If you’re looking for something a little extra dreamy today, you’re in luck because Maya and Lénaïc’s Provence wedding is downright swoon-worthy!

Planned long distance and with a budget of just over $5,000, Maya and Lénaïc’s intimate wedding (they’re both professional photographers) was held at Beaumes de Venise City Hall. After the ceremony, guests were treated to an intimate, cocktail reception that included a game of Pétanque (similar to Bocce), and a candlelit alfresco feast, all set in the picturesque French countryside of Provence.

We don’t know about you, but we don’t think it gets much dreamier than that!

Romantic Garden Wedding in Provence

Maya, 23 &  Lénaïc, 27

Beaumes de Venise (Provence, France)

Wedding Date: October 20,  2012

Number of Guests: 19

Wedding Cost: Dress: $1,050; Wedding reception (which was basically a huge house in Provence which was used to host a few guests as well for 10 days): $1,000; Tuxedo for the groom, brother of the groom: $8,00; Chairs from Ikea that we painted in white afterward: $250; Wood material for creating the tables: $200; Different accessories for the reception (napkins, candles, tents, light bulbs, vase, glasses, cutleries, etc): around $1,050;  Other expenses (english translator for the ceremony, papers, food &beverage): $800; Total Budget: (Approx.) $5,150

Wedding Ceremony Location: City hall of Beaumes de Venise in Provence, France

Wedding Reception Location: Typical Provence house in Beaumes de Venise. We used the garden to host the cocktail reception, dinner, and game of Pétanque.

french countryside house

bride with rustic bouquet

vintage book with wedding rings

Bride and groom in french countryside

bride and groom shoes

provence dog

Why did you have an intimate wedding? 

We choose to have an intimate wedding because we were on a budget but still wanted our day to be filled with people that we are close to. We wanted a handmade wedding full of love.

french country house wedding venue
wedding rings tied to vintage book

wedding attire

hanging wedding dress
white satin wedding shoes
wedding keds
bridal make-up
bride applying mascara
bride putting on her make-up
smiling bride
bride in flowing wedding gown

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding? 

Planning our intimate wedding was quite a challenge from A to Z. Coming from a long distance relationship, it was a huge but rewarding challenge for us to organize everything through Skype/phone. And prior to that, getting the papers to make our ceremony possible was a challenge in itself as it took about 9 months just to arrange it all; it took a lot of patience on our part. And after all that, the thought of “are we going to be able to pull everything together” kept nagging us. Almost everything was handmade; the table was made by the groom and my father-in-law (Albert); the chairs were hand painted with everyone’s help; the flowers were hand-picked by me and the groom on the morning of the wedding; the origami was made by the groom’s brother (Thibaut); and the cocktails and dinner were made by my chef sister who came all the way from Cambodia to France and also by my father-in-law and mother-in-law (Florence). Everything was a great success in the end  –  especially because everyone played a part.

brown leather groom's oxfords
groom dressing
groom with aviator sunglasses
groom wearing aviators
groom tying his shoes
bride adjusting groom's tie

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list? 

Surprisingly, it wasn’t! My small family and friends are scattered all around the globe (Philippines, Japan, Dubai, USA, Australia etc) and sadly not everyone could make it, so that narrowed the list down.  Then, Lénaïc’s family is tiny and most of them are in France, so that made it easier.

black and white groom

groom helping bride with her dress

bride with bouquet

bride and groom in front of country house

groom in car

bride and groom kissing in the french countryside

bride and groom at sunset

black and white wedding portrait

bride and groom posing in french countryside

bride and groom portrait at dusk

bride's shoe portrait

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them? 

We were really lucky that everything stayed on track without any issues. Our families and friends are really close to each other which made everything light and relaxed.

Provence City Hall wedding ceremony

French City Hall wedding ceremony

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

The highlight of the ceremony was the moment that we realised that the year long process of planning the wedding apart from each other had finally all come together in that moment.

bride and groom first kiss

City hall wedding guests

City hall wedding guests

 What were the highlights of the reception?

The highlight of the reception was when we played Pétanque, a traditional French game. It was so much fun because everyone got to participate – especially our grandparents and our little cousins as well! And also, the delicious French and Asian meals specially made by our loved ones! Great food=happy tummies=happy people!

Provence outdoor wedding reception
pinecone table setting
outdoor french countryside wedding reception
candelabra wedding centerpiece
rustic wedding table setting
chalkboard name card

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

The best thing about having an intimate wedding was that we managed to get the wedding we dreamed of within our budget. We were surrounded by the most important people in our lives, and in turn, I felt more relaxed. I also think that an intimate wedding gives you more room to personalize your wedding and create more DIY wedding projects. As well, we were able to create a more elaborate menu for our small guest list. And even though we are on a budget, it allowed us to think more of where to spend the allotted budget.

cute dog at wedding reception

bride and groom playing games

wedding reception games

young wedding guest playing petanque

little wedding guest

groom playing petanue

wedding guests playing petanque

relaxed bride and groom at wedding reception

Bride with wedding guests

paper crane garland

casual garden wedding reception

wedding toast

champagne toast
outdoor french wedding reception tent lit upn

paper crane garland

chalkboard wedding menu

French cheese selection

French soup

wedding profiteroles

wedding appetizers

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Go for it! It is your day and you have to think of yourselves first and your closest relatives and friends before everyone else. Know what you want, and what’s important to you.

French Countryside wedding

Vendors:

Photography: Lmvisual Wedding Studio (bride and groom’s photography company)

Hotel: Le Clos Saint Saourde

Reception Venue: La Micoucoule

Catering: Bride’s sister and groom’s father