Alexandra+Bernard=Extraordinary! | Switzerland Destination Wedding

Switzerland Destination Wedding



When we met Alexandra & Bernard face to face for the first time in their hotel room in Switzerland, they told us that once they decided they were going to have a destination wedding, they were determined to make it "something extraordinary!". And indeed it was! From their YOU+ME session in the Bernese Alps via helicopter ride, to their vow exchange in an eight-hundred-year -old castle, to their reception at the fabled Victoria Jungfrau Hotel, their wedding was one grand adventure!

Here are some of our favourite images - for many more, check out their Destination: Switzerland gallery in the featured wedding section of our website.

The couple got ready together in their suite at the Victoria Jungfrau.

Loved the upholstered walls in the different rooms of their suite.

Bernard - ready to get married!

Alexandra was so happy! And beautiful.



The couple wanted their images to capture the spirit of Switzerland - and what better way to do that then head into the Alps? This was the view from the helicopter; so incredible that this weather station is built at 3571 metres (11,782 feet!).



-18.3 degrees Celsius, but Alexandra & Bernard didn't mind. They were literally on top of the world :)





Inside to warm up & then another dizzying & exhilarating ride back.







Switzerland was everything we thought it would be and more. And yes, there really are cows just roaming around the city centre. Although they aren't all friendly - the one below took a dislike to Chris & charged him (which, I have to admit was kindof hilarious)!

Even down from the mountains, it was extra frosty outside. Alexandra wore a very special vintage fur coat - it was given to her by Bernard's late mother.

And Bernard kept her warm too.



And kept her laughing, even when her fingers were getting numb!



Their ceremony took place in Thun Castle, which was built in 1195 by Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen.





I love this album spread from their ceremony.

Some portraits before the reception.

This one is my favourite.

A quiet moment between the new husband & wife at the Jungfrau Hotel before they meet their guests.



We always love a dramatic night shot.



Congratulations, Alexandra & Bernard, your wedding was beyond extraordinary! To see more of our favourite images from A+B's destination wedding, check out the gallery on our C+L website !

What did those plates look like again?

Did you look at the place settings when you picked your venue out?  This is one of those little details that can really add up in the end in your- "Oops, I didn't budget for this" list.

Quick tip: It's very easy to miss checking the little details that can make a big difference in your aesthetic and budget.  When you are scouting possible venues for your wedding ceremony and reception, make a check list of things to ask to view.  Why?  You might be surprised to find some of the most gorgeous venues have the ugliest plates, chairs, linens,  you've ever seen in your life.

So be sure to include the following very important items on your check list:
Standard chairs
Standard Linens (for guest tables and food tables)
China, Silver & Glassware
Dance floor
Tables (make sure you get the available sizes)

Also take note of:
Light fixtures
Carpet
Table
The bathroom

Book review: Weddings by Tara Guerard

I think what I love most about Tara Guerard's books is that she shows that its the small details, which aren't necessarily extravagant, that make a wedding personal and unique.  I've waited quite some time for this follow up to Southern Weddings and it was worth the wait.
Weddings
is a compilation of 16 stunning weddings, all with exquisite details that truly are fresh ideas.  For someone like me, who has read (and owns) just about every wedding book published, this a welcome addition to my library.  I read it twice through because it really is that good. I'm glad I did because I was even more inspired by the details I noticed the second time around.  And that is exactly why I am such a big fan of books and magazines- its not that you need to copy what is in there, but they should inspire you or get your creative mind started so that you can create something just as "fresh" as what you've just read.  Oh, and by create I don't necessarily mean DIY...it's plenty fine to take your creative idea and have someone else execute it (honestly, this is my preferred method).
I so wish that I could just so you a few of the gorgeous photographs inside, taken by Liz Banfield.  Who, by the way, is one of the most darling people.  I'm pretty sure that after you see her work you may just want to call her about documenting your wedding day as well.  This book is packed with beautiful pictures that will leave those of you currently immersed in the wedding world drooling.