Wedding Style a la France, Part 1: Brits vs. French

I hopped across the Channel with my close friends, Owen and Tania, for the wedding of our mutual friend Tiphaine. Here we are outside the hall where the ceremony took place - Owen stepped out of his usual comfort zone of black by wearing this grey Jasper Conran suit, which I advised him to buy (being his personal shopper when he braves a department store). I went for a mustard River Island dress (£10 in the sale) and floral blazer (£35).

I accessorized with low white heels (New Look, £12.99), a black chain detail belt (gift) and some black eyeliner.

Tania chose a peach Lipsy dress with a sheer panel, and some gorgeous New Look shoe-boots.

Clearly the winner in the style stakes! The bride, Tiphaine, opted for a traditional dress with a medium train and very flattering pintuck detail, as well as a very feminine ribbon laced back. She looked truly beautiful.

The pageboy went for grey, like Owen, and had a great little trilby hat on. Children at the wedding tended to be dressed down, so this boy stood out for me as being very stylish. He spent most of the reception gathering as many balloons as possible, which I think adds to the look!

[Images my own. Please ask before reproducing].

Until this weekend, I'd never been to a wedding abroad, so this was a particularly exciting occasion. Tiphaine and Francois married in the village where he grew up, then headed to her home town for the reception. It really was an eye-opening experience for us Brits - we are accustomed to hushed silence throughout the service and a strict dress code for all guests such as ties and suits, whereas this was a much more relaxed affair. The French also tend to head home in between the festivities for a few hours of rest and glamming up, before really partying in the evening (a very good idea for ensuring you can power through til the small hours). Although we spoke very little of their language everyone made us feel incredibly welcome, and the atmosphere was great. This is just a brief photographic glimpse into the day's events, and I'll add more soon.