Anne + Jeff

Attending Jeff and Anne's wedding was a once in a life time experience that I will be forever grateful I got to be a part of. Their wedding was a gorgeous celebration of two beautiful people and was filled with happiness, friends, family and wonderful memories. It was so much fun getting to spend time with Jeff and his family since I don't get to see them as much as I would like as they are living in Ecuador, Boston and Dubai. Getting to make memories and share this joyous occasion with my cousins, aunt, and uncle as well as having the opportunity to meet Anne and her amazing family, who welcomed us with the warmest of welcomes, is something I will cherish forever.

The wedding festivities we attended started off with the beautiful civil ceremony. Close family and friends gathered to watch Jeff and Anne say I do. The ceremony was in French and was gorgeous, even though I couldn't understand all that was being said. After the ceremony, we all gathered outside and watched as Jeff and Anne walked out as husband and wife, they had huge smiles on their faces and looked incredibly happy.

Then we all went to Anne's family's house for a celebratory dinner. Their house is absolutely stunning, with gorgeous views of Sainte-Maxime and the ocean.

V wanted to go swimming in their beautiful swimming pool so bad. She kept leading people down there hoping someone would let her in. Her dream did come true a few days later.

We also got to meet quite a few members of Sheila's family which was so much fun! They are such a lovely family and I loved getting to meet them and keep in touch with them through social media

After cocktail hour, we all sat down to enjoy a gorgeous, French meal.

V didn't make it through all the courses, Anne's Dad was so sweet and kind and brought out a pack and play for her to sleep in so we could stay and finish the meal and V could sleep comfortably.

Family members gave heartfelt toasts, it was a wonderful evening.

A couple of days later, we got to attend the larger, social wedding ceremony. It was held in vineyard and was elegant and exquisite. 

There was a cocktail hour as the guests arrived. There was an amazing saxophone player providing music and mingling with the crowd. There was a Polaroid camera for guests to take pictures to put next to their messages in the guest book.

V loved the picture of her and Reece so much she didn't want to part with it. They ended up taking another one for the book so she could keep it. She carried it around with her all throughout our trip, and loved to show it off to people. 

Then it was time to sit down for the ceremony! We all got one of these programs that detailed all the events of the evening, shared fun facts about the couple, and doubled as a fan in case the sun got too hot while we were outside. Such a genius and fun idea. 

The ceremony was conducted by the Best Man and the Maid of Honor, one spoke in English while the other spoke in French, the couple's siblings also participated in part of the ceremony. It was beautiful. 

V loved the rose petals and heart shaped confetti that was thrown as the couple walked down the aisle. 

Then it was time for the wedding dinner. We all had favors of lavender and olive oil waiting for us at our assigned seats. The food was absolutely incredible. Toasts were given throughout the evening which were so sweet and full of love. Uncle Todd learned to say his entire toast in French, which was incredibly touching. The Maid of Honor had made a sweet video for the couple, made up of clips from their family and friends from all over the world expressing their love for Jeff and Anne, sharing memories of them, or saying congratulations on their marriage. Beth and I had made a clip of us at the Homestead where we used to have our family reunions. We have lots of very happy and fun memories of being with Jeff and Julia up there during family reunions.

Dinner began at 8 pm and ended around midnight. The cake was cut around 1 am and was lit with several sparklers. We stayed and danced until around 2 am, then we had to leave to get sweet little V to bed. She had been dozing in a big, comfy blanket for most of the night. The party was still in full swing when we left, it was a night to remember!

I'm so incredibly happy for my cousin and his beautiful bride. They are so in love and are definitely relationship goals. We loved getting to celebrate them.

The next morning, we were invited back to Anne's family's home for brunch, French weddings are So. Much. Fun!

The buffet was absolutely incredible, and filled with gorgeous platters of food.

It was such a fun and relaxing morning. It was marvelous getting to spend more time with family before having to say goodbye.

V's dream of getting to swim in that inviting pool finally came true and she was in heaven.

Eventually, we had to say goodbye. I cannot say it enough, getting to spend this time with family in such a gorgeous place for such a joyous occasion was pure bliss. I love Jeff and his family so much and am grateful for getting to celebrate with them! I loved getting to meet Anne and to welcome her to the family! We love you all so much! Thank you for letting us celebrate with you!