French Wedding Inspiration at Bijoux Bridal
French elegance has a special pull for brides planning their special day.
Effortlessly romantic, forever timeless, and built on the idea that even the simplest of details can make a huge impact in creating a breathtaking gown.
If you are searching for that quintessential French wedding feel, why not get inspired in our Parisian-themed boutique at Bijoux Bridal? Here you will find over 500 gowns to choose from, alongside our dedicated Disney Fairytale Collection for the perfect French wedding.
What French wedding style looks like
Chic, in the French sense, means nothing is overdone.
Picture an 18th-century French chateau wedding in the Loire, or a long Provençal lunch in the French countryside, the table running the length of the vineyard.
French colour palettes stay soft, ivory and pastel tones with greenery, and the sophistication comes from fabric and cut rather than sparkle.
You don’t need to be planning a destination wedding on the French Riviera or the south of France to borrow the look.
A Scottish castle, a historic estate or a hotel ballroom will carry French wedding style, because the romance of France comes from what you wear and how you set the table.
If you are looking for that same effortless elegance, Allure’s new Disney wedding dress collection is the perfect place to start your search. The collection perfectly captures Parisian chic, while weaving in the magic and romance of all our favourite fairy tales.
Allure’s Belle gown
Belle’s story opens in a small French village and ends in a chateau, so her gown is where French wedding inspiration and the Disney collection meet most naturally.
We have two Belle-inspired wedding dresses at Bijoux, and they take very different routes to the same feeling.
The off-the-shoulder Mikado ballgown
The Mikado gown is the one to try first if French elegance in its purest form is what you’re after.
Mikado is a heavier silk-blend fabric that holds its shape, so the skirt of this ballgown falls in one smooth, sculpted line.
The bodice closes with a corset, a structured bow sits at the natural waist, and an illusion train floats behind you as you walk.
The off-the-shoulder sleeves are detachable and come as either off-the-shoulder or puff. You can wear them for the ceremony and slip them off for the evening, or go without them from the start, whichever feels most like you.
From across the room, it reads as almost minimal.
Up close, the detail is doing all the talking, and that quiet confidence is timeless elegance in the truest sense.
The organza ballgown with cascading ruffles
The second Belle gown is an organza ballgown with a strapless sweetheart neckline and ruffles cascading down the skirt.
Organza is lighter and crisper than Mikado, so this one moves more, and the ruffles catch the light the way the ballroom scene does under the chandelier.
The sweetheart neckline adds to the romance of the celebration, suiting a fairytale wedding at a chateau every bit as well as a Scottish castle.
More gowns from the collection with Parisian sophistication
Belle isn’t the only princess in the collection who reads as French once you set the story to one side.
Cinderella, Ariel, Rapunzel and Snow White all hang on the same rails, but three gowns in particular have that French-chic mood.
Aurora, the Chantilly lace one
The Aurora tulle-lined ballgown has the most French pedigree in the fabric itself.
Its briar rose appliqués are Chantilly lace, which takes its name from the town north of Paris where it was first made.
A sweetheart neckline and detachable tulle bishop sleeves give you a soft, dreamlike silhouette with or without the sleeves.
Jasmine, the Paris runway one
The Jasmine ballgown with the high neck and long sleeves takes on an elegant Parisian feel.
Pearl embellishment traces the bodice, the waist is tied, and a box-pleated Mikado skirt gives the kind of structured, opulent line that would be at home on a Paris runway.
If you love a vintage wedding feel, this gown could have stepped out of an old French photograph.
Pocahontas, the free-spirited one
The Pocahontas ballgown is the most free-spirited dress in the collection and incredibly chic.
Lace illusion straps lead to a deep V-back, and tonal leaf appliqués drift across the gown so the detail is all texture and movement rather than sparkle.
Understated from the front and glamorous from behind is a very French way to wear a wedding dress.
Styling a chic, French-inspired wedding theme
Minimalist elegance is the rule to hold onto, whichever gown you fall for and however far you take the French theme.
Let details do the work
Choose a clean, timeless cut, and let one or two details carry the look.
On the Belle Mikado gown, that’s the bow at the waist. On the Pocahontas gown, it’s the back.
The Cinderella A-line with long sleeves and a natural waistline is another lovely example, because the shimmer in the tulle is subtle enough that the shape stays the star.
For the veil, a single tier of plain tulle or a fine lace edge keeps the line clean, especially for an outdoor ceremony and reception.
A pair of pearl earrings on their own will look more Parisian than a full set.
If you’d rather skip the veil altogether, a low chignon does the same job beautifully.
French wedding ideas beyond the dress
The same thinking applies to the rest of your wedding planning.
Fill the bouquet with white roses and a peony or two, and keep the floral arrangements loose, with the greenery hanging free.
Choose a calligraphy font for the invitation and the rest of the stationery, on heavy card, and keep the wedding cake more cream than colour.
If you want one moment of sweetness, a tower of macarons on the dessert table does it beautifully.
A lavender toss as you leave the ceremony is a lovely French tradition to borrow too, whether your venue is rustic or grand.
Your wedding planner and florist will have their own ideas about the florals, and a soft pastel palette gives your wedding photographer plenty to work with on the wedding day.
If you’re drawn to the pared-back end of all this, our simple wedding dresses hang beside the Disney gowns, so you can try both in the same appointment.
Say oui to the dress in our Paris-inspired boutique
You don’t have to imagine any of this from a screen, because our boutique on Castle Street has had a complete Parisian transformation.
The storefront has been reworked with Paris in mind, and there’s “say oui to the dress” signage waiting for your photo.
The French touches carry on inside, from the décor to the goodie bags, Bijoux merch, and croissants alongside your glass of prosecco.
Walk in and it feels like you’ve stepped off a Paris side street into a bridal boutique, with your favourite people beside you and a room full of other brides cheering you on.
If a French wedding theme is what you’re after, our stylists will be happy to point you toward gowns across our full range of collections that fit.
Our stylists went to Paris for this one
To mark the launch of the collection, our wonderful team of stylists took a trip to Paris.
The trip was part celebration and part homework, a chance to soak up Parisian style at the source and bring that feeling back to Castle Street.
So when you tell us you’re dreaming of a French wedding, we know exactly what you mean.
If a French wedding theme is what you’re after, our stylists will be happy to point you toward gowns across our full range of collections that fit.
Your French wedding starts on Castle Street
If French wedding inspiration is the feeling you’re chasing, the easiest way to find it is to start trying wedding dresses on.
Book your appointment and come see the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings collection for yourself, or read more about what to expect from your visit in our Paris-inspired shopping experience.
Bring your mum, your bridesmaids, your best friend, and a bit of an appetite for a croissant. We’ll have the prosecco poured, and we can’t wait to have you in!
Ready to get inspired? Book your appointment at Bijoux Bridal and come and find the dream dress for your dream wedding, French style.
