This stunning French chateau as the most gorgeous Berta dress

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Alright, when we get a submission with “Destination Wedding with Berta Dress” in the subject line, we can’t push open fast enough. Berta, in our opinion, is the epitome of glamour and luxury, as is this gorgeous, French Chateau wedding.

The gown totally delivered on our Berta wedding dress dreams – the very deep-v gown featured an open back with nude paneling and oh-so-luscious lace. Katy’s groom Bertram definitely matched her level with a super handsome, luxe Brioni tuxedo with a subtle two-toned lapel.

And what do two impeccably styled, red carpet ready lovers need? An opulent French castle of course! Chateau de la Cazine fit as the picturesque setting for such a stunning affair. The peachy pink exterior was matched by blush roses throughout the decor, we’re so charmed.

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Photo by Christina Sarah via Bridal Musings

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Our Love Story

It was a beautiful Saturday morning at the end of February 2016 and Bertram and Katy had woken up early. Bertram told Katy he was going to get a haircut and to pack her bags by the time he came back. He was taking her away for the weekend since the weather had been depressing in Zurich for the past month.

Without suspicion, Katy packed her bags and they headed off to the airport without her knowing what the final destination is. They arrived at Paris Charles Du Galle international airport and took an Uber to the hotel.

To Katy’s surprise, Bertram had booked a beautiful 5-star hotel in central Paris, next to the Louvre. The room was on the top floor with a balcony overlooking the rooftops in Paris and the Sacre Coeur in the distance. Calling Katy to the balcony to check out the scenery, Bertram then got on one knee and popped the question and the rest is history.

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Photo by Christina Sarah via Bridal Musings

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The Venue

We chose France because of the romance it represents and fell in love with Chateau de la Cazine for its romantic location surrounded by the lakes and the Chateau’s simple elegance.

We were never huge fans of bold colour schemes so we chose a soft colour palette consisting of pale pink, white and splashes of gold for the extra ooomph.

There was not one moment we favour over another. We live in Switzerland, Bertram is from Austria and Katy from Canada. Most of our closest friends live across an ocean or over the Alps from us. We are so blessed that our friends and family traveled from afar to celebrate and spend a weekend with us. Every moment during the wedding weekend has become a cherished memory.

The Ceremony

Our wedding ceremony was especially emotional, there was a lot of crying (not very good for our photos).

We didn’t do first look photos before the ceremony which was probably why it was especially emotional at the beginning of our ceremony. It is indescribable the feeling you have inside when you take the very first look of your husband or wife-to-be at the altar.

The Photography & Videography

We chose Christina to capture our wedding day initially because we liked her style of photography and her enthusiasm for her work. Christina’s photography style is light and romantic and her photos captured the moments beautifully.

Most of all, not only Christina was our photographer, she was also Katy’s saving grace during the planning process, especially at the end. Every bride will find out during the planning process, things can go awry, even the wedding planner. On the day before the wedding, the original videographer had cancelled and left Katy in a panic. Christina reached out to her network, found a suitable and available videographer and saved the day!

Which leads to Alessandro Pardi, the videographer we chose to capture our day. Although last minute, we loved the previous work Alessandro has done and presented. He was super easy going and completely understanding of the situation and accommodated to our every need. His films capture your day perfectly and tell a beautiful love story and bring you back to the exact moment every time you watch it.

Advice for Other Couples

Pick one or two things that are important for you and allocate more of your budget to it like a band or photographer. It’s too easy to exceed your budget with all the ideas and inspirations out there. No one will remember what your flower arrangements looked like or what kind of paper your wedding invitations were on.

Wedding Wire was very useful when doing the seating chart and managing guest list.

A wedding planner is not a bad investment if you cannot find a trusted friend or family member to keep the schedule running.

The Honeymoon

We took our honeymoon 3 months after the wedding. In hindsight, we would have taken it right after the wedding rather than returning to work right away. You need that time to relax and really take it all in!