Wedding celebrant in Provence château Talaud South East France
Elegant wedding ceremony in château Talaud South East France
by Ariane Douguet the Provence officiant singer
Do you dream of getting married in South East France Provence Lubéron and sharing an unforgettable ceremony full of meaning and emotion ? Are you looking for an English speaking wedding celebrant in Provence ? My name is Ariane : I’m the French Provence officiant-singer based in Provence. I’m madly in love with my job and my amazing country ! Because a real ceremony says more than many words… Let me tell you about the beautiful wedding ceremony of A and V in Provence château Talaud.
Bilingual symbolic wedding ceremony in the Château Talaud
A and V have chosen me as their wedding celebrant in Provence to celebrate their wedding in a romantic chateau. The cicadas were singing, the sun was shining…
From Australia to Provence
V is Australian
A is French
A meeting in Melbourne, a marriage proposal on the Dune du Pyla
They live in Paris.
A couple in love with freedom, full of life, passionate about travel, beaches & the sea,
Real globetrotters always moving.
They have chosen to celebrate their wedding in my beautiful Provence.
The Preparation of the Wedding ceremony with the Bride & Groom
We met in Paris. As I live between Paris & Provence, it simplifies the process for Parisian lovebirds who have chosen to get married in Provence! A is curious and especially enthusiastic since his family comes from Avignon. V is so sweet and sparkling… They tell me their whole love story, how V left everything 6 months after their meeting to join A in Paris – even though she didn’t speak a word of French at the time – … I am so charmed by their vitality, their positive energy and the desire to celebrate their union.
A and V had thought about it thoroughly. Their families and friends would travel from Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom & France. A gathering of about 85 people, half of whom spoke only English. Their secular ceremony had to be bilingual to allow everyone to share & enjoy the moment.
V would have liked to marry in church. But A agnostic dreamed of a joyful authentic secular ceremony. The tone was set: combining spirituality, emotion and sharing.
Why A & V have chosen me as their wedding celebrant in Provence
As a bilingual wedding celebrant in Provence & singer, the choice of my songs was also crucial for creating the soul of the ceremony. Above all, A and V had a real “crush” on me when I suggested that they sing the Hail Mary and then have the whole assembly sing Cohen’s Hallelujah.
When two families meet for the very first time and don’t speak the same language, music remains the magical way to create universal communion. As your big day starts with the ceremony, all the cohesion created with the guests will be decisive for the rest of the event. My role in this is essential beyond the ceremony.
During the ensuing emails, calls, & meetings with bride and groom, we shared interactive exchanges in order to create a celebration that perfectly reflected their sensitivity. A and V knew what they wanted, while letting themselves be guided & advised with my expertise as a wedding celebrant in Provence.
Above all, we were able to harmonize lightness and the sacred and thus pay tribute to their values and commitment.
The place of the symbolic ceremony & wedding decor
It was August 31, 2019 at château Talaud.
The setting is sublime: a luxury chateau in the heart of its vineyards and the Provencal countryside of Comtat Venaissin. I am totally in love with this region since I live there! Far from bling bling, it’s a whole French Art de vivre: savouring the beautiful, the good and the authentic by taking the time to live…
Located at the gates of the Luberon, this castle was built in the 18th century by the Marquis d’Estoublon. The chateau is classified as an historical monument.
A damp heat envelops that day… We seek the shade and set up umbrellas to preserve the assembly. The thunderstorm over the horizon will burst in climax after the ceremony.
A perfect decoration: the seats have been arranged in an amphitheatre. This is always the layout I recommend in order to create maximum cohesion.
I’ve posed on my table of rituals the lantern and the candles for unity candle & the box with the rings.
The aisle is strewn with rose petals. Baskets are provided for petal throwing at the end of the ceremony.
The order of service
Procession & bride entrance – walking down the aisle
Guests took their seats. A waits feverishly surrounded by his best man & groomsmen
Like nymphs, the procession of the five bridesmaids moves forward to the music of Château d’Angus et Julia Stone. These are the bride’s cousins and friends.
Under the captivated eyes of A, sublime V advances radiant on her father’s arm while I sing the opera aria o mio babbino caro by Puccini
Speeches by loved ones
After a few words of welcome to the guests and the introduction of your dedicated wedding celebrant in Provencet, the best man and the maid of honour deliver a touching speech. These are beautiful testimonies that brought us between laughter and tears.
Ring warming ceremony
As A and V wish to involve all their loved ones, we have included the irish Ring Warming ceremony. So, I started by taking the whole assembly in a collective meditation moment. The couple has chosen as a French musical background La valse d’Amélie Poulain by Yann Tiersen as an evocation of their romantic walks along the Saint Martin canal. The bride and groom have stars in their eyes, discovering all their guests, eyes closed, in full communion! Then the wedding rings start to circulate among the congregation.
Bride & Groom’s love story
As the box with the wedding travels through the congregation, I tell the story of their first meeting and the whole story of the couple.
You should know that my whole process – as a wedding celebrant in Provence – aims to create this key moment of the ceremony. Truly, it is essential to highlight the common values and all the path that led the couple to this high point of commitment. So, I take the audience as a witness, telling some of anecdotes or confidences they have shared with me. In this way, I reveal to the congregation this subtle alchemy that unites them. It’s a moment where emotion and laughter intermingle !
During my storytelling, the wedding rings continue to circulate. An intense emotion reigns: all those loved ones touch the box for a long moment, sometimes kissing it, sometimes whispering blessings…And I still remember how A grabs V’s hand at the evocation of the marriage proposal while V smiles tenderly at him…
Unity candle ceremony
Sharing the same strong family values, A and V have chosen to incorporate the Unity candle ceremony. Thus, they light the unity candle while I sing Schubert’s Ave Maria
The marriage : exchange of vows & wedding rings
Then comes the intense moment when the bride and groom exchange their vows, smiling before a moved and “recollected” congregation. Then I sing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, leading all the guests to sing the chorus. There is a magical and festive atmosphere filled with Love.
What amazes me is when I meet my bride and groom or a guest’s look when I sing. How we share the unspeakable and how our eyes vibrate in unison thanks to the magic of music! These intense moments, from soul to soul, remain engraved in my memory.
Finally, surrounded by their bridesmaids & groomsmen, A and V exchange their wedding rings with great emotion. I saw many tears flowing among the congrgation.
Closing of the ceremony
Following the marriage pronouncement, I have to close this beautiful wedding ceremony in South of France. After a few words of conclusion from your wedding celebrant in Provence, I sing Over the rainbow accompanied by a ukulele – a poetic allusion to their honeymoon in Tahiti. At last, our newlyweds finally let all their joy explode with a recession full of peps with throwing of rose petals!
It’s time to let A and V party… Vive les mariés !
My feeling as a wedding celebrant in Provence
Accompanying A and V in the celebration of their commitment has been a great joy. What gratitude to exercise such a magical profession as a Provence wedding celebrant and singer! We have lived a moment filled with love, joy and emotion.
What a joy to be part of a team of caring wedding vendors!
Wedding celebrant in Provence & classical crossover singer – Ariane Douguet
Venue – Château Talaud
Photographer – Claire Macintyre
Wedding coordination – Dites moi oui
Furniture – Be Lounge
Floral designer – Soliane Création
Caterer – La Vallergue
Baby sitter – Quenottes & Petons
Mua – Margaux Fouquet
Driver – Private Driver
In this magical château, like bees in a beehive, we have all together created this big “fairy tale” day!
Do you dream of getting married in Provence and sharing an unforgettable ceremony full of meaning and emotion?
