Raemy and Jon were married in the middle of July at the beautiful Le Château de Thauvenay in Thauvenay, near Sancerre in central France. They’d always wanted to marry abroad and France was somewhere they returned to whenever they had the chance so was their first choice.

This beautiful wedding day was photographed by Camille Huguenot, a French photographer based between Paris and Nantes, who we’re delighted to have as a member of our recommended supplier directory. Camille photographs weddings across France, the UK and beyond, and we absolutely love her effortlessly romantic and intimate style.

The colour palette came from the château itself, blue and a soft dusty yellow. Raemy’s bouquet was made the day before at Bucolissim in Sancerre, and the flowers through the rest of the house were wildflowers picked from the grounds.

Dinner was cooked by the chef from La Tour, a Michelin listed restaurant in the town. Raemy is a winemaker in Sonoma County, California, and she and Jon planned and designed the whole wedding themselves.

The Venue & Location

Choosing the right venue was the most important decision of our wedding planning. From the start, we knew we wanted to marry abroad, driven by our shared love of travel. Jon and I have always been drawn to France, visiting whenever we can, and I even spent two six-month periods living there. We’re captivated by everything, the culture, the food, the wine, the landscape, and we wanted nothing more than to share this beloved place with our closest family and friends.

Then we found Le Château de Thauvenay, in Thauvenay near Sancerre, France. It immediately captured our hearts with its stunning exterior, beautiful interiors, and breathtaking grounds. With an impressive 24 bedrooms and 22 newly remodeled bathrooms, it was perfect for hosting nearly all of our guests, which had been our vision from the start. The château is absolutely magical and truly the best choice we could have made.

We wanted to plan and design the event ourselves to retain an intimate, authentic, and relaxed feel. Johanna, the Event Coordinator at Le Château de Thauvenay, acted as our day-of coordinator. She was wonderful to work with to create our ideal day.

It was very important to us that the event felt timeless. The Château was the centerpiece of the event and influenced all of my design decisions. I was drawn to a colour palette from a photo of the Château that had a brilliant sky blue and a dusty yellow, the colour of the limestone walls. We were drawn to colours inspired by the nature and scenery surrounding the venue, making everything feel effortless and seamless.

The Ceremony

My father and my brother walked me down the aisle. It was a really special moment for the three of us.

When I was a child, my mom shared just one specific wish for my wedding day. We both loved the instrumental piece “Highland Cathedral,” which appeared on an Amy Grant Christmas album from the ’90s of all places, but the music always gave us goosebumps, and she would imagine me walking down the aisle to it.

To honour her wish while keeping the tone of our day soft and intimate, I chose a shortened acoustic version to play as I made my entrance.

Our dear friend Neal Gottlieb officiated our ceremony. He is not only a natural speaker, but also funny, thoughtful, and incredibly generous with his time, helping us shape a ceremony that felt personal and meaningful. We have long admired the marriage he shares with his wife, Limor.

Especially the way they support, listen to, and nurture one another every day. Together, they exemplify the kind of partnership we hope to build in our own marriage, and we feel so grateful that Neal guided us through this moment with both laughter and happy tears.

We held an agnostic ceremony and our ceremony was simple and sweet. Jon and I wrote one set of vows together, so that our promises that we made to each other and ourselves would be equal.

My favourite line in our vows was, “I will grow with you as we seek to better understand ourselves and the world around us; through the best and worst of what is to come, for as long as we live.”

My ring is a two-carat gold solitaire diamond that has been passed down through the women in my family since 1901. It’s still in its original setting and was exactly what I wanted. I love wearing a beautiful piece of history.

How They Met

Jon and I met as fellow interns learning to make wine at Ridge Vineyards in California and have been best friends ever since. We dated for seven years before he proposed in June of 2024. We were then engaged for just over a year before our wedding in July of 2025.

We found Jon’s cufflinks at one of our favourite antique shops in our hometown. We love incorporating vintage pieces in our home and life.

The Reception

The Chateau was anything and everything we could have dreamed about, so when it came to decor, there was nothing more to add other than a few vases of wildflowers from the surrounding fields.

One of the most memorable elements of the celebration was the dinner itself. The château invited the chef from Michelin-listed La Tour in Sancerre to curate an exquisite, multi-course meal, beginning with delicate sea bream crudo and followed by slow-cooked pork shoulder confit served alongside fennel-scented pommes purée and fresh melon.

It was an unforgettable dining experience and a true highlight of the wedding.

My very talented Aunt (the same one that made my veil) volunteered to bake me my dream cake in the kitchen in the château. It was a simple white cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting topped with raspberries (exactly from my Pinterest board!).

The chef from La Tour was convinced we had the cake ordered from a professional! Then we also had a Croquembouche from a local bakery since we were in France and c’est obligatoire! Both were so delicious and photographed so well.

I designed all the event collateral myself from the invitations to the placecards (with the help of a friend and her Cricut printer). I thoroughly enjoyed the process and I’m thrilled with how they turned out.

The Château had a record player and an assortment of great albums, so we just let guests put on what they felt like. It was magical and effortless.

Words of Wedded Wisdom

Decision fatigue is a serious issue when planning a wedding. I struggled to get the entire project to the finish line. The more you can plan and put on “auto pilot” for the big day, the better.

I was so overwhelmed with happiness and excitement; I was basically useless for any logistical questions or last minute changes. Thankfully my incredible friends filled in the gaps to make it the perfect day. I am so grateful for them and all the help!

So my words of wisdom would be to not be discouraged if you are overwhelmed with decisions! Planning a wedding is hard! Let your friends/planner/family/partner help make smaller choices to relieve you from the weight of all the big choices. It’s okay to ask for help. You want to make sure that you are able to just relax and soak it all in once the wedding day comes.

And finally, take the time the next day to write down the small moments and the emotions you felt. It helps preserve those priceless memories, allowing you to treasure them for a lifetime.

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