“I think Lorenzo and I were somehow meant to be together,” said Louise Andrier, who married Lorenzo de Brazier in Provence last July. “Lorenzo and I first met in 1998 when I was still in my mother’s womb,” she added. She recalled the first time she met her mother in 1998, and the memories of performing in the same middle school play. “And, my parents always say, my father fell in love with my mother in 1997 when she was wearing a stunning dress from Capucine Puerari, Lorenzo’s parents’ ’90s brand.”
The couple, now twenty years older, officially get together in Corsica. They return for Lorenzo’s cousin Alma’s wedding, though Luis was nearly unable to attend the wedding, citing health problems and a breakup with her then-boyfriend. “A Little Bird” rearranges the seat cards so that Lorenzo sits next to Luis at Alma’s reception, and the two, who have always had a crush on each other, begin their relationship. “I had no idea that two years later I would marry him. Still, my mother, sitting a few tables away from Lorenzo’s father, said she had a dream.”
They got engaged on another family holiday, travelling from Calabria to Puglia. Although Lorenzo had already chosen a ring and planned to propose near a Roman church near their home in Provence, he couldn’t wait any longer. On the last day of their holiday, the couple were swimming in the Ionian Sea when Lorenzo proposed before heading back home to Paris, where they now live. “And just like that, we were engaged. I remember I was so happy and excited; swimming back to the boat was tough!” “It was truly one of the best days of my life. We were celebrating in Paris that night and all the restaurants were closed and the only option was to order McDonald’s at 3am. It was probably the best burger of our lives.”
They will tie the knot at Louise’s parents’ home in Mazatan on the weekend of July 5, 2024. The bride planned her own wedding because she was familiar with the process of her sister’s wedding a few years ago. (“Even on the wedding day, I would welcome all the vendors and take care of the timing and plans,” she recalls. “It might seem weird to people, but it really brought joy to me.
The celebrations began with a civil court ceremony in the town of Bommes on Friday. “I’ve been dreaming of an Alaïa dress,” said Louise, who wore an Alaïa two-piece crop top and skirt set with a Bernadette veil and Prada shoes. She added, “In fact Lorenzo’s family welcomed Azzedine to France many years ago, and Lorenzo’s grandmother had a lifelong friendship with the famous designer.”
On Saturday, the day of her wedding – a religious ceremony at Carpentras Cathedral, followed by a reception at the family estate in Mazen – the bride followed her mother’s advice and wore a dress by French-Lebanese designer Via Marie Rabih Kayrouz – whom Helene de Tarlac discovered. “He was the only designer I tried for my wedding. I remember I tried on a few styles of muslin and my mother said, ‘It’s not really you; it’s your style. Try it on. Mom always knows what’s best for you, Louise’s mom was too!” Louise was responsible for creating the highlight of her wedding day look, a vibrant bouquet of sunflowers. Louise added, “When they came up with the idea, I was a bit scared at first.
Her Rabih Kairouz gown was an elegant, simple sleeveless dress with a flowing silk taffeta skirt. She wore a muslin cloak “to which the rabbi enthusiastically suggested adding a hood for a modern look and feel”; her antique engagement ring was from Charlotte Sayers; diamond earrings borrowed by Pennisi from her mother; and a diamond cross given to her by her parents after her Catholic confirmation and a sapphire ring custom-made by Marie-Hélène de Taillac sunflower ring – a wedding gift from her parents. The sunflower became a symbol of their union.
Louise got ready at her parents’ home, as quiet as a bride, her bedroom door open to friends and family. As for beauty, she opted for a sleek bun and light makeup during her ballet career. “Fun fact: I never saw myself as a bride that day because I never saw my hair, makeup and dress in the mirror!” Louise added: “I have so much faith in everyone’s work and so much trust in their work. I’m so passionate about making things perfect.” The groom wore a custom-made suit by Lorenzo Cifonelli. He added, “It was a very special experience for me because Cifonelli was my grandfather’s tailor.”
Louise was escorted to the church by her father, with whom she enjoyed a quiet moment before entering the cathedral. “As I walked down the aisle holding his hand, I felt as if I was on a transcendent journey. Throughout the ceremony, this feeling did not disappear but grew stronger, filled with the sounds of religious choirs and soloists. I was deeply moved. Both Louise and Lorenzo remember having tears in their eyes, “I cried almost the whole time, especially when I went into the chapel to leave the bouquet for the Virgin Mary.”
The couple were greeted by a shower of butterfly-shaped confetti as they left the church, then drove back to Mazen’s home in a vintage military police vehicle. “We left in the funniest and happiest way possible with sirens blaring,” he said.
The reception was held in the olive groves of the Mazan estate. When the weather forecast called for rain, the couple opted to pitch a tent, but they paid particular attention that it be tall enough to accommodate their beloved olive trees. Louise also handmade the olive trees featured on the couple’s invitations. She also contributed watercolor renditions of sunflowers to the decor; both real and painted sunflowers bloomed on the tables, adding a pop of deep yellow to the all-white tent, which was decorated with white linens, gilded wooden chairs, and wicker vases with more sunflowers.
Just as we were getting ready for cocktail hour, it started to rain – a good sign of course, but Louise wasn’t totally expecting it as it caused power problems for a while and the dance floor was in the open air. “You can imagine the feeling a bride has when she plans her wedding when she realises the music won’t work at our party!”
“I just decided to go,” Louis recalls. “I had the DJ play entrance music and we got the whole thing going.” The dancing didn’t stop until after dinner but started right away. “We started dancing in between the tables because the dance floor wasn’t covered by any tents and there was a real storm. But this gave the party an unexpected feel and made everything very sexy. People gathered under umbrellas. We gathered in the middle. The tables were far apart, but people looked happy, which mirrored our mood, happiness and excitement.”
The party continued even after the drunken rain. At 2 p.m., the atmosphere brightened and guests took to the dance floor, where they stayed until sunrise. “The sky was blue all the way and the sun was out. It was almost a peaceful experience in a way.”
Reflecting on their wedding weekend, Louise becomes emotional remembering the significance of that moment. “Getting married doesn’t change our daily lives because we already live together, but it does change how we encourage each other with love and respect and how we treat each other and trust others.”
