After their beautiful intimate ‘I dos’ in Ireland, the next chapter of Aoife Walsh and Ben Nicholson’s wedding story was always going to be a big one. And now, we’re delighted to finally take you to the South of France for the happily ever after!

On 4th August 2026, Aoife and Ben brought 70 of their closest family and friends together at the breathtaking Château de Robernier in Provence for the second chapter of their wedding story.

After their intimate Irish ‘I dos’, the couple went all out for their French celebration, with French blue details, pastel florals, endless rosé, a champagne tower, an XXL berry pavlova cake and one seriously fabulous party, all beneath the Provençal sunshine and against the backdrop of a fairytale French château.

From Aoife’s utterly divine Leah de Gloria gown and spectacular floral ceremony backdrop to dinner under the stars and a party packed with unforgettable moments, every detail was beautifully considered and deeply personal. And while we knew, after seeing their gorgeous Irish wedding, that Chapter Two was going to be something special, this celebration somehow exceeded even our expectations.

But there was one thing Aoife and Ben couldn’t have planned for: just days before the wedding, they genuinely didn’t know if their dream French celebration would go ahead at all...

So, without further ado, let’s head to Provence for Part Two of Aoife and Ben’s happily ever after, captured beautifully by the talented Sarbo Studio...

From the very beginning, Aoife and Ben knew they wanted their French celebration to be something their guests would remember for years to come. ‘Someone once told me that once you have a wow venue and a wow dress, you’ll be fine,’ Former Miss Ireland Aoife Walsh says. ‘I got a good giggle off that. I think we ended up with wow everything.’

Their aim was to create a celebration that would give them stories to look back on with their friends and family for years to come. ‘We wanted something that people would remember for years to come, that we could still tell stories about with our friends in 10 or 20 years’ time. Something different.’

Food was another major priority, and they certainly embraced the French approach to hospitality. ‘Food was one of our main priorities and it’s safe to say the French know how to do it with excellence and we just keep feeding people.’

One of their friends summed up the whole experience beautifully, describing the wedding as ‘an exhibition in hospitality’. ‘We were chuffed,’ Aoife says.

The couple had their hearts set on France, and Aoife discovered Château de Robernier early in their venue search. It quickly became the one to beat. ‘We knew it was the one very early on as we had our hearts set on France. I found this venue first and then we shopped around knowing this ticked all our boxes and essentially it was the one to beat.’

With its impressive interiors, beautiful outdoor courtyard and breathtaking views across the Provençal hills, it had the wow factor they were looking for. The all-important pool was another major draw, particularly with their day two plans in mind. ‘It had a true fairytale feel,’ Aoife says. ‘I loved the beautiful French details such as the blue shutters and navy blue castle turrets.’

And then there was the dress. Aoife looked utterly divine as she walked out of the château to marry Ben, wearing a stunning Leah de Gloria gown sourced from The Wedding Club in London. The look was elegant, romantic and effortlessly glamorous, perfectly suited to the grand Provençal setting. She completed her wedding day look with Manolo Blahnik shoes and jewellery from Tadhg O’Flynn’s Jewellers, while JM Honey created her beautiful hair and makeup look.

A spritz of Jo Malone London’s English Pear & Freesia added an olfactory layer to Aoife’s garden-party wedding, creating a beautiful scent memory she can return to for years to come.

The ceremony took place at the front of Château de Robernier, with the rolling Provençal hills providing an incredible backdrop as Aoife and Ben exchanged their vows.

The flowers were every bit as dreamy as the setting. Sophie Robert from Fleurissons vos Emotions spent three hours on the morning of the wedding creating an XXL floral arch filled with pastel blooms, which framed the couple as they exchanged their vows.

Aoife’s three bridesmaids wore French blue off-the-shoulder Dessy dresses, sourced from Diamond Bridal in Cork, perfectly complementing the setting and the blue details woven throughout the celebration. Her daughter Penny and niece Indie walked as flower girls in beautiful handmade silk dresses, each finished with a blue sash bow at the back.

Then Aoife emerged through the château’s grand double doors with her dad Liam by her side. She walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon from the Father of the Bride soundtrack, a rendition she has loved for many years.

Adding another deeply personal touch, Ben’s best friend and groomsman Cian acted as celebrant for the ceremony. The couple exchanged handwritten vows filled with love and commitment before sealing the ceremony with a kiss to Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

The ceremony also included a beautiful personal tribute from Ben’s sister Phoebe, who wrote a personalised and heartfelt poem especially for the couple. ‘Ben’s sister Phoebe wrote a personalised and heartfelt poem for our ceremony and it was so special,’ Aoife says.

As she had at their Irish wedding, Penny played a very special role in her parents’ French celebration. She took on flower girl duties alongside her cousin Indie and also had the very important job of handing over Aoife and Ben’s wedding rings during the ceremony. ‘It is so nice to have her play a role in our special day,’ Aoife says.

Following the ceremony, guests gathered at the front of the château for a cocktail reception, where a light breeze offered some welcome relief from the August heat.

