Nicolas and Thibault: Countryside Romanticism
Nicolas and Thibault’s wedding revolved around the charming countryside of Belgium, which held a central role in their celebration. Despite residing in the city, the couple frequently sought solace and rejuvenation in the serene countryside. Therefore, it was a natural choice for them to host their wedding amidst the picturesque landscapes, as they both share a deep passion for architecture and enchanting gardens adorned with wildflowers.
Photographer Anne-Sophie Fadié | Location Gesves, Belgium
“Of course, with marriage comes tradition. The groom’s bouquet and the boutonniere were inspired by the bridal bouquet that my mother held at her own wedding more than thirty years ago. We had chosen the same white orchids.”
How and when did you meet?
Nicolas: We met during a night out in Brussels in November 2014. We could have missed each other because I don’t go out a lot and Thibault wasn’t very well that night so he was about to skip his friends invitation.
Tell us a little about that first time you met…
Nicolas: Our eyes met in the dim light of a bar. We stared at each other for a while, and it was pretty impossible to look away.
Thibault made the first move. I’m so glad he did it because I was too shy. Then we talked together for the rest of the evening. The day after, we met once again at my place. And the day after, and so on. It was the beginning of our love story.
What was the first thing you noticed about each other?
Thibault: They are no words to explain our intense stares. It was obvious. I immediately perceived his fortitude and purposefulness in his hazel eyes.
Nicolas: Thibault has those deep blue eyes. They are very expressive. I immediately perceived his wit.
Tell us about the standout moments in your relationship…
Thibault: Actually, we have been together for about nine years now, so we had a lot of standout moments. Nicolas is an entrepreneur and owns a media outlet, so he has a very busy life. That’s why it’s very important to us to keep this daily life full of kindness and affection to each other.
Nicolas: It’s crucial to find or to create small opportunities to make each other happy and cherish every simple moment together. Thibault is very creative so he’s full of resources when he wants to mark the occasion.
What does marriage mean to you?
Thibault: Marriage is a new milestone in our relationship. It’s just one step further.
Nicolas: We genuinely know how and why we did it, and we’ll always remember that. Like a shield we use to protect us, and like a rampart we built as foundations, the same way our marriage will always be remembered when we’ll have to face some twists of fade.
Who proposed and how?
Thibault: Nicolas proposed in November 2021. The proposal was very simple in a romantic atmosphere at our apartment in Brussels, with Hania Rani music, the same composer we chose for our wedding.
When did you get married?
Thibault: We got civilly married in May 2022, but our wedding ceremony took place 10th June 2023 at 5pm so we could enjoy a beautiful sunset. It was almost the solstice, the longest day of the year.
Nicolas and Thibault’s story continues below ↓
What was the main influence behind your wedding day?
First, we wanted it to happen in nature. We are passionate about architecture and beautiful gardens with wild flowers. We wanted something full of poetry. Romanticism and sensitivity are very important to us and we wanted to reflect that in our ceremony, the location, the choice of our suppliers, the music, etc. To ensure that the wedding and the atmosphere match our expectations as much as possible, we did not use a wedding planner and we did a lot of things by ourselves. Thibault took care of all the illustrations and the design of the invitation cards, the menu, etc.
What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
Nicolas: We wanted to find a super nice place that suited us, that was exclusive and full of meaning for us. After a lot of research, we came across this mansion, located in the middle of a stunning garden crossed by three streams, in the countryside near Gesves. The place belongs to a private owner and it has never been used for other events. As an architect, Thibault was thrilled to organise our wedding in a garden designed by the famous landscape architect Jacques Wirtz who designed parts of the gardens of the Élysée Palace and the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. Another important thing. We wanted each guest to feel included in the ceremony and understand why we wanted them by our side during this moment. We brought in plenty of personalised touches and details based on the memories we share with each guest individually.
Did you incorporate any family sentiments or traditions?
Thibault: Of course, with marriage comes tradition. The groom’s bouquet and the boutonniere were inspired by the bridal bouquet that my mother held at her own wedding more than thirty years ago. We had chosen the same white orchids. I also wore Balmain cufflinks that belonged to my great-grandfather. It was black-tie for the ceremony and white-tie for the dinner. In the evening, we changed our boutonnieres to titanium brooches made by Nicolas’ mother that represent the symbolic bird that accompanies us throughout the wedding. The brooches were cut from a single titanium plate and fit together. Once pinned in our tuxedos, the two birds fly on their own. Nicolas’ mom got that signature blue we love, by heating the titanium to a specific temperature. We have selected a specific blue Pantone that represents us. This same blue was also found in the floral decorations inspired by a painting of Marc Chagall that we greatly appreciate and which evoke many things for us since our childhood. In this intense blue, touches of bright colours stand out. We worked a lot with Élodie Mouton, our flower artist, to find a unique and refined artistic concept. Élodie has an instinctive way of working, letting herself be guided by the forms and stems of flowers, which she assembles sometimes in harmony, sometimes in opposition. The ceramic vases were also specifically created by an artist, Clara Dwels, for our wedding to match the exact colours of the flowers and the monochromatic bouquets we had put together.
Nicolas: Finally, the content of the ceremony in itself was very important. The music, the texts, readings, speeches and symbolic gestures were very moving and full of meaning. We were both raised in Catholic faith and our request went up to the highest representative of the Church. The bishop of our diocese heard our request and agreed that the pastoral of his diocese would be able to guide us in order to include a moment of faith during our wedding ceremony. It took us weeks of reflection to elaborate a unique and never-done-before ceremony with the help of a deacon. It’s an honour for us to be the first one to receive such recognition from a representative of the Roman Catholic Church in this specific diocese.
Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
Nicolas: We sought our inspiration within ourselves, thinking of our childhood, our family environment, our passions, people that surround us, the things that we appreciate, like arts and aesthetics.
Thibault: Nicolas loves writing, symbolism and the power of words. We used this ability for everything related to the wedding and ceremony content.
Nicolas: I grew up in an artistic environment and Thibault has this creativity. I wanted this important artistic side to be reflected in our wedding. I knew that Thibault had all the resources to imagine a wedding full of poetry and very delicate. In fact, we worked as a duo, one worked on the content and the other on the form.
What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
Nicolas: We live in the capital city, and we like the rush of our city lives, but we also like to retire in the countryside to take a break. That’s why the garden was very important to us, and we wanted to celebrate our wedding outside. Sometimes we tend to want to control and handle everything. But there’s one thing we couldn’t control... the weather.
Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
Thibault: It’s true that it is easy to get lost because there are a lot of different aspects to deal with. It’s important to understand what you want. Find what you want the wedding to reflect and that’s where the common thread starts.
Nicolas: Be connected with yourself, and from there, all the ideas will arise to create a unique wedding.
Nicolas and Thibault’s Team
Photographer Anne-Sophie Fadié
Flowers Élodie Mouton (Boucan)
Ceramist Clara Dwels (Clara de la Céra/Boucan)
Catering La Côte de Beaune Wedding
Cake Wittamer
Tailor Hugo Boss
Rings Cartier
Printer Drifosett
Illustrations and design for Invitations and Menus Thibault (groom)
Celebrants Our friend Jérôme and a Catholic Deacon
Symbolic Jewels Nicolas’ mom
Venue Private Owner
DJ Laurent De Hertogh