Gilded Rooms, Handwritten Things: A Winter Wedding in Paris
Photography by Freda Banks, LUÁGO
Paris in the days between Christmas and New Year’s has a particular hush to it — the city still lit, still dressed, but quieter now, as though catching its breath. It was in this window that a couple from the Netherlands chose to marry, and the timing tells you almost everything you need to know about the way they think.
What began as a half-serious suggestion from their planner, Lotte — who had long dreamed of orchestrating a wedding in Paris — became something deeply felt. A ceremony aboard a spirit boat drifting along the Seine, the city unfolding on either side like a slow pan in a film. Then dinner at Lapérouse, the storied private salon that has drawn writers, lovers, and restless minds since 1766. Its gilded rooms carry the weight of every conversation that has ever taken place within them. Baudelaire sat here. Proust lingered. Gainsbourg met Birkin. And now, a new story folded quietly into the walls.
LUÁGO member Freda Banks photographed the weekend with an editorial clarity that lets the richness of the setting speak without shouting. Her frames are composed but never stiff — she finds the warmth inside the grandeur, the human gesture within the historic space.
And it is the gestures that define this celebration. Their three children handwrote the save-the-dates on textured paper. Childhood sweets were served as aperitifs. Tablecloths and chandeliers were hand-sewn from thrifted textiles, their bold prints echoing the vintage wallpaper and carpets of the venue. Each guest received a red rose, a handwritten love note at dinner, and a warm baguette to carry home. Nothing was ornamental. Everything meant something.
The weekend opened on Friday with a pre-wedding shoot at the Palais Galliera, where the bride appeared in a vintage pink bow blouse, Jacquemus sunglasses, and a 3D-printed bag by Argot Studio x ENSÔ — a quiet declaration that this would be a celebration where personal style and sentiment carried equal weight.
Her wedding wardrobe deepened that declaration at every turn. A white Cecilie Bahnsen mini dress with a vintage veil and sky-blue Dries van Noten heels for the city hall ceremony — light, joyful, slightly irreverent. A sleek, slit-sleeved Bon Bridé gown with a sweeping train for the vows aboard the Seine. And for the dance floor, a glimmering Paco Rabanne x H&M piece that carried all the energy of Studio 54. Each look was effortless and expressive, distinctly her own — not a wardrobe dictated by convention but one guided by instinct and an enduring sense of self.
This was a wedding where every detail was chosen with heart. Not just for the moment, but for the memory.
Some weddings are built from tradition. This one was built from tenderness.
Planning: With Lotte
