Château de Villette Elegance Meets Contemporary Couture in a Peach & Sage Palette

By Kevin Harson22 December 2025

The color palette for the wedding party mixed soft, earthy tones – namely peach, sage, and toffee. These hues appeared in the bridesmaids’ dresses and helped unify the aesthetic across the wedding.

The wedding at Château de Villette in France had a grand, romantic château-setting vibe, mixing timeless elegance with bold touches. The design felt classical but with modern twists – for example, the bride’s gown had sculptural folds and embroidery, and multiple dress changes reflected different moods. The overall tone was intimate, refined, and full of thoughtful details.

Dara and Alex met during their first year at Cornell Law School (2015). Their romance grew through shared student life – study sessions, the cold Ithaca winters – and their personalities were often described as yin and yang. Later, Dara had a fellowship in Paris, where Alex lived with her; they explored museums and châteaus. Choosing France as the wedding location was partly to honor that chapter in their life together.

Dara had several looks: for the welcome cocktail party she wore a dress from New Arrivals; for part of the main event, a silk slip dress by Victoria Beckham; for the wedding ceremony, a standout gown by The Atelier By Jimmy Choo featuring traditional train details reimagined with origami-like folds and embroidery; and later, for the reception and dance, alternate gowns including a lace look by Pnina Tornai and a beaded metallic Oscar de la Renta party piece. Each dress was chosen to reflect different facets of her personality and the day.

The bridesmaids wore dresses in the wedding’s soft, natural palette of peach, sage, and toffee. In addition to their dresses, they were gifted toile-patterned silk pajamas and pearl earrings, as tokens of appreciation from the bride.

During cocktail hour by the pool, truffle risotto was the standout dish. Then guests moved into dinner and dancing inside the château. Also, the couple had playful signature cocktails named after their dogs, Baldwin and Romulus.

The décor was lush and romantic, perfectly complementing the château’s grandeur and refined atmosphere. Planning by Amanda Virga of AMV Weddings ensured every element flowed seamlessly. At the same time, Capucine Floral Atelier brought the vision to life with a breathtaking ceremony arch and lavish, garden-inspired tablescapes.

The wedding cake was a striking, sculptural creation by Synie’s Paris, intentionally mirroring the structural folds and textures of the bride’s ceremony gown.

One of the standout surprises was a fireworks display arranged by the Groom, Alex. It was done in collaboration with a French pyrotechnics company, synchronized to a remix of “Still Into You” by Paramore. It was meant to be a magical crescendo for the evening, leaving many guests awestruck.

The wedding weekend included a welcome event and the cocktail evening hosted at the Ritz Paris. For this, the bride wore a clean, column-white dress from New Arrivals, channeling a “modern twist on classic Parisian style.” The event set the tone beautifully ahead of the main wedding day.