Featured in Issue 31, this elegant and timeless destination wedding at the Château de Ferrières in France boasts a daylight firework display and special dance performances.
A decades-long friendship turned to love for Halli and StevenClaude. The couple, who first met through the groom’s best friend from elementary school, would always hang out during their holiday breaks in college. Their steady foundation of friendship slowly evolved into something more and by July 2021, they officially started dating long-distance.
Long-distance dating wasn’t easy, but they tried to be creative with their dates. And one month, when it was StevenClaude’s turn to plan, he had something extra special in mind…
“He told me he had a surprise scavenger hunt planned for me one weekend,” Halli recalls. “The Monday before, he sent me a riddle that I used to figure out that he had actually booked me a surprise trip to California to go sailing on his aunt’s boat from LA to Catalina Island. I hopped on a plane Thursday night and we set sail on Friday.”
While sailing to Catalina, they stopped for lunch. StevenClaude’s cousin broke out her guitar and began to play for them. On the third song, StevenClaude started singing lyrics from one of their favorite songs “I Love You 3000.” As he sang the words “And all my friends they tell me they see, You’re planning to get on one knee,” he then got down on one knee and proposed!
Halli admits, “I had no idea he was going to propose– even though I should have since he hired a photographer to go on the boat with us! We celebrated on the boat and had the most amazing weekend in Catalina.”
A wanderlust proposal called for an equally wanderlust wedding!
The couple headed to the Château de Ferrières in France for their elegant and timeless nuptials. Highlights included a breathtaking daylight fireworks display to mark the end of their ceremony and a specially choreographed dance routine by StevenClaude for his beautiful bride. It was truly the wedding of their dreams!
Keep scrolling for more wedding day details.
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- Couple: Halli Spraggins and StevenClaude Dorsainvil
- Occupations: Attorney (Halli) and Program Manager (StevenClaude)
- Wedding Date: October 8, 2023
- Location: Château de Ferrières in France
- Photographer: Laura Zorman Photography
Quick Facts:
- Bridesmaids and groomsmen gifts: We gave our bridal party custom gifts from Officine Universelle Buly in Paris. The girls got custom lip balms and the guys got monogrammed beard combs and brushes.
- Gifts for one another: I got a divers watch for StevenClaude and he got me a Burberry trenchcoat that I have been wanting for years.
- Ceremony entrance song: “I Love You 3000” played by our violinist and cello duo.
- First dance song: “Rewrite the Stars” by James Arthur
How did you meet?
StevenClaude and I have known each other for almost ten years. I went to college with his best friend from elementary school. Every time StevenClaude would come to California during holiday breaks, we would always hang out and have been good friends ever since!
Tell us about the proposal:
We started dating long-distance in July 2021. We tried to be creative in planning long-distance date nights and one month it was StevenClaude’s turn. He told me he had a surprise scavenger hunt planned for me one weekend.
The Monday before, he sent me a riddle that I used to figure out that he had actually booked me a surprise trip to California to go sailing on his aunt’s boat from LA to Catalina Island. I hopped on a plane Thursday night and we set sail on Friday. I had absolutely no idea he was going to propose (even though I should have since he hired a photographer to go on the boat with us!).
We stopped to have lunch on our way to Catalina and his cousin started playing her guitar. The third song she played was one we both knew and liked. StevenClaude started singing the lyrics from “I Love You 3000”: “And all my friends they tell me they see, You’re planning to get on one knee.”
He then got down on one knee and proposed to me! We celebrated on the boat and had the most amazing weekend in Catalina.
Wedding Style:
Since we were getting married in a Chateau, we wanted the style to be very classic, elegant, and timeless.
Describe your wedding attire:
Very similar to the style of our wedding, our attire was very classic and simple.
What was the wedding shopping experience like for you?
I loved it! I went to four different bridal salons with my mom and my aunt one weekend in Washington, DC. The first salon we went to had two dresses that I loved. I ended up trying on the two dresses on top of each other to get a sense of what it would look like if I customized it. I couldn’t get the dress out of my head even after all the other dresses I tried on so we ended up going back the next day to say “Yes” to my customized Martiana Liana gown.
A first look with Dad…
The Bride and Groom’s first look…
The ceremony…
What is your best memory from your wedding?
I think my favorite memory was finally walking down the aisle. It was surreal. I have dreamt of that moment for so long: Walking down the aisle with my dad toward the love of my life passing by all our closest friends and family. I couldn’t stop smiling.
Mr. & Mrs…
The reception…
Elegant decor details…
Their first dance…
Wedding advice for other engaged couples…
Do whatever makes you both happy. It’s very cliche but people really do have so many thoughts, opinions, and suggestions about your big day. It gets overwhelming and can be frustrating. But at the end of the day, you want to be comfortable and happy and be able to look back on the day with no regrets. We stayed true to what we wanted and there’s not a single thing we would change.
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Vendors:
- Planner and Designer: Dream Paris Wedding
- Photographer: Laura Zorman Photography
- Second Shooter: Raphael Mercier
- Videographer: Gaëtan Guerin
- Wedding dress designer: Martiana Liana
- Wedding dress salon: Elegance by Roya
- Bridesmaids dresses: Azazie
- Shoes: Jimmy Choo
- Cake: Desty Brami
- Stationery: Lottie Louise Designs
- Groom’s attire & groomsmen attire: SuitSupply
- DJ: Loïc Jandia
- Venue: Château de Ferrières
- Hair: Ciara Costenoble
- Makeup: Maeva John
- Violinist: Santiago Falcon
- MC: Lionel Mc
- Fireworks: Joker Artifices
- Rentals: Soirée Locations
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