Jean-Baptiste and Maggie, from France and Arizona in the US, had two wedding ceremonies- one in each of their home countries. They planned their destination wedding in the Pyrénées from their current home of New York city with the help of French wedding planner he couple's incredibly scenic day was captured by photographers Marie-Emilie. Their celebration was held in Jean-Baptiste's home town in a beautiful traditional French mansion and attended by seventy guests. T JKB Young, and don't miss their stylish wedding video below!

DECIDING ON A DESTINATION WEDDING

"We met in New York city and our first date was at the Metropolitan Opera, so it made sense when we got engaged a year and a half later at the Palais Garnier (Paris Opera house). When thinking about where to get married, we thought two weddings would be better than one! Having friends and families all over the world and mostly on both sides of the pond, we decided to have two ceremonies- one in each of our home towns, to make things easier for everybody.

PLANNING AND DETAILS

We used a wedding planner and it was really the best decision we made. Living in New York and having to plan a wedding overseas would have been impossible without the help of Marie-Emilie Méjan and her team from "Mon Plus Beau Jour". They're based in Paris but organize weddings all over France, and were simply amazing! It was Marie-Emilie that suggested Le Belvedere for our reception.

We wanted the wedding to be true to the region but also to bring in elements of where we are both from. For example, at the cocktail hour we had a couple of chefs making franco-american hors-d'oeuvres on demand: foie gras with a coca-cola reduction on toast, duck sliders, etc. We used gold and caramel tones in the reception decor to complement the warm wood surrounds of our venue.

Our theme was a semi-surprise to Maggie: the Marguerite (which is her full name). Marguerite flowers were planted in the gardens and scattered throughout the different venues. Our wedding cake, a typical French croquembouche tower, was also decorated with sugar marguerites.

CHALLENGES/FAVOURITE MOMENT

French railways on strike were our challenge! We were grateful for rental cars which saved us a lot of trouble. There were so many amazing personal and unforgettable moments throughout the day, but if we had to pick one as regards celebrating it would be the fireworks. They were a perfect end to the official part of the wedding and also a perfect start to the dancing and partying!"

Photographer: JKB Young | Videographer: Duncan Wolfe | Wedding Planner & Designer: Mon Plus Beau Jour | Reception Venue: Le Belvedere (The French House) | Chef & Catering: Le Viscos | Florist: Any Fleurs | DJ: DJ Evénements | Honey Favours: La Miellerie des Escales | Croquembouche: Le Royalty | Stationery: Pretty Paper Design | Bride's Dress: Hayley Paige | Groom's Tuxedo : Lanvin