Marriage is the most beautiful journey of a lifetime. And to get this new life off to a good start, the Oé team offers to help you prepare with the hand of a chef for D-Day. The exchange of vows, the rings on your fingers, the famous “Oui I do” and all the beautiful emotions that go with it, for sure, it's a day you'll remember for the rest of your life. And with a little extra to make the difference, it's even better. What better than to stand out to make this day even more beautiful. Running out of ideas? We give you some tips to make your wedding a perfect day.
1. Choose a wedding venue that reflects your image
Whether you are in a château in Beaujolais or in your family's garden, the main thing is to feel good there. Sometimes all it takes is a little personal touch to make your guests dream. Between the dunes of Pilat, the creeks of the Bouches du Rhône , the castles of the Loire Valley , or the garden of your house, there is a choice. Do you like the mountains? We offer you the idea of the alpine chalet to organize your wedding . A chalet full of flowers with the fresh air of the highlands, just thinking about it makes you want to be there. The Rhône-Alpes region and Haute-Savoie have many places where you can find a chalet that will stop time for you on this special day.
For the more bucolic, we recommend a country wedding, in a mill near a river. Perfect for nature lovers. And if you have delusions of grandeur, why not opt for a castle as a reception venue? One hour from Lyon, you can find the Château de Luponnas which will host your ceremony in an ideal setting. Our terroirs are full of beautiful estates, often linked to vineyards . Imagine, a beautiful castle, a breathtaking view of the vineyards , a breathtaking sunset. It's dreamy, isn't it?
2. Have an eco-responsible wedding
For a wedding that is as beautiful for our eyes as it is good for the planet, we opt for eco-responsible ideas . Did you know that a traditional wedding produces an average of 15 tonnes of CO2? If you are reading us today, it is because you are sensitive to environmental issues and wondering how to make this day consistent with your values and therefore respectful of the environment. In the team, we have tips. The main thing is to choose a place of reception for your wine of honor and your wedding meal close to the church or the town hall where you will say “Yes”. The ideal is to avoid the procession of cars, and for that, we opt for a procession on foot or in a horse-drawn carriage for the most romantic. If your reception venue is outdoors, eco-responsible nomadic tents and structures made of sustainably managed wood (FSC) or bamboo are great options for organizing your wedding aperitif. The planet will thank you!
Would you like an organic wedding dress ? You just have to call on committed and environmentally conscious designers who make fair and organic dresses . We have found some addresses for you:
- The Sap in Lyon
- Elsa Gary , in Agen,
- Kamelion Couture , near Nantes,
- Laure de Sagazan , in Paris,
- Gentle measures in Bordeaux,
- Elise Martimort in Paris and Bordeaux.
You can also choose to rent your dress like at Graine de Coton in Paris or at Les Petites Robes de Mary in the Rhône-Alpes region, or even buy a second-hand one. For these gentlemen, it is also possible to find certified organic wedding suits at Samson . This list is not exhaustive, if you know the addresses of committed designers, send us your recommendations by email to hello@oeforgood.com , we will be happy to share your nuggets on our site.
3. Choose a decor that suits you
An eco-responsible wedding decoration , in a few ideas, it is possible. It's just a matter of opting for the DIY (do it yourself) and making your objects by yourself: personalized wine bottles , corks to mark the places , garlands of lights in the trees, small floral arrangements, small lamps to mark the way at nightfall, you are spoiled for choice, up to your imagination!
(Source, Pinterest)
Whether you opt for a bohemian, country, exotic or vintage style wedding, there is no need to splurge, you can find inspiration with certain addresses such as Ambiance vintage or by calling on decoration professionals such as Velvet Rendez-vous , Ô bonheur des Dames or even Mamzelle Vintage for your cutlery for example. And if you want to delegate the management of your wedding, you can absolutely call on a wedding-planner who will take care of everything for you. No need to ignore the eco-responsible side of the event, green wedding-planners exist and will take care of respecting your commitments. We recommend My Green Event in Provence , Ma Vie de Bohème in Paris or Sarah Rozan in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region . And if you want ideas for providers for your eco-responsible wedding, you can take a look at the Midori website . Whatever your choice, as long as the decor looks like you, you will feel good.
4. Match wines to your region
A good idea to discover local products is to select your wines according to the place of reception and the local tradition. If the place of your union is located in the Bordeaux region , you will have the choice between a white or red Bordeaux to delight your guests. If your reception takes place in Languedoc, you can offer your guests red or white Languedoc . We work hand in hand with committed winegrowers throughout France to offer you the best of organic wine. We accompany you for your wedding and we help you choose your wines and the quantity to be expected. Choose from our different appellations from our beautiful wine regions of France: Côtes-du-Rhône , Vaucluse Principality of Orange , Méditerranée de Provence and many others to be found on our site .
