La Rochelle was great! The forecast called for rain and clouds for the wedding day, so we were all genuinely surprised that the weather was picture perfect all day. It wasn't until evening that we finally got rain, but by that time we were all too schnockered and full of lovey-doveyness to even care. Plus, we were indoors - dancing like 8th-graders at a homecoming dance (or maybe that was just me and Gui).

Being the first full-on French wedding for me, the classy guests didn't let me down and everyone showed up looking glamorous as ever. Hats were in full-force and it was chignon galore for the rest of the ladies. Thanks to my lovelies back home, I fit right in with the chic femmes as I donned the head-turning feather hat they made me for my bachelorette party. The bride's mom even gave me a compliment on my hair accessory! Gui and I also got a little more wear out of our pricey wedding shoes, which I can't believe I managed to wear again for nearly 12 hours without pain! It felt empowering to strut around in a pair of 4-inchers again - something I miss doing, but will likely never be brave enough to do in Paris.

The food, champagne, cake, wedding gown, views, beach, guests, entertainment and FOOD were just superb. I ate every bite of my five-course meal and drank every glass of wine and champagne I was given - except for that one that the waiter took away while I was in the bathroom. Grrrrr. And we gorged on moules-frites, nutella crepes and Schtroumpf (Smurf) ice cream as our hangover food the next day, after a long day of lounging in the garden and at the beach. I wish we could've stayed longer, but the weather turned gloomy just as we left on Saturday, so we figured it was a sign.

I took pictures of everything - it was all so beautiful!! But, I'll spare you the 25o-picture slide show and just show you a few highlights of our trip. Enjoy!

I've added more pictures from the wedding to the google album I started. Check out the second half of the album if you've already viewed the first half.

Below is a very small taste of the wedding. These are a small compilation of photos taken from family and friends who've emailed us with the pictures. I promise more are to come...

On a side-note, I'm realizing my hair is looking a little wacky in these pics, but I spent hours trying to give it a nice wave. I was so sweaty and gross by the end of the ceremony and that got much worse by the time we got to the park (which we walked to). Also note that my dress felt like it was falling off of me the entire day. I don't know what happened. I must have lost a little weight before the wedding...I didn't really eat very much or very well all week, but I didn't think it was that bad until I kept flashing everyone my bustier top. It was annoying, but mom was kept on watch for any peak-a-boo undergarments. As for Guillaume, he looked great, although his friends were quick to make fun of his messy hair. I quite like it, and it was clean and soft, so it didn't much matter to me. :)


roll over the bottom left corner and click the link to see the original-sized pics.

To be starting my life with the love of my life is a spectacular thing! We never intended to be married so soon, but it could not have been at a more perfect time or place. We exchanged our ouis (I exchanged a oui and a yes) among our French family and friends (as well as my amazing American mom) on an absolutely gorgeous sunny April day just south of Paris. It seemed like a dream. The surreality of the day totally outweighed the reality of walking on my 4-inch heels from the mairie to the park to the reception. It was the most lovely day I've ever witnessed in Paris - perfect weather, perfect champagne, perfect company. Even the translator that we were dreading to employ was the perfect answer to my imperfect French, and certainly made our ceremony that much more special. I also indulged in the best meal I've had in France that evening with Guillaume, his father and a few other relatives. I wish I could share the experience with you all in a blog post, but it's impossible. Suffice it to say that our French wedding was beyond any expectation I could have ever had, and it was the perfect start to the marriage commitment Guillaume and I look forward to fulfilling.

Guillaume made his proposal official after dinner the first night I returned to Paris. On bended-knee and all, he presented a lovely ring made from family heirloom gemstones that I'm now proudly wearing around my left ring-finger! Here it is.



Needless to say, I was very surprised and nearly speechless. I'm so happy.