Cosmopolitan wedding at Château de Santeny – Tess & Sovann
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Cosmopolitan Wedding at Château de Santeny
Cosmopolitan elegance — Tess & Sovann's wedding at Château de Santeny
Between France and Australia, between confident modernity and timeless elegance, the story of Tess and Sovann embodies contemporary love: free, bold, and deeply rooted in reality. Their union, celebrated in the refined setting of the Château de Santeny, brings together everything that makes up the signature of a contemporary wedding: a remote organization, a controlled aesthetic and, above all, a sincere emotion conveyed by the meeting of two cultures.
Conceived as a precious interlude for their loved ones who came from all corners of the world, this intimate wedding reveals a natural elegance, enhanced by the golden light of a summer evening and delicately captured by La LoverieA celebration where every detail — from immaculate flowers to contrasting silhouettes — creates a subtle harmony between tradition and modernity.
A marriage that feels inevitable, where refinement serves the essential: love, sharing, and the promise of a life together without borders.
The initial meeting
Some love stories begin with grand gestures, but ours began with a single swipe right—thank you, Tinder.
We met in Phuket, Thailand, where Sovann was a sponsored MMA fighter and I was on a girls’ trip. One night, on a whim, I reached out to him when my sister was too tired to explore, and what started as a casual evening quickly turned magical.
We danced until dawn, shared 7-Eleven toasties on the beach, and talked for hours as if we’d known each other forever. From that moment, promises became our thread.
Sovann flew to Australia to see if our holiday romance could become a real life, even purposely missing his flight back. Five years after that first sunrise together, he proposed at our joint 30th birthday, surrounded by friends and family—and we’ve been chasing adventures and building our story together ever since.
The requests for the wedding
Our only wish for the wedding was to have both of our parents there to witness our union.
Sovann is from Lille in Northern France, and though we now live in Australia, we wanted to take this special opportunity to bring our families and friends together.
It was a day to celebrate not just our love, but the joining of the Benoit and Belford families—honoring our roots while creating a new chapter together surrounded by our favourite people.
The wedding venue in Val-de-Marne
As we had guests flying in from Australia and around Europe, we wanted a venue that could host both the ceremony and reception under the same roof.
Therefore, our reception was hosted in the gardens of theChâteau de Santeny, during golden hour, offering an elegant and seamless setting for the whole day.
Wedding planning
Our special day was planned remotely; all the way from Australia! .
The only touch point we had was visiting Chateau de Santeny during a summer holiday, and sampling a wedding menu with our chosen cater. This really cemented our fate and that we were about to embark on a huge year of planning!
Between the countless zoom calls, emails and wedding platforms; we were able to hire and maintain contact with our amazing suppliers and have them understand our vision for the day.
Wedding decoration
Think classic and timeless. .
Every corner of the Château was already so picturesque that the only fitting addition was an abundance of unique white flowers. Roses, hydrangeas, and anthuriums were just some florals that lined the aisle and cascaded from the balcony above the altar.
To bring a touch of warmth, candles were lit in the dining room, glowing softly among the white blooms and long green stems once dinner was served.
As we married in the summer, we offered our guests white paper fans and parasols to keep cool — though they quickly became the perfect photographic props as well!
The choice of outfits
The men looked timeless in black-and-white tuxedos and suits — effortlessly elegant against the Château’s charm. .
he women were encouraged to bring the colour, to embrace the joy of the day and dress in whatever made them feel beautiful.
The bride wore white, radiant and classic, while her bridesmaids stood out in sleek black dresses — a striking contrast against the vibrant palette of the guests. Together, they created a perfect harmony of elegance, colour, and celebration.
The most moving memory
Our most moving memory of the day was the beautiful speeches shared by our friends and family.
Every word, every story, and the traditional songs sung carried so much love and meaning. There were tears, there was laughter, and through it all, an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
It was a moment that reminded us just how deeply we are loved — and how lucky we are to share that love with everyone who means the world to us.
Their best choice in wedding planning
Having our ceremony and reception at the same venue was something we knew we wanted from the beginning..
It’s quite common in Australia, but after some research, we discovered it’s a little less traditional in France. Still, it felt right for us. Hosting both moments in one place meant that from the moment we said “I do,” the joy and energy never stopped — it simply flowed from the ceremony into the celebration, allowing everyone to stay fully immersed in the magic of the day.
Advice from the newlyweds
The day passes in a blur, but pressing pause with your partner — watching your favourite people laugh, hug, and enjoy what you’ve spent months creating — is truly priceless.
Take moments throughout the day to step away from the schedule, breathe it all in, and reflect on your favourite parts.
Tell your partner how much you love them, and take a moment to admire, from afar, the beautiful celebration you’ve created together.
Cosmopolitan Wedding
at Santeny Castle
Destination budget
wedding in France
Based on 50 guests
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We had an intimate wedding of 50 people and the investment in our special day was just over 35€. My husband would say we absolutely blew our budget, but i remind him that the best day of his life doesn’t come cheap!
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Wedding venues in Val-de-Marne
Venue & Reception
Reception venue • Château de Santeny
Caterer • Sahki Catering
Bride's outfit
Wedding dress • Made with Love Bridal
Shoes • Tony Bianco
Veil • The Art of Bridal
Alliance • LeGassick
Groom's Attire
Suit • Joe black
Shoes • Julius Marlow
Alliance (custom-made) • LeGassick
Mise en Beauté
Hair & Makeup • Ines Alba
Photography & Content
Photographer • La Loverie
Content creator • My Social Wedding Paris
Florist
Florist • L’Herbe Folle
Organization & coordination
My husband and I coordinated the event ourselves, from Australia, over a 12 month period.
With a vision, a mood board, run sheet and a laptop; we spent every waking moment planning the day down to the hour. We asked our best man and woman to keep the day on track, and to the run sheet - it was completely perfect and we got the most out of the day!
After all the fun organising our own day, we have decided to put our love of events and organisation skills together to start a Wedding planning agency of our own; particularly for destination weddings in France.
Being both French and English speaking, we want to see couples experience the same magic we did - so watch this space ( on socials of course ! )
To listen
See more...
Congratulations to the happy couple for this beautiful sharing. We wish them a lifetime of happiness!
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Destination Wedding in Seville, Spain — Donn & Marcos
Ming Xi & Mario Ho's wedding at Mont-Saint-Michel: Behind the scenes of their secular ceremony
Why choose France to organize a high-end wedding?
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