Céline is French, and Vinod is from Sri Lanka, and their marriage was a wonderful celebration of their love and their double union – that is to say a union of not only themselves but of their cultures too. The wedding took place over the course of three days. During the first day of celebrations their two families gathered together for a fireworks display. Day two of the celebrations entailed a traditional, Indian wedding ceremony, whilst the final day of celebration centered around a typically French wedding ceremony, allowing both families insight into the other’s culture. Their wedding was full of respect, love and appreciation not only for each other, but also for the environment, as you will see from the their wedding photos by Muratet Photography.
How they met
I will always remember the first time I met Vinod! We were just beginning business school as young students, and after a weekend of freshers fun, I had fallen for this guy who wouldn’t stop charging into me on the bumper cars, with a huge smile. That must have been his flirting tactic. Luckily after that he seemed to grow up a little bit!
The Proposal
Fortunately, Vinod asking me to marry him was by far and away more romantic than our first meeting. We were on holiday, cycling from Dijon to Auxerre. At the end of the first day we found this little village in the middle of nowhere and we were about to enter a storm. We hadn’t booked anywhere, but luckily the only hotel in the village happened to have space, so they took us in and made us dinner even though they didn’t normally serve food that evening. After a hot shower, he took me outside where the sun was just coming up, and asked me to marry him. It took me totally by surprise and I couldn’t hold back my tears of joy!
The Preparations
You need time to plan a wedding, especially when you plan to do one that takes place over the course of three days! Luckily, Vinod’s brother was getting married the following year, so we had two years to plan everything. The key to success when planning a three day wedding? Planning everything well in advance, keeping things simple and fuss-free, and above all, getting your nearest and dearest to contribute to the occasion. About four or five months before the wedding, we spent time explaining to our friends and family our philosophy and the kind of things we had in mind for the wedding, and after that we totally let go and crossed our fingers that everything would go to plan. Even my dress was designed and sewn by a few friends! Our witnesses helped us with organising the games that would take place during the celebrations and with all the food, whilst Vinod’s family helped organise everything for the Sri Lankan ceremony as well as the meal, the decorations and even the dancing. An extended wedding is a real luxury, and I would highly recommend doing one if you can!
The Big Day
The ceremonies and celebrations were even more of a success than we had ever imagined. Seeing as our friends had organised almost everything, Vinod and I were left to really enjoy the build up to the big day without too much worry and stress that often comes with planning a wedding. We were slightly worried about the weather when the skies looked very grey on the thursday, but thankfully the next three days were completely dry and sunny, which was incredibly lucky!
The biggest and best moments from the celebrations were ones where we really felt that we were sharing everything with our friends and family. The moments that really spring to mind are my father walking me down the aisle towards Vinod, and Vinod’s mother’s beautiful speech. We were really keen that all of our guests, and particularly each of our two extended families, got to know each other. Well, mission accomplished! It was a wonderful surprise to find that on the Friday morning, all my aunts and uncles were in the middle of preparing the Indian meal for the Saturday, under the supervision of all of Vinod’s family!
We really hoped that our wedding celebrations would allow us to share with everyone, some of our beliefs and values such as the importance of social integration, being eco-friendly, and supporting the local community. For example, we chose a charity which employs people being reintroduced into society to manage the catering for us, and made sure that all the materials used, such as table cloths etc were biodegradable, and that our speeches were printed on recycled paper, bought from an eco-friendly company. Beyond that we also chose local companies and services to provide the various elements we needed. We were particularly keen that all the meat we provided was organic pork from the region. Lastly, as presents for our guests, we chose hand made, artisan soaps made with only natural products, by a local supplier.
The thing to remember, is that there’s no such thing as the perfect wedding. You just need to be able to rely on your close friends and family and have a clear idea of what you want. Also bear in mind that your friends will be more than happy to help out, so don’t put too much pressure on them! I would also recommend adding your own personal touch – Don’t worry about sticking to the norms – it’s your day!
Did you like Céline & Vinod’s eco-friendly fusion celebration?
Check out their suppliers : Photography : Muratet Photographie / Video : Gognol Production / Reception Venue : Château de Miremont / Florist : Citronnelle à La Goutelle / Dress : Hugo Boss, Paris / Hair & Makeup : Ciz’elle et Lui / Rings : Paulette à Bicyclette / Catering : Association Six Trois et l’AMAP de Bien-Assis / Wedding Favours : Les Belles de Savon / Biodegradable Materials : Lsi distribution.
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