Doing anything for 15 years is something worth celebrating. But that’s especially true when that thing you’re celebrating 15 years doing is a passion that involves working with incredible people from all over the world. Being one small part of a couple’s biggest day is such an honor. And the trust, belief, and confidence they have in us delivering for them in their most important moment is something we’ll never take for granted.
When we started Pétillante Weddings 15 years ago, the goal was simple: minimize the hurdles of planning a destination wedding. We also wanted to help couples create an authentic, beautiful day that felt true to who they are. Bordeaux became our home base not just because it’s where we live, but because this gorgeous region offers everything destination wedding couples are looking for. Stunning châteaux, world-class wine country, accessibility for international guests, and that unmistakable rustic French charm all draw people to getting married here in the first place. Over the past 15 years, we’ve planned celebrations for couples from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and elsewhere. Each wedding we’ve had the honor of planning has been unique, memorable, and an enduring reminder of why we do what we do.
Why We Became Destination Wedding Planners in Bordeaux
Our founder, Nicole, started Pétillante Weddings 15 years ago to help English-speaking couples. In the beginning, it was just Nicole, guiding couples through every step of the planning process herself. She saw the difficulties destination wedding couples faced. Some came from the inherent obstacles of planning a French destination wedding from another part of the world. Others came from uncertainty around French wedding industry norms. Nicole combines her American upbringing with her vast knowledge of French lifestyle to really deliver on those pain points she identified before starting her business.
What began as one person’s vision has now grown into a team. Nicole still leads with the same care and expertise that founded Pétillante Weddings. She is now supported by talented professionals who share the same commitment to thoughtful planning and exceptional service.
And although much has changed about the industry over a decade and a half, two things haven’t changed: our passion for what we do, and our gratitude for getting to do it in one of the most beautiful regions of the world. Bordeaux is our home, so we’re admittedly a bit biased. But it’s an incredibly easy place to sell as a wedding destination. Its rustic French charm, world-class wine, breathtaking wedding venues, and location for guest travel make it a second-to-none wedding location. When you have a place as stunning as this one as the backdrop for romantic weddings and memories to last a lifetime, it’s hard not to deliver a wedding to remember every single time.
What 15 Years of Wedding Planning Has Taught Us
Working with international couples over the last decade and a half has been a reminder of just how different destination weddings are when it comes to logistics, planning, and execution. Having a trusted partner on the ground in the country where you’re planning to get married is certainly important. They can handle the things that are difficult to do from thousands of miles away, like venue visits, vendor meetings, and last-minute decisions. It’s just as important to have someone who understands the local customs, knows regional vendors, and speaks the language.
For example, French wedding culture runs on a very different timeline than typical American weddings do. Cocktail hours often don’t start until 7pm. Dinner doesn’t get going until 9 or 10pm, and nobody’s even thinking about wrapping up before midnight. Food and wine take center stage in ways that feel different from American or British weddings. Vendor contracts follow French business practices that are helpful to understand before signing any agreements. That’s not to say any of these practices can’t be changed. You just need to know what to request changes for before it’s too late.
So while many things have changed as wedding trends come and go, one constant remains. The best weddings are the ones where couples trust the team helping them bring their day to fruition, guests feel taken care of no matter how far they are from home, and the whole thing feels authentic to them. It’s no surprise that those are the exact kind of celebrations that stick with you for a lifetime.
Looking Forward to the Next 15 Years
Fifteen years in, and we’ve loved every day doing this work, every wedding we’ve gotten to plan, and every couple we’ve been so lucky to work with. The core of what Pétillante Weddings does remains exactly the same now as it was when we started. We help couples create authentic destination weddings in Bordeaux and throughout France. This is who we are, and this is exactly what we want to be doing for another 15 years.
What excites us most is that every wedding still feels different, and every couple brings their own vision. Bordeaux also keeps proving itself as a destination that works perfectly for celebrations of all sizes and styles.
We’ve learned and grown a lot over 15 years, we’ve built great relationships with the best vendors in the region and we’ve learned how to effectively plan international destination weddings while minimizing stress on our couples. But what hasn’t changed is the goal that got us into this business in the first place: creating beautiful weddings that feel true to you, while providing enough support and local knowledge that you can actually enjoy the process instead of just surviving it.
The trust that couples put in us when they choose Pétillante Weddings to plan their destination wedding is something we’ve never taken for granted. Fifteen years of couples believing we’ll deliver on their most important day has been the greatest compliment we could ask for.
If you’re considering a destination wedding in Bordeaux or anywhere in France, we’d love to be part of your celebration. Whether you’re dreaming of an intimate château ceremony, a weekend celebration in wine country, or something entirely different, reach out and let’s talk about making it happen!
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