Sally Bean Couture Bride Florence’s Romantic Château de la Valouze Wedding

Sep 18, 2026 | Weddings

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Bride in Sally Bean Couture lace bespoke dress

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Set among the sun-drenched landscapes of France’s Dordogne, Florence and Pierre’s celebration at Château de la Valouze unfolded over three unforgettable days. Inspired by the candy-coloured pastels of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, the celebration was awash with soft pinks, peaches and corals, punctuated by delicate touches of blue. Romantic yet playful, elegant without ever feeling overly formal, every detail contributed to the feeling of a long laid-back summer weekend spent with the people they loved most.

At the heart of the celebration was Florence’s exquisite Sally Bean Couture gown, a romantic, feminine creation that was two years in the making.

The couple met in 2021, during lockdown. Their first date took place at a secretly open wine bar before turning into an unexpectedly long evening of walking along the canal and talking until 3am. “It was, without a doubt, love at first sight.” From that first day, they both knew they had met the person they would one day marry.

When it came to their wedding, they wanted something unpretentious and true to them. Nothing was designed to feel overly staged. Instead, the atmosphere came from the setting, the thoughtful details and, most importantly, having everyone they loved together in one place.

Pierre is French, making France the natural choice, while the Dordogne already held a special place in their hearts thanks to summers spent there with his family. Then they found Château de la Valouze, they fell in love immediately, it was the only venue they visited.

The château offered everything they had been searching for, from its beautiful architecture and enchanting setting to enough accommodation for all 96 guests. Their guests fell for it too. From cocktails in the château’s main courtyard to a hidden underground jazz bar and woodland bungalows tucked among the grounds, each corner revealed something new. For three days, the château became its own little universe, giving everyone the chance to settle in and enjoy being together.

Florence’s wedding gown was created by Sally Bean Couture in the designer’s London atelier over the course of two years. Having previously worked in bridal herself, Florence always knew she wanted to be involved in creating her wedding look, and the process gave her the opportunity to develop something that felt completely suited to both her and the setting.

The gown was an intricate study in texture and craftsmanship. Sheer silk tulle and delicate corsetry formed the foundation, while a structured basque bodice gave the silhouette its elegant shape. Fine beaded lace was layered with tiers of corded French lace, silk chiffon and lace-edged frills, creating a gown that felt ethereal yet wonderfully grand.

The use of French lace was particularly fitting. With Pierre’s French heritage and the couple’s long connection to the Dordogne, it became a subtle way of bringing another element of France into Florence’s bridal look. Created in London but incorporating French lace, the gown brought together two places that were important to the couple and felt entirely at home against the romantic architecture and landscapes of the château.

Every element was made by hand in the Sally Bean Couture atelier, giving the gown the intricacy and individuality associated with true couture. Despite its elaborate construction, the layers of silk and lace kept the silhouette soft and fluid, allowing the dress to move naturally through the château and its gardens.

Against the pastel palette and warm French landscape, the gown seemed almost made for the setting. The delicate lace echoed the romance of the château, while the layers of silk, frills and beading gave the dress a sense of movement. It was grand enough for the occasion without losing its femininity, earning Florence the unofficial title of Princess of the Château.

Florence created her veil herself, using ten metres of hand-appliquéd lace to make a bespoke piece that complemented the Sally Bean Couture gown. It added another layer of craftsmanship to the look while keeping the overall effect delicate and understated.

Later in the evening, Florence changed into another creation of her own, a glittering lace mini dress inspired by ballet tutus. Dreamy and playful, it brought a lighter energy to the later hours of the celebration and was perfectly suited to a night of dancing.

The ceremony took place in front of the château and was officiated by one of the couple’s closest friends. They wrote their own vows and then surprised one another by delivering them in each other’s language. Not every guest could understand every word, but that was part of what made the moment so moving. For those few minutes, the vows belonged entirely to the couple.

Food played an important role in bringing the setting into the celebration. The couple wanted their menu to reflect the flavours and delicacies of the Dordogne, with a feast inspired by the region. Even the wedding cake was deliberately unfussy. Rather than a traditional, overly sweet wedding cake, they chose a Tarte Tropézienne pièce montée, a beautiful French alternative that proved particularly popular with their English guests, many of whom had never tasted one before.

It was a detail that captured the spirit of the wedding: distinctly French, considered and unpretentious.They created the celebration they had imagined: romantic, playful and centred around the people they loved. A little bit French and a little bit whimsical, it was less a wedding staged for a single day than a world created for everyone to share, one that lingered long after the champagne had been poured.