Wedding at Domaine de Gressac – Julia + Ziad

In the heart of wild Provence, Julia and Ziad stopped time to celebrate their love. A wedding organized over 3 days between land and sea of ​​which they will keep eternal memories.

With the beautiful images of Pierre&Julie Films et Lika Banshoya, Julia and Ziad tell us more…

The initial meeting

"It was a Sunday that didn't seem very promising, we each joined a mutual friend, under the grayness of October 16, 2016, in a café on the square of the one who said “Happiness is sometimes hidden in the unknown.” Victor Hugo could not have predicted better.

It was instantaneous, at least for me Julia, while a doubt about the intentions of this mutual friend prevented me Ziad from giving in to the charm of this magnificent creature that I had just met. The hours passed at the pace of seconds and we parted without even exchanging numbers. But love at first sight was such that I could not bite my lip for long before realizing the obvious. I had to see her again.

So I embarked on an investigation of the greatest magnitude and called upon the best private detective of all time, Mark Zuckerberg and his invention with titanic resources. So it was only a few hours later that I finally found her, ten days later that I was able to invite her to dinner and 5 years later that I ended up marrying her.

Marriage Proposal in Greece

“First, let’s set the scene: Amorgos, the island of the big blue, alone in the world after 6 hours of hiking to the north of the island to reach the chapel of Stavros and its breathtaking viewpoint overlooking the entire island.

After having faced some unsettling passages along cliffs and an attack by stray dogs, here we are in front of this magnificent landscape we had been hoping for.

Ziad, who by the way, hates any kind of photo/video pose, asks me to make a 360-degree video of him with the landscape. I jump at this unique proposition and grab my phone and start making what turns out to be the most beautiful holiday memory of our lives. This video that immortalizes Ziad on one knee, a ring in his hand and tears in his eyes.

This is the marriage proposal that should have happened but Ziad didn't have the ring yet and he didn't dare to do it.

The real proposal happened 4 months later, on December 22, 2019 next to the tree on a Sunday afternoon. We were listening to music, I was reading and he handed me a pack of cards that hid polaroid photos on which he had traced our story. On the last polaroid he had written: 'Would you marry me ?'He was on one knee, we hugged each other. We both cried a lot and I said yes.'

Wedding planning

“After proposing in December 2019, it was time to turn to planning our wedding. Being very busy with our respective professions, we gave ourselves 1 years to prepare the wedding. That was without counting on a global pandemic and all that came with it. The real wake-up call was when the first venue we had chosen announced that they were unable to confirm our reservation due to all the planned postponements. So it was time to move up a gear.

The wedding venue

The priority was the location. Le Domaine de Gressac. It was probably the only positive point of the crisis that brought us to this majestic and magical place. More than 100 hectares of sumptuous nature maintained by a lovely couple. With a smile always on their lips, they went out of their way for us.

The creators of memories

And how good it feels when you meet Pierre&Julie Films et Lika Banshoya. As talented as they are adorable. Every drink with them was therapeutic and that's exactly what you need when you're planning a wedding. And suddenly, on the big day, they're friends behind the lens and not just videographers and a photographer.

Choosing the wedding dress

Some decisions were obvious, such as choosing my wedding dress which was made by my friend Nicolas Jebran to whom I gave carte blanche. I only saw a drawing of my dress before trying it on for the first time just 2 months before the wedding. It was a crazy bet but it was the best decision of my life. I trusted his genius and his way of sublimating the woman's body. I was so moved and so impatient to put it on the big day and for Ziad to see me with it.

Wedding decoration and coordination

We wanted to be involved in all aspects and stages of our wedding planning. However, we were even more keen to be able to enjoy the 3 days as best we could with our loved ones, leaving D-Day coordination to the ultra professional team of MC2 my love. Estelle and Alex took the reins of the wedding as if they had organized it from A to Z and the whole team was aware of the smallest details of the day's events and gave everything to make everything perfect. And the decoration that Estelle thought of and created, with the help of an expert florist, was just sublime, far beyond our expectations. We still have stars in our eyes.

The wedding caterer

The most complicated choice was the caterer. It was not easy to decide between 4 incredible tastings (advice: limit yourself to 4 max). But here too the key word was the human. We had decided to choose Pesto and Rosemary, a team of talented people but above all people with whom we got along straight away. Who inspired confidence in us and with whom we were sure that everything would go well. People who made us want to build and live this adventure with them.

The wedding budget

70 000€

Their most moving memory

« Our wedding lasted 3 days : the first in Marseille where we had the chance to be married by the Mayor Mr Payan followed by a reception in the childhood home near the sea. On Friday everyone had to go to the majestic Domaine de Gressac with a welcome dinner for very close ones and it was on Saturday that took place.

If I had to choose just one specific moment from this crazy day, it would be the moment we shared with Ziad during the cocktail where we did a little photo and video shoot with our beloved providers. This allowed us to laugh and spend time almost alone kissing, hugging, enjoying each other a little away from the guests, while having the possibility of seeing everyone in the background who was fully enjoying the aperitif cocktail. It was really magical and it was just after the ceremony and it allowed me to realize, ah yes I said yes, I am his wife, he is my husband, it's for life.
Rainbow wrasse

"It is undoubtedly the moment when I discover Julia arriving from afar in Dad's arms.
When everyone around me was talking about this famous moment, I thought I was immune to it. After all, finding Julia beautiful is part of my daily life.
And that's all the more why I was very surprised!
Looking more beautiful than ever, I could barely hold back my tears.
This moment will remain etched in my memory forever.”
Ziad

Advice from the newlyweds

• Know how to surround yourself of people who will be your rocks and coaches during the preparations, whether in your entourage or with your service providers. Organizing a wedding is, as we imagine, very stressful and we can quickly build up pressure. The service providers we chose were able to reassure us and be proactive so that this day would go as we dreamed.
• And especially, let go of the reins on D-Day and let yourself be carried away but also the day before the wedding!! Our wedding eve nothing went as planned, some of our service providers had COVID, the weather was not great so we had to set up a tent, we had to redo the table plans at midnight, the family did not go to the right cottage... I'll let you imagine the state we were in. So really anticipate as much as possible to be able to enjoy the evening before with those around you and be open-minded, nothing ever goes 100% as planned but that doesn't take away from the magic you're going to experience, the love you're going to receive, or the sense of celebration.

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Wedding Suppliers

Location - Domaine de Gressac
Catering - Pesto and Rosemary
Wedding cake - Mr. Cabbage

Bride's outfit
Bride's dress – Nicolas Jebran Haute Couture 
Jewelry and accessories – Rough Stones

Groom's Attire
Groom's suit – From Fursac

Hair & Make up - Ilona Cavallini

DJ - Mr. Seven

Photographer - Lika Banshoya – Poetic photography
Videographer - Pierre&Julie Films

Flowers - Ninon's Flowers
Decoration - Oravis
Announcements and stationery - Solange illustrations

Organization and Coordination - MC2 my love

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Congratulations to the happy couple for this beautiful sharing. We wish them a lifetime of happiness!
Special thanks to Pierre&Julie Films for submitting this report!

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