To stick to the theme of your wedding, also think about the choice of your aperitifs: a good champagne soup for a country wedding or fresh cocktails like mimosa for a tropical wedding will be good ideas to make your guests travel!
5. Match your wines to your meal
For a perfect match on the palate, don't forget the choice of food and wine pairings to delight your guests. For the dishes, you can highlight local and seasonal products , do not hesitate to contact your small local producers or caterers . Some can prepare seasonal, organic and vegan menus for you, such as Le Comptoir Sauvage . To enhance your dishes, all budgets can be found here. You can associate your meal with small as well as great wines. As the fox says so well to the Little Prince, “ the essential is invisible to the eyes ”, it is above all a question of finding the perfect balance.
So how do you avoid getting the chords wrong? The wisest thing is often to combine a full-bodied red wine for meat-based dishes, a dry white for fish-based dishes and refined wines for the most refined dishes. For vegetarians there is also a choice, the main thing is to use wines that are not too tannic. Tannic wines are wines that contain a lot of tannins, one of the components of red wines present mainly in the skin of the grape, and which can give an astringent side to the wine.
The most important thing is to organize the entry of the wines well during the aperitif and the meal. For the vin d'honneur, we advise you to stay on a safe bet: Crémant d'Alsace and its bubbles, which go perfectly with petit fours and appetizers to start the party off right. And for those who don't like bubbles, a good glass of Bugey goes wonderfully with an aperitif thanks to its floral notes. For starters based on fresh vegetables, the freshness of a glass of Corbières is ideal. The Saint-Emilion Grand Cru is perfect for the main course. For a vegetarian menu, a Vaucluse Principality of Orange or a red Languedoc will go perfectly with dishes based on bulgur and sunny vegetables such as candied eggplant, a ratatouille from Nice or vegetarian lasagna. As for white wines, a white Bordeaux will accompany dishes based on green vegetables such as an asparagus risotto. Make way for dessert, and to combine with sweet pleasures, a good sweet and fluffy white like the Côtes-de-Bergerac will be the icing on the cake, and if you like bubbles at the end of the meal, bring back the Crémant to your table.
6. Provide the right quantities for your guests
If you only knew how relaxing it is to have enough wine for the whole wedding and not worry for the whole evening. But beware of extremes. The quantity of drinks must be in accordance with the quantity of food planned and the choices must pleasantly surprise your guests throughout the meal.
Generally, it is necessary to provide a good bottle of champagne or crémant for two people between the reception and the dessert and a half bottle of wine per person for the starter and the main course ( white wine and red wine ). In practice, it depends on many things and the number of guests. Write to us at hello@oeforgood.com and we'll direct you to the right quantities to buy.
To find out more, we wrote a specially dedicated article right here
7. Propose original animations
An animation is often a good idea to mark the spirits of your guests. We think of the traditional emotional films that retrace your story or the famous choreographies that often end with very few clothes on the back (we don't judge, we promise) . And if we went out of tradition to offer something more original? To provide all the drinks selected in advance, you can opt for a wine bar and for the greediest, you can choose the cake bar option. For the guest book , an essential activity for all weddings, you can choose a playful video option. Create a small filmed confessional where your guests can leave you funny little video messages. For games, you can go from the simplest to the most original: petanque, lawn curling, molkky, dance battle, it's up to you!
Do you want to put a little madness in your reception ? We advise you to organize tasting stands for all the dishes of your aperitif like the food trucks of the fairgrounds. Culinary entertainment like cheese cutting stands or chocolate fountains will add a little more fun to your day. You can blindfold your guests and have them guess which wine or food they just tasted . Organize teams and do a real blind taste test with a gift for the winners at the end of the game. An activity that works wonderfully in small groups and with organizers to lead it.
8. Offer original and organic gifts for your guests
The dragees to offer to the guests, it's good and it pleases the gourmands. And it's a bit predictable too, don't you think? Again, use your imagination to offer original gifts to your guests. Like small homemade gifts , perfect for adding a personalized touch to your gifts. If you like to cook, you can offer small jars of homemade jams with seasonal and organic fruits. And if you have a garden, it's even better, taste the fruits of your harvest. You can also offer small organic tea bags, homemade soaps, macrame from Moot Créations or even place sweet and personalized words next to each plate.
For wine lovers and connoisseurs , if you replaced the dragees with mini bottles of wine to be placed on each of your guests' seats? You will make people happy, we guarantee it! At Oé, we are reinventing the format of wine bottles to consume less and better. We took out our mini Oé for this . Our wines remain organic, vegan and pesticide-free and are easier and more practical to take away. Give one or two for lovers, they are perfect for picnics and dinners for two.
