Getting married in France:
the special wedding of Nikki and Wilfred
Truly one of the most special destination weddings I have ever experienced. It’s 10 pm on a Thursday. I set my alarm clock for Friday’s wedding. I’m tired and just want to go to sleep when suddenly my phone rings. On the other side of the line, I hear a voice that matches with the sound of the master of ceremonies of Nikki and Wilfred. i was supposed to be the photographer 3 days later, on Sunday, at their wedding in France.
“Nikki and Wilfred have decided that they want to get married a day earlier”
The master of ceremonies asked me what time I would arrive on Saturday. I answered this question by 11 am. At that time, I would land at Nice airport, so I could be at my destination around 1:00 PM. “Nice”, I hear on the other side of the line. “Then we start the photoshoot at 1 pm. Nikki and Wilfred have decided that they want to get married on Saturday instead of Sunday”. What? Yes, that.
Getting married in the South of France, and even getting married in the Côte d’Azur, isn’t always a guarantee for beautiful warm weather. For that Sunday there was a decent amount of rain on the program. The advantage of getting married abroad is that the guests often arrive a little earlier. Then it’s easier to make a change in the planning, especially if you’re also dealing with flexible suppliers. The wedding of Nikki and Wilfred was completely changed 3 days before the start. They are right because during my arrival on Saturday the weather was lovely. 23 degrees with some friendly clouds in a clear blue sky.
“Sisteron is a perfect location for a wedding in a French atmosphere”
Nikki and Willy are a tough couple. Wilfred is a pedagogical employee and Nikki is a singer. You may recognize her from her participation in the 4th season of Idols (NL), which she won. The two didn’t want a standard or a fancy wedding. It should be a kind of mini-holiday that would be celebrated with dear friends and family.
Nikki and Wilfred are of Dutch descent but do live in Australia for quite some time. Because of that, the sun is an important wedding guest. Therefore, there was made a compromise regarding the wedding location. Somewhere halfway between Australia and the Netherlands would be good. This is how the idea of getting married in France was born. The choice fell on a location in the town of Sisteron. The accommodation embraces a large holiday villa with several buildings. Parties can also be organized here. A perfect location for weddings in a French atmosphere. Carpe diem!
“The fact that the wrong wedding date is now engraved in our wedding rings says enough about who we are”
The last-minute change is one thing that suits Nikki and Wilfred. So she tells me afterwards. “Nothing goes the way it should with us and sometimes things are a bit chaotic. The fact that the wrong wedding date is now engraved in our wedding rings says enough about who we are. We leave this for what it is because it suits us”. And she’s right because it’s a beautiful memory of a wonderful weekend. No regrets at all mate!
The sun was working overtime on the wedding day of Nikki and Wilfred. And yes, this is what a wedding in France should look like. To come back to their decision, the day after the wedding it was cold and wet. However, that doesn’t detract from the fact that it was a pleasant day. It was a day filled with games. I didn’t have to take pictures that day so joined the party. Angela and games are a good combination 🙂
“We had plenty of time for a beautiful wedding photoshoot”
On Monday there was something special on the program. In the conversations I had with Nikki and Wilfred before the wedding, she made it clear to me that she would rather stay with their guests on the day of the wedding. That meant that the photoshoot would take place on Monday. So we had plenty of time to make a beautiful wedding photoshoot.
“Hiking to the peaks of the French mountains for the most beautiful wedding photos”
That Monday we left with a group to a special place. A place where you normally don’t hang out in your wedding dress, the French mountains! As a destination wedding photographer, I am active both before and behind the scenes. I also show that in this blog. Fortunately, both Nikki and Wilfred are lovers of beautiful landscapes. That is convenient because I also share that love. So when I suggested hiking to the peaks of the mountain for a nice photoshoot, they were actually off the starting blocks even faster than me. As a wedding photographer, you can’t make me happier.
“Photographer for your wedding in France“
Tip: Do you want to get married abroad? Would you like wedding in a French vineyard, the fancy Saint-Tropez or the mountains in South-France? If you want me to be your wedding photographer in France or in another country, just send me a message and I am happy to get to know you & send you more information. Love reading you!
