A Look Inside Rita Tabet and Darius Fisher’s Enchanting French Château Wedding | Real Weddings
The spellbinding Château de Villette in France served as a dreamy backdrop for this imaginative couple’s nuptials
“I would describe our wedding as a whimsical, high-energy party complete with lots of dancing.” 27-year-old Lebanese co-founder of Pop Up Mob, Rita Tabet describes of her fanciful French soirée. Having met in New York City in the spring of 2017 over drinks with mutual friends, Rita and her American beau, 36-year-old Darius Fisher admit that sparks flew immediately – albeit the groom did take 10 days to respond to a message before the couple set up their official first date. “We had so much chemistry that after our date, we have been together ever since.” Rita explains. Of course, she forgave Darius’ delayed reply.
Three years later the couple were staying at Rita’s family home in the far north of Lebanon, after their apartment was heartbreakingly destroyed in the unfathomable Beirut blast of 2020. “A family of kittens took up residence in the garden and we were taking care of them,” the bride shares, “and then one day, Darius asked if I could help feed the kittens and when we got to that corner of the garden, I turned around and he was down on one knee with tears in his eyes, asking if I would be his wife.” Rita of course said yes and the couple swiftly embarked upon their wedding planning journey with the help of renowned planner, Jessy Karam and her fabulous team of experts at Strawberries & Champagne, travelling to Paris to view wedding venues and pre-wedding party spaces for the multiple-day affair.
Following a “new” roaring ’20’s-inspired warm up event – a theme that continued into the big day itself, on September 18, 2021 in front of 195 guests, Rita and Darius sealed their union at The Château de Villette, a spellbinding property full of historical charm – and also a place of enormous inspiration for author, Dan Brown who penned The Da Vinci Code while staying at the chateau. The estate was later used as a film location for its blockbuster movie adaptation.
“In the week running up to the wedding we expected rain, but on the big day, it appeared it would hold off for us,” Rita recalls, but Mother Nature had other plans, “as soon as Darius and his mum started to walk down the aisle it began to drizzle and by the time it was my turn to walk, our guests were getting very wet so we quickly moved the location from beside the chateau’s lake, to indoors. Although the ceremony didn’t go to plan, it actually made the experience extra magical in a way.”
Following the ceremony it was time to feast on a culinary extravaganza fit for royalty, as guests sat down at opulent tables laden with lavish place settings entwined with fresh flowers, fruit and feathers – with décor inspired by famous Monet paintings from the ’20s. “After dinner I actually shared my first dance with my father, to Heartland’s I Loved Her First, then Darius and I danced to Sharing the Night Together by Dr. Hook. It’s a song we danced to every morning at home during lockdown so it was the obvious choice.” Rita shares, “Music played a big part in the evening beginning with the opening act, a Josephine Baker impersonator to set the tone for the ’20s theme, followed by a DJ set and incredible band who performed a mix of Latin, Arab and mainstream covers.”
Once the main wedding celebrations were coming to a close, the newlyweds moved on to an after party in the chateau’s dungeon. “We had a selection of Lebanese street-food stalls serving shawarma, hummus, manakish and knafeh, and we danced ‘till 4am! The whole vibe and energy of the entire celebration was incredible. Our guests still talk about how much fun they had at our wedding. It really was an amazing day.”
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Bride’s Autumn/Winter 2021 issue.
Dress, Veil & Shoes: Sandra Mansour, Sandramansour.com. After Party Shoes: Custom made by Designs Afraca, Etsy.com/shop/designsafraca. Engagement Ring, Wedding Bands & Wedding Day Jewellery: Azar Gems, Azargems.com. Hair: Tom Sapin, Instagram.com/Tomsapin. Make-Up: Charles Haute Coiffure, Charleshautecoiffure.fr. Groom’s Suit: Suit Supply, Suitsupply.com. Groom’s Shoes: Allen Edmonds, Allenedmonds.com. Event Planner & Invitations: Strawberries & Champagne, Strawberries-and-champagne.com. Photographer: Raquel Benito, Raquelbenito.net. Videographer: A&Y Videography, Ayvideo.es. Venue: Château de Villette, Condécourt, France, Theheritage-collection.com/chateau-de-villette. Caterer: Duval Paris, Duval-paris.com. Cake: Maison Bouchra, Bouchra-paris.com. Florist: Floraison, Floraison-paris.com. Table Art: Options France, Options.fr. Music: Charly’s Angels, Charlys-angels.fr.