It’s not every day that we hear about an old French convent being turned into a luxury boutique hotel, so imagine our delight when we spotted this Relais & Chateaux stunner in The Luberon. Perched at the top of town, this 17th century stone structure is surrounded by hundreds of years old gardens, originally planted by monks who specialized in botany. Fast forward a few centuries and Couvent des Minimes is a family-run hotel that operates under the Relais & Chateaux brand. As all the hotels this group touches turn to gorgeous, Couvent des Minimes is modern and luxurious, with awesome amenities and even more awesome views.
Our friends over at Nomad Republic recently set up a gorgeous photoshoot in the South of France and showed off Couvent des Minimes in all its natural beauty. This team of wedding industry pros specialize in both European and US markets, so you can bet they chose this destination out of a bevvy of stunning venues. Here to give us the scoop on all things minimal, French, and modern, they’ve given us all the deets below.
Words by Stephanie of Nomad Republic | Photography by Greg Finck
Can you tell us a bit about the area?
The Luberon is a well preserved region of South of France, famous for its picturesque hilltop villages, year-round markets, sprawling vineyards, exceptional gastronomy and wine, and seemingly eternal sunshine. For those dreaming of an outdoor wedding in Provence, there’s probably no setting more idyllic and authentic than this area. We love the Luberon for its timeless elegance and natural beauty but also because it counts so many stunning venues, from stylish country houses to beautiful Châteaux. Having an intimate knowledge of the area, we wanted to excerpt from our curated list of extraordinary celebration locations, a venue that resonates with hip chic couples looking for a spot where to honor the most important moments in life: weddings and family time.
Why did you choose to have a photo shoot at Couvent des Minimes?
We chose Couvent des Minimes, a former convent beautifully restored in a striking modern style while retaining the spirit and soul of the 17th century building, and created a modern and minimalist inspiration. Its interiors - a blend of modernity and sobriety - are truly unique, the stone floors and vaulted ceilings being the only echoes to the past. The setting is enchanting and peaceful and offers a variety of options for your celebration. Using their interior and exterior designs as a jumping off point, our designer Christy wanted to create a concept that didn’t outshine Couvent des Minimes’ indoors. She kept the color palette that was present in the venue and incorporated brushed silvers into the mix to enhance the modern and minimalist design.
Can you tell us about the design?
For the floral design, Laetitia C. Fleurs d’Atelier brought a soft touch to the table, set in the shade of a secular plane tree. Creating lush florals filled with texture and movement, she used locally foraged hops and mini peppers, as well as white dahlias, roses, cockscomb, stars of Bethlehem and wax flowers for the centerpieces. The bridal bouquets were made of the same flowers, except for the addition of craspedias in one of them. The talented Rime Arodaky provided the most gorgeous gowns from her latest collection and Ylva Langenskiold, the hair and makeup artist, created an effortless look with airbrush technique that let the natural beauty of the brides shine. From the stunning indoors to the historic terraced gardens that take you through the trees and aromatic bushes of Provence, from olive to almond, rosemary to lavender... all the details were beautifully captured by Greg Finck’s lovely lens.
Wellp, there you have it, folks. Bring a team of creative visionaries to the South of France and watch the magic unfold. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi about the whole thing, really. And by that we mean, we can’t pinpoint how they created such beauty, but we’re totally in awe all the same.
Credits
Photography: Greg Finck | Event Design & Coordination: Nomad Republic | Floral Design: Laetitia C. | Makeup & Hair: Ylva Langenskiold | Wedding Dresses: Rime Arodaky | Venue & Catering: Couvent des Minimes | Linens: The Hostess Haven | Rings: Thomas.V | Invite & Paper Elements: Nic Roc Designs | Cutlery: Herdmar | Candle Holders: Menu
