French la Vie

 

 

When I was leading Molly and Kim through Provence on a French Antique Field Trip we stopped at Delphine's to see her incredible handmade items using antique textiles. Delphine had a divider in her studio that instantly gave me an idea to show where our guests would sit at our daughter's wedding. Though Delphine burst my bubble when she said the divider wasn't for sale. But as luck would have it I found a large beaten up one a few days later, and Delphine agreed to restore it, and cover it with antique linen.

 

Martin's paternal grandparents. His grandmother was at the wedding.

 

 

 

 

Early on I knew I wanted to incorporate wedding photos of Chelsea and Martin's great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents in the wedding decor. Originally, I wanted to enlarge each photo to lifesize, though the quality of some of the photos would not allow it. Instead of enlarging the photos I had them copied and then attached them to old marching band music boards adding olive branches to keep with the Provencal theme and vintage upholstery tacks to hold everything in place.

 

Chelsea's paternal great-grandparents. I wore my grandmother's wedding dress on my wedding day. The watch chain and a pocket watch that my grandmother has on her wedding dress was a gift from my grandfather on their wedding day. Martin wore it attached to his wedding vest.

 

 

 

 

 

Delphine finished the rough linen edges to the divider with exposed upholstery nails which added the right touch of charm and history. I did not want the piece to look new, nor shabby.

 

Pinned to the divider were hand stamped table listings with the name of the guests.

  

 

 

 

Martin's maternal grandparents. 

 

 

 

 

Yann and I on our wedding day, my cousin Nathalie was the ring bearer.

Yann is wearing the tuxedo that his father wore on his wedding day, and I am wearing my grandmother's wedding dress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chelsea's maternal great-grandparents. Intentionally I used tape (as you see in the corner) to hold the greenery in place, then on the wedding day I put fresh greenery and tacked it in place.

 

 

 

 

 

The divider was about six feet high and eight feet long.

 

 

 

 

 

Chelsea's paternal grandparents.

Chelsea's grandmother was at the wedding.

 

 

Each piece of antique textile (linen, hemp, flax…) was hand sewn most pieces are over a hundred years old.

Delphine creates incredible one of kind pieces. For more information here is her website:

Si un Mas m'etait Conte.

 

 

 

Another French blogger friend who is also extremely creative and talented with creating one of a kind pieces with antique textiles is Corrine (who I was honored to photograph and write about for VICTORIA magazine a few years ago) made this ex-voto sacred heart. I added it to the divider for a number of reasons, but mainly because the sacred heart symbolizes love.

To see more of Corrine's creations take a look at her website:

Baucis et Philemon

 

 

 

 

Chelsea's paternal great-grandparents.

 

 

My mother and father.

 

 

Martin's parents on their wedding day.

 

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