A saxophonist kept the atmosphere buzzing as Aoife and Ben made their entrance to huge cheers and applause. Then came a seriously fabulous champagne tower, complete with bottles of vintage Dom Pérignon.

And because food was such a priority for the couple, the cocktail reception was anything but light on the good stuff. Guests enjoyed live cooking stations serving cheese wheel truffle risotto and wood-fired pizza alongside an array of canapés, all provided by Gaudafroy Receptions.

Despite the scale and detail of the celebration, Aoife and Ben chose not to hire a wedding planner, with Aoife taking on the challenge of designing and planning the décor herself. She spent weeks poring over French catalogues, carefully selecting tablecloths, placemats and tableware to bring her vision to life. The attention to detail was incredible, with the styling carrying through every aspect of the day.

For all the magic of the day, there was a huge sense of relief behind the celebrations too. In the days leading up to the wedding, the area surrounding Château de Robernier had been seriously affected by the French wildfires, and Aoife and Ben genuinely didn’t know if their wedding would be able to go ahead until just two days before they were due to say ‘I do’.

The six weddings before theirs had all been affected in some way, with some cancelled and others evacuated, so seeing their own plans unfold exactly as they had hoped felt all the more special. In fact, theirs was the first wedding at the venue in three weeks to go ahead without a hitch.

After everything they had been through in the lead-up, the couple were simply so grateful to be there, surrounded by their family and friends and able to celebrate exactly as planned. So, when we asked if there was anything they would change, their answer was wonderfully simple: ‘Nothing!’

The celebrations continued in the château’s open-air enclosed courtyard, where guests dined beneath sparkling fairy lights surrounded by those gorgeous French blue shutters. Aoife and Ben made their entrance to an energetic rendition of ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, before settling in for a four-course feast.

The menu included tomato dome confit, fillet of beef and a melody of cheeses, all accompanied by an abundance of Provençal rosé. It was long, leisurely French dining at its very best and exactly the kind of experience the couple had hoped to create for their guests.

Ruby Roo Design added another beautiful layer to the celebration with personalised stationery, creating individual menus, placemats and names, ceremony fans, petal cones and bar signage for the couple. It was this level of thought and detail that had guests showering the couple with compliments throughout the day.

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There were so many standout moments throughout the day that choosing favourites must have been almost impossible. For Aoife, her first look with her dad was particularly special, as was the moment they smiled at each other as he walked her down the aisle.

The couple also treasured their handwritten vows, giving them a personal moment to express their love and commitment to one another.

Then came the big celebratory moments: entering their reception to an eruption of cheers, cutting their giant berry pavlova and, of course, nailing the lift during their first dance.

For their first dance, Aoife and Ben returned to a song that had already featured in their Irish wedding celebration, Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love. They had practised a few dance moves and a lift together in the garden before the wedding, and thankfully all that preparation paid off. They absolutely nailed it on the night!

For her second look, Aoife changed into a gorgeous design by Rosie Etienne, giving her the perfect outfit for dancing the night away.

The couple’s wedding cake was anything but traditional, with Aoife and Ben opting for an enormous berry pavlova instead. The XXL dessert became one of the most memorable moments of the day, with the couple cutting the pavlova to The Four Tops’ Can’t Help Myself as sparklers fizzed and their guests erupted into cheers. The couple also dressed the pavlova with extra berries and got to enjoy some gloriously messy taste testing together. Honestly, we can think of few better ways to finish a French feast!

After putting so much thought and planning into their wedding, Aoife has some very simple advice for couples when the big day finally arrives. ‘For the day itself, forget about any stress or worries you might have had in the lead-up and fully immerse yourself in every aspect of the day!’

She also has one very important practical tip: make sure you actually eat! ‘Make sure to taste all your food at the cocktail reception. My bridesmaid came over with a selection on a plate while I was taking some portraits and I’m so grateful she did!!’

Rather than heading straight off on a traditional honeymoon, Aoife and Ben decided to stay in the South of France for a few extra days and make some bonus family memories. They stayed at Prairies de la Mer near Port Grimaud with Penny and Aoife’s parents, making it a full house. With their gîte just footsteps from the beach overlooking St Tropez, they spent their days by the coast and their evenings exploring the canals of Port Grimaud with a gelato in hand.

The couple were completely blown away by Port Grimaud, France’s version of Venice, and consider it a real hidden gem. ‘It was truly blissful,’ Aoife says. ‘It was so fabulous to create some bonus family memories.’

Once they returned to Irish soil, Aoife and Ben headed to The Hawthorn Hotel in Galway Bay for some much-needed post-wedding R&R. ‘Would highly recommend this spot, it was incredible and we are already planning our return,’ Aoife says.

A huge thank you to Aoife and Ben for sharing their beautiful wedding story with us, and to Sarbo Studio for capturing every gorgeous moment so beautifully. From their intimate Irish ‘I dos’ to this unforgettable celebration in Provence, it has been such a joy to follow their wedding journey and share both chapters with you. And if you missed the first chapter, make sure you check out Aoife and Ben’s beautiful Irish wedding at Raheen House Hotel here, where their wedding story began.

Planning your own big day? Do check out our Real Wedding section to get inspired!

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