Magic fills the air at an 18th century French farmhouse estate
Sept. 8, 2018 | Le Mas des Poiriers, Provence, France
Growing up with a fashion-savvy mother and grandmother, Shallon Hunter has style in her DNA. After studying in Paris, and working for Rachel Roy and Conde Nast before becoming public relations director for the Washington, D.C.-based clothing company Tuckernuck, destiny would have Hunter mastermind a stunningly vogue wedding celebration in Provence, one of the most beautiful regions of France.
At an 18th-century farmhouse known as Le Mas des Poiriers (The Pear Trees Estate), she and Brian Manion, a manager at Simpon Properties, married in front of 118 loved ones. The ceremony took place in front of the estate, with magical light before sundown. Trees served as a long natural aisle and the couple exchanged vows flanked by potted topiaries.
Hunter said that she always envisioned the wedding as a “black-tie garden party, romantic and elegant.” A self-described perfectionist, she worked with Matthew Robbins and Luis Otoya of Matthew Robbins Design, who, she says, “understood my vision.”
The cocktail hour was set in the same ceremonial garden where the couple served a selection of French wines, cheeses, appetizers and an abundance of foie gras. Local dancers surprised guests by performing to traditional Provençal folk songs as they led them from cocktails to dinner.
Amid the property’s 65 acres of working pear orchards, the fruit was delicately integrated into the escort card display. The three-course dinner featured tables dressed with blue linens and floral arrangements with olive branches and lavender sprigs. One of Hunter’s favorite special touches were the sterling silver napkin rings collected by her mother and grandmother. (Her mother flew in with over 120 of them.) Lights strung between the trees completed the fanciful mood.
“It really was the perfect weekend for us with our closest friends and family,” Hunter says, still thinking of the wedding as “a dream.” As for marriage, that is more of “an exciting adventure.”
DETAILS
Wedding Planner & Floral Design: Matthew Robbins Design | Catering: Traiteur Frères Brunet | Bride’s Wedding Dress: Johanna Ortiz | Bride’s Shoes: Alexandre Birman |Bride’s Veil: Tia Mazza | Groom’s Attire: Sid Mashburn | Cake: Made in Cake | Photography: Ross Harvey
