We're delighted to share Emily & Oli's memorable, magical French château wedding with you today. The wedding took place at the idyllic exclusive use Château de Lartigolle near Toulouse, where 90 of the couples closest family and friends came together to celebrate over a beautiful weekend filled with celebrations against a backdrop of stunning French countryside.

Emily wore Divine Atelier's Kaya wedding dress, a sleek, elegant dress made from luxurious liquid satin, featuring a fitted bodice with inner corsetry for a perfect fit, and a chic off-the-shoulder neckline.

Read on for more details about the dress in Emily's own words, and to find out more about her and Oli's wonderful wedding in France.

Divine Atelier Kaya

I felt like it fitted my body perfectly. I could move, eat, dance and basically feel like a princess for the day! The material also felt gorgeous on my skin.

My Mum came with me to the appointments... every time! We both went in the first time thinking I would walk out with a Jesus Piero dress and then we tried this on as a wild card and we both fell in love with it!

Dress Shopping at Miss Bush

My favourite part of the dress shopping experience was the first trip - walking in to the chapel, having a glass of fizz and just playing dress up to see what style was best on my body. The setting of the shop is magical and Emma, Corinne, Rosie, Jo and the team were all welcoming and generous with their time.

My tummy can swell quite a bit depending on the time of the month- I explained this to them and they helped find me a dress that fitted like a glove and that I was comfortable in whatever the situation! Similarly I was conscious I wanted to be comfortable in the underwear on the day and so we spent the time to look in to how this dress could then be made to fit so well so I could have a built in bra in the bodice.

Styling

I had a gorgeous veil that I brought in to the store myself and Rosie and Jo took the time to make sure the veil fitted correctly with the dress and the colour was correct.

I paired the dress with a pair of shoes from a Lipsy's wedding shoe line - after all they were going to get trashed on the dance floor!

A memorable, magical French chateau wedding

90 of our favourite people agreed to travel to a château in Lartigolle to celebrate with us for an entire weekend. ❤

From the moment we first visited the château, we knew it was the place. Huge thanks to Merrily, our incredible wedding planner, and Nick, one of the founders, who both somehow managed to keep 90 excited adults (and us) organised all weekend.

We kicked things off with drinks in the local town Auch, before waking up to the beautiful sunshine for our wedding on Saturday. We said "I do" in the afternoon sun, with various music - from a harp, cellist and string quartet to the local accordion man Dennis, a 7-piece band and then DJ. The style was effortless but effective with white, blue and green flowers from the meadow and the odd touch of glamour like chandeliers hidden hanging in the trees.

There was incredible food, a "his & hers" cocktail menu (because compromise is important...), a guest book where everyone sketched their own face, and a hidden cave appeared for the after-party.

We managed to convince everyone to come back the next day for a delicious BBQ by the château pool, dangerously drinkable rosé, and a Bloody Mary bar that was exactly what everyone needed.

We travelled, laughed, danced, sang, cried, sketched questionable self-portraits, and celebrated!

The best bits

Putting my dress on with my Mum and Maid of Honours and bridesmaids, practising my speech ( was nervous!) and dancing with Oli lots on the rugs in the courtyard underneath the trees and chandeliers.

Oli's favourite moment was: Watching Emily come down the aisle in her gorgeous dress; standing on the chateau steps looking down on all our guests having fun; our first dance and eating the glorious food!

Emily's Advice

Wear the dress that makes you feel like yourself on your happiest day. Trends come and go, but comfort and confidence show in every photo.

Keep your shopping group small. Too many opinions can drown out your own instincts.

Try on styles you wouldn't normally choose. Many people end up loving a silhouette they never considered.

Don't chase the emotional "movie moment." Some people cry when they find the dress; others simply know it's the right one. Both experiences are completely normal. Don't put to much pressure on yourself!

Remember that alterations are part of the process. A well-tailored dress often looks more expensive and flattering than a pricier dress that doesn't fit perfectly.
If you're constantly comparing your dress to others after buying it, consider unfollowing wedding content for a while. Comparison has a way of creating doubts where there weren't any.

About wedding planning:
Decide early what matters most to you as a couple. Whether it's incredible food, amazing photos, a live band- have your top 3 things each and focus on how you are going to make them a priority.

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