Inside: A Burgundy Château Wedding with Vineyard Views and Indian Traditions

From a Hinge date in London to a proposal on a Balinese beach and a Franco-Indian celebration in the vineyards of Burgundy, step inside Julie and Sachin’s three-day wedding at Château de Savigny-les-Beaune – a joyful fusion of French heritage, Indian tradition, and heartfelt family history.

The Story So Far

Let’s call it a modern romance as it all started on Hinge. After exchanging some messages on the app, Sachin invited Julie on a first date in London in November 2019. Julie remembers wanting to cancel on the day, but her friend Chantal convinced her otherwise, and she is glad she did.

After the pandemic, they moved in together a year and a half after their first date and started building their life together in London. Sachin finally proposed in October 2024 on a trip to Bali, on the beach with a vintage gold and sapphire placement ring in the form of a horseshoe for good luck. It was quite magical and a total surprise. Julie had been convinced that Sachin would not propose on this trip as it seemed too much of a cliché, but he did, and they celebrated back that night with a bottle of Bollinger champagne before calling their families to share the news.

Sachin knew Julie would be quite specific on the ring, which is why he did not venture to choose it before proposing. After a few visits to jewellers in Paris, they decided to have it custom made in London in Hatton Garden. Julie wanted coloured stones rather than diamonds, inspired by Cartier’s Tutti Frutti colour palette, so the ring turned out to be very colourful. It features a sapphire as the centre stone with rubies and emeralds around it. The couple loved the process, as it meant they could choose every detail of the design, from the stones to the colours and carats, which made it feel even more personal.

The Venue

The couple married in France in Burgundy, where Julie is from and where her parents live. They had their legal ceremony at the Mayor’s Office Building in Beaune, followed by an Indian inspired ceremony and reception at Château de Savigny-les-Beaune.

Julie had always dreamed of marrying in Burgundy in a venue surrounded by vineyards. After visiting numerous places, they arrived at Château de Savigny-les-Beaune and instantly fell in love. The reception rooms on the first floor are magnificent, the grounds are lined with vineyards, and the courtyard is beautifully framed by climbing vines on the façade. It was particularly meaningful as Julie’s parents had celebrated their wedding reception there 36 years earlier. Her grandfather had also served as Deputy Mayor of Beaune and officiated the marriages of all his daughters, including Julie’s mother, at the very same Mayor’s Office.

Sachin is of Indian heritage, and as is tradition, the wedding celebrations stretched over several days. Festivities began with a family gathering at Manoir de Villamont in Savigny-les-Beaune, where Sachin’s family was staying, followed by a drinks reception in the gardens and cave of Hôtel Solstice in Beaune. On the Saturday, the legal ceremony took place in Beaune before everyone travelled to Savigny-les-Beaune for the Indian inspired celebration in the château grounds. The ceremony was conducted by Julie’s brother, with Sachin’s uncle performing traditional rituals. Julie and Sachin exchanged flower garlands made by her mother and friends, and tied Indian scarves to one another, symbolising their acceptance as life partners and the binding of their families. The weekend closed with a brunch back at the château, where guests lingered over Pommard and Meursault. Nobody wanted to leave.

The Fashion

Julie went to try on wedding dresses in France during Christmas 2024, largely to make her mother happy, but she unexpectedly fell in love with a Jesus Peiro