Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
January 2017
Yi-Wen and Guillaume’s Charming Château Wedding in Burgundy, France
Yi-Wen and Guillaume tied the knot in Château de Gilly in the beautiful wine region of Burgundy, France.
Yi-Wen Liao, 30, Retail Boutique Supervisor, and Guillaume Honoré, 33, Automotive Engineer Project Manager, began their journey of love in romantic Paris. The couple tied the knot on 6 August 2016 in the beautiful wine region of Burgundy in an East meets West wedding celebrating both their cultures.
Tell us a little bit about your journey as a couple.
Yi-Wen: We met in a party organised by a common friend in Paris seven years ago. As a couple, we were very different, notably in terms of culture, as well as in terms of occupations and passions. These differences proved to be strengths as we each learnt a different point of view from each other, and as we were both open to different opinions, values, and thinking, we grew as a strong couple.
What’s one of the things you love most about your partner?
Guillaume: For me, our differences and Yi-Wen’s interesting character drew me to her. We could spend time together and discuss new topics each time. Also, she knew Paris very well and really impressed me showing me some small typical restaurants, or some Chinese places where I could discover new dishes and drinks. What I really love about Yi-Wen is her positive attitude. She’s always very friendly, and she has a lot of friends who are also very nice, generous, and humorous.
Yi-Wen: Guillaume’s sense of humour and kindness really struck me right at the beginning. He was very nice to my friends and family and we got on very well. What I really love about Guillaume is his focus and drive to achieve his goals.
What was the proposal like?
Guillaume: I proposed to Yi-Wen in Paris where we both lived together for a few months when we just met. Paris means a lot to us; it is the city of love, and we just happened to spend a few days’ holiday there before going to my parents’ place. It happened in the Jardin des Tuileries. I offered her a ring on which was written “Oui,” which means yes in French. She was embarrassed because many people were watching, but she was happy and accepted.
What inspired you to hold a destination wedding?
Yi-Wen: Our love story started in Paris, and also Guillaume is originally from the Burgundy region in France. Even though we are currently living in the UK, after deep consideration we still decided to have our wedding in France, one reason being we wanted to celebrate our big day and present this beautiful and world-famous wine region to all our friends.
What was wedding planning like?
Yi-Wen: First, we went to France on holidays to visit several potential venues. We had a couple of venues in mind, and after many considerations including cost, location, facilities, charm, etc., we decided to go for Château de Gilly les Citeaux.
After several visits to the venue, we realised it was quite difficult to organise everything from overseas. That’s when we got in touch with Elodie from Bulles & Companies. Elodie did an amazing job explaining in detail what were the next steps, explaining when we should do what, guiding us to choose some decorations, sometimes advising us that one choice we made did not go with another one, so this was very helpful, especially in our busy lives.
Our theme was a fusion of Asia and Western Europe, with red colours symbolising Asia, and small gifts like “crème de cassis” symbolising France. During the processional, we played Asian and European music.
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Guillaume: The wedding ceremony. The officiant did an amazing job, speaking fluent French, English, and trying to speak a few words of Chinese. He called our best men and bridesmaid for memorable speeches, addressed our parents, and spoke about the symbolism of the wedding, which created a lot of emotion and was a huge success.
Can you tell us the cost of your wedding and the number of guests?
Yi-Wen: 75 guests and approximately 40,000EUR.
The Gown: Pronovias Atelier
The Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
The Suit: Hugo Boss
The Groom’s Shoes: Finsbury
The Engagement Ring: Dior
The Wedding Bands: Van Cleef & Arpels
The Venue: Château de Gilly, Burgundy, France
The Hairstylist: Clémence Sanvoisin
The Makeup Artist: Clémence Sanvoisin
The Caterer: Château de Gilly, Burgundy, France
The Wedding Cake: Château de Gilly, Burgundy, France
The Florists: Adeline Crea Flore
The Wedding Planner: Bulles & Compagnie / Élodie Lepont-Jubin
The Photographers: My Photo Wedding
The Photobooth: Sourires et Souvenirs / Philippe HIEST
The Invitations and Paper Goods: Ariel Chen
The Wedding Favours: Crème de Cassis, domaine Kriter
The Wedding Band: BAE-B. Animation
The Solemniser: Philip Gomis
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