OUR EXPERIENCE IN BRIEF
Sofia Crokos (Sofia Crokos Events & Lifestyle named Best Wedding Planner in the World by Harper’s Bazaar) inspired a sublime mood board and brought us together with these two fellas Otto and James (JamesandSchulze CNB Best Wedding Photographers in the World), with the amazing Greek Designer and adorable friend Vasia Tzotzopoulou (Top Greek Designer & Celebrity Designer), who had also the incomparable talent of choosing our chameleon model Angeliki Tsionou to wear her exquisite wedding gowns! La Dame des Fleurs and sweetest friend Anne Vitchen (Floral and Event Designer, Exclusive Floral Poetry in Ritz Paris) made Chateau De Villette bloom in floral virtue, and dear Bouchra (Cake Artist-Sweet Creations Cakes, top 10 cake artist in France) magnified us with her cake creation.
Porcelain touch and plates were from Haviland (Since 1842 100% production made in Limoges) and unique museum table pieces were brought from Odiot (Fondee a Paris in 1690). Imagine having in front of you wedding table pieces like oil and vinegar crust from 1817. Leda silver piece is a result of remarkable work of silversmithery and is also exposed in The Metropolitan Museum of New York (The MET). Two amazing silver Victory Candelabras were designed in 1809 by goldsmiths from Odiot, and we were informed that they once were in the curtesy of Napoleon.
OUR EXPERIENCE UNVEILED
Well, we feel overwhelmed about this Lifestyle Shoot in France. A Lifestyle Shoot equal to a maze of inspiration. Before our trip in Condecourt, France, at one of The Heritage Collection Properties, we could not imagine how overwhelmed we would feel from the very first moment, maybe until now that we write down our first destination video experience.
Since we act like a team, I considered writing here as ‘we’ and not as ‘I’, so even if it is not Panagiotis but Konstantinos or another member of out family writing here, we, is always our moto.
First things first. After a quite exhausting airplane trip (hopefully we travelled business-by mistake) we arrived in the city of lights! After a 6-hour wandering around Paris we are still wondering why we did not go straight to the Chateau. (Like real gentlemen we wanted to arrive the same time with our hostesses Sofia and her adorable associate Giulia) Setting our hopes on the venue to be pleasing enough to relief our tiredness, we now must say that we won’t be tired for the next couple of years!
The Heritage Collection could not have in its’ property something less appealing for a wedding or an event, than Villa Astor in Sorrento, were we had the honor to undertake a real destination wedding video two years ago. Among the French furniture we had the excitement and chance to see, were vases, jars and screens, as well as Forbidden City’s wooden surfaces installed even in the bathrooms, from the reign of China’s Qianlong Emperor. Should your heart desire, it’s a special place to live out your Marie Antoinette fantasies.
DAY 1 and our first night meeting in the kitchen of the Chateau took place! Food, wine, and mood board on deck. The kitchen is enormous with straight connection, via a corridor, to the Chateau dining room (the oldest one in France). We can bring in mind what happens over there when weddings take place!
DAY 2 and waking up with a view over the private lake, with geese, ducks and other wild animals around is one of the bestest feelings in the world. Early plans, sunrise shootings, walking in the forests of the mansion, and inside the great fountain which is like a small lake. Water begins to fall from an enormous statue of Poseidon with coral rocks on the wall behind it. (that is attention to the detail!)
The great thing we wanted also to share is that the views from wherever you stand inside the property are somehow amazing! After a meticulous site inspection, we prepared lunch all together-what a bonding time-and ate by the lake. We skipped dish washing with Sofia, James and Konstantinos while video-shooting a questions video, at least our excuse was genuine!
DAY 3 is the big day, and all woke up early enough to catch the sunrise again. We were a little concerned if it would rain or not, but our maestro (Sofia) stated that it never rains! And it did not. The choices for the wedding table setting are plenty, and we concluded to place it on the ground floor. The rest is a part of our memories and what is to be shared can be enjoyed through our videos and photographers’ photos!
DAY 4 & DAY 5 were spend in Paris for some extra video-shootings, Michelin star dinners and croissant hunt wanderings around the town! Also, these 2 days gave us this spectacular question video with Sofia, who admired and accepted our proposal to shoot a video in movement in three different locations! Many thanks to Konstantinos (our associate) and Giulia (Sofia’s associate) for their advice and work on the questions as well as to James for being the perfect moderator!
Thinking of getting married in Paris? Make sure you spent more than one day!
#teamkastanidis #panagiotiskastanidis #parisfamily #blessed #weddingcinematogrepherinparis
Wedding Planner: Sofia Crokos Events
Venue: Chateau de Villette
Floral Design: Anne Vitchen
Photographer: James x Schulze
Videographer: Panagiotis Kastanidis
Wedding Cake: Bouchra Sugar Designer
Wedding Gowns: Vasia Tzotzopoulou
Tablewear: Haviland
Silverwear: Odiot
Glasses: Baccarat
