Just when we think we’ve seen every amazing chuppah idea out there, a new Jewish wedding comes along and knocks us off our feet. Today, we’ve got a DRIFTWOOD CHUPPAH! And it could not possibly be a better match for the rugged beauty of the awesome (literally, as in truly awe-inspiring) outdoor venue in France.
The fantastic panoramic views of the mountains and the sea are just BEYOND — guess they didn’t name this fab venue “The Rock” (giving rise to Elsa and Stephane’s adorable hashtag, #weddingontherock), for nothing. We are so, so in love with Moonriverprod’s photos — they really didn’t miss an angle.
We’re also totally obsessed with the fact that these guys choreographed and performed a surprise dance inspired by Friends, as well as by their totally mouthwatering naked cake with red fruits, prepared by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Dany’s Traiteur, tops for luxury kosher catering in the South of France (who also handled the rest of the menu, which looks UTTERLY delish too).
And for good measure, we’ve got some perfectly Parisian, mega-chic photos from the couple’s civil ceremony in their home city. We are totally swooning over them kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Now we’ll hand you over to Elsa, who looked positively ravishing in her pearl-embellished top from Israeli designer, Lihi Hod, which she paired with a simple custom skirt…
Corsica
Elsa, the bride: The name of the venue is “Le Rocher” (“the rock” in French). It is on the island of Corsica (France), close to Calvi City. There is a wonderful 360 ° view overlooking the sea and the mountain.
The venue is very wild and authentic, with lot of vegetation: tamarisk trees, rocks, etc. It’s like the world’s end, with only nature and no construction.
You can have both the ceremony and the party outside (and keep going until 5am!). The weather tends to be very good in june (around 24-27 °C/75-80 °F).
Bohemian Chic
The theme was bohemian-chic with lots of local flowers (eucalyptus and olive leaf).
We selected all the vendors by ourselves. My sister is an event planner for luxury brands and helped us to coordinate all the vendors.
Recycled Paper Invitations
We had a wedding invitation designed exclusively for us by a graphic designer, with a specific recycled paper.
Hair + Makeup
For the civil ceremony I wanted something simple for hair and makeup, at it was during the day and my dress was already fancy! For makeup I choose Sophie Hayat and it was perfect. My hairstylist’s name was Daniele and she did a beautiful wavy hairstyle.
For the religious ceremony and the party I didn’t have much choice as it was in a small city in Corsica but, I didn’t regret my choices.
Hair was done by a very nice and talented woman, Karine, and she totally understood what I wanted. I wanted something simple but with a little touch of originality. So I had my hair wavy with two braids and a beautiful flower hair pin.
Makeup was natural and bright, so it was perfect – I used Lea from Passion Beautà© in Calvi.
A Lihi Hod Dress
At the beginning I spent a lot of time on Pinterest looking for the perfect dress, and at the end of the day I was completely obsessed with only one dress: a top from Lihi Hod (Israeli wedding designer) found at the Printemps in Paris. I had the skirt made by a tailor in Paris. It was the perfect dress for me as I wanted something classy but also simple and original.
Simple Accessories
I only had little pearl earring and a flower hair pin made by my florist. The top of my dress was already made of pearl, so I wanted to keep other parts simple.
Shoe Change
I had two pairs of shoes: a silver heeled sandal for the first part of the party and for the second, an ecru wedge heel – much more comfortable!
The handsome groom
The groom wore a De Fursac suit in a blue/green color and blue shoes, a square pocket in a Liberty motif, a blue knitted tie, and a white shirt.
Bridesmaids in Floral Crowns
All my bridesmaids wore beautiful flower crowns (coordinated with my hair pin).
A Driftwood Chuppah
We spent lots of time on the Internet, blogs, and Pinterest looking for a chuppah that would go with the venue and the sea view. In the end, our wedding designer used driftwood to make a unique chuppah for us, and we had wooden chairs.
Crazy in Love
For the first dance, we chose Crazy In Love by Beyonce.
Our Fabulous Photographer
Photography and video were handled by Moonriverprod. They work with small cameras, and they are always placed discreetly during the ceremony and the party. They know how to do create emotional and cinematic wedding movie with great music and images.
Kosher Food
For catering, we chose Dany’s Traiteur. They are the best for luxury kosher events in the south of France.
Our cake was a naked cake with red fruits, baked by our caterer himself. The cake was based on our favorite Pinterest finds.
Corsican Music
We had a Polaroid photo booth, a tattoo Bar, and a Corsican live band with international, rock, and Corsican music for the cocktail hour. For the party, we had a French DJ playing Jewish and international music.
Playing Cards and Pashminas
For favors, we had personalized playing cards (because the bride’s father was a world champion bridge player), bohemian scarves/pashminas (because during the night, the weather can get cold).
Surprise Choreography
We planned a surprise choreographed dance during the party. A mixed song between “City of Stars” from the movie La La Land and the routine from the TV show Friends (Ross & Monica Dance). The bride’s friends are big fans of Friends.
We started with a slow dance to “City of Stars” for a minute, and then switched to the routine choreography.
A South African Honeymoon
We’re going to South Africa and Swaziland! We love animals, and our dream was to go on a safari and sleep in an animal reserve. We will visit Kruger National Park, Swaziland, and Cape Town.
Elsa & Stephane’s little white book
Photography and videography – Moonriverprod
Catering – Danny’s Traiteur
Bride’s dress – Lihi Hod purchased at Printemps
Groom’s attire – De Fursac
Hair + Makeup – Bel’hair Calvi and Passion Beautà©
Flowers and design – Au Jardin d’Eden
DJ and Lightning – Corsican Event
