Irish couple Anna and Richard’s love story came full circle when they returned to France—the country where they first met—for their dreamy real wedding at Château de Garde. Set on a picturesque vineyard just outside Saint-Émilion, the couple celebrated their union with 80 of their closest friends and family, creating an intimate, relaxed, and warm atmosphere that felt more like a joyful dinner party than a formal event.

With a love for Nancy Meyers’ aesthetic and the iconic Father of the Bride movie, Anna infused her personal touch into every detail of their destination “I do’s”—even designing all of the stationery herself. Against the stunning vineyard backdrop, shades of crisp white and green set a fresh, yet timeless and elegant tone. Anna wowed in an embellished floral Oscar de la Renta gown, while Richard looked effortlessly dashing in a bespoke tuxedo by Louis Copeland & Sons.

The ceremony was filled with meaningful moments, including a walk down the aisle to one of Anna’s favorite movie songs—a sweet tribute to her late father. Guests enjoyed a stylish celebration that ended in spectacular fashion with a Veuve Champagne tower and a surprise fireworks display, all captured beautifully by Louise Golding Photography.

Anna, originally from Meath, and Richard, from Dublin, first crossed paths in February 2020 on a ski trip to Tignes, France—just before lockdown. A group of Anna’s friends had organised the trip and rented a chalet, which some of Richard’s friends joined. Fate (and a bus ride) had them sitting next to each other, and they immediately hit it off. The rest, as they say, is history.

That meeting on the slopes blossomed into a love story, culminating in a magical proposal at Ballyfin, making their journey together even more unforgettable. "We got engaged in Ballyfin Demesne in Co. Laois – it’s such a special magical place." Anna reminisces. She adds, "I knew we were going for a night away but the location was a complete surprise. Because Rich had organised this trip & kept all the details under wraps, I had an inkling that something was up – we went for a walk around the beautiful grounds of the hotel and he got down on one knee. Afterwards he had organised a picnic overlooking the lake and we rang our friends and family to tell them the news."

Once engaged, the couple began planning their perfect destination wedding celebration, returning to the country where they first met, and focusing on creating an intimate and relaxed atmosphere—more like a fun dinner party than a formal event. The bride tells, "We always loved the idea of a wedding abroad, having the chance to slow down and spend time with our guests as well as to celebrate somewhere a little different and have our guests experience a place that we love. France was the obvious choice as we originally met there but have also spent a lot of time there over the years and Anna previously lived there so that helped from a planning perspective & understanding the language etc. Saint-Emilion is a beautiful, picturesque town renowned for good wine and from our first visit we fell in love with it."

"We visited a few venues in the area but from the minute we stepped foot in Chateau de Garde, it felt different to anywhere else we’d seen. We loved the classic French style of the Chateau surrounded by lush vineyards but the black and white tiled courtyard lined with palm trees transports you somewhere else entirely. As our venue was dry hire, it required a bit more planning & coordination, however it gave us full reign to be creative and make every aspect of the weekend personal to us."

"Saint-Emilion was the perfect setting for the weekend and we loved seeing our friends and family come together from all the different parts of our life. We’re both big foodies so that was a priority for us – Rich is a big fan of Bordeaux wine so we visited lots of local winemakers in the region which was definitely one of the most fun aspects of wedding planning and something we enjoyed sampling with our loved ones. We also worked with an amazing chef to create the menu for the weekend, incorporating our favourite & most memorable dishes, all with a focus on sustainability and using local seasonal ingredients. Each dish was inspired by a holiday or a special meal we had together and it was a fun way to share our story through food!".

When shopping for her bridal look, Anna immediately fell in love with a show-stopping embellished floral ballgown by Oscar de la Renta. She completed her bridal look with a bespoke veil from Madeleine Daisy and wrap-around René Caovilla heels adorned with sparkling butterfly details.

Anna’s makeup was expertly done by Nicole Lynch Bridal Makeup Artist, while her hair was styled by David Reynolds Hair, ensuring she was perfectly aisle-ready. She carried an on-trend yet timeless long-stemmed white rose bouquet by florist Mrs Whiterose.

The groom and his groomsmen wore slick tuxedos by Louis Copeland & Sons, while the bridesmaids looked stunning in Ghost London’s Delphine button satin sage green maxi dresses.

On 5th July 2025, guests gathered in the gardens at Château de Garde for a sunny ceremony, where Anna walked down the aisle to one of her favourite movie songs—a touching tribute to her late father. "One of the most special and poignant moments was walking down the aisle to the music from Father of the Bride, a tribute to my dad, who sadly is no longer with us. Our string quartet learned the song especially for the day and I still get goosebumps listening to it. I also had a little charm with a photo of him on my bouquet and it really felt like he was with me every step of the way."

"Our friends did readings from two of our favourite authors Dolly Alderton & Mark Twain which added a light hearted and personal note to the ceremony & the string quartet played Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love a song we love. "

Having legally married in a small ceremony in Dublin a month prior, Anna and Richard’s French wedding was all about celebration. With guests flying in from Australia, Hong Kong, Dubai, the USA, the UK, and Ireland, it felt like a joyful reunion. They kept the styling simple and classic, allowing the chateau and vineyard setting to shine, while a white and green colour palette and soft candlelight perfectly complemented the stunning backdrop.

Anna drew inspiration from her favourite movie, Father of the Bride, crafting her elegant wedding aesthetic. "I love that old school, romantic, elegant vibe that Nancy Meyers does so well so there were a few little inspirations drawn from that but mainly it was made up of things we both love. We kept the theme classic white and green, using lots of big, fluffy hydrangeas layered with soft candlelight and chandeliers to create a statement dinner party table that ran through the vineyard. The sax player added a jazzy vibe playing lots of our favourite Soul & Motown classics and we served Negroni's and French 75’s our favourite drinks."

Being in France, the couple also leaned into the French vibe as well, "we opted for a croquembouche, a tall tower of profiteroles, traditional at French weddings. For our late night food, we had a crepe stand as well as a French patisserie and charcuterie stand. Day two was a rosé and croquet garden party where our guests had fun playing garden games like pétanque, a popular French game."

Swooning over every inch of style at this wedding!

We’ll be obsessing over this Oscar de la Renta gown for a long, long time.

Every. Single. Image. Straight onto our Pinterest board.

This alfresco reception? Straight out of a fairytale.

When asked for advice for other couples planning their wedding, Anna and Richard said, “Follow your gut, focus on what matters to you as a couple, and let that guide your decisions—it will always steer you right!”

Anna and Richard chose Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac for their first dance, and it quickly turned into a lively moment with all their friends joining in on the fun!

The night concluded in style with a Veuve Champagne tower and a surprise fireworks display for their guests.

The couple spent their honeymoon in France, road-tripping across Provence and exploring charming towns such as Gordes, St. Rémy, Aix-en-Provence, and Crillon le Brave—an adventure they highly recommend. "It was the perfect relaxation after a hectic few months."

Congratulations Anna and Richard we are in awe of your special day. A very special thank you to our fabulous couple and Louise Golding Photography for letting us dive into this dreamy destination wedding in France!

Want to tie the knot abroad? Check out more Real Destination Weddings and head to One Fab Day's Instagram for even more inspiration!