansard roof through iron fence

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The Venue

The couple chose Chateau de Courtomer, a chateau in Normandie.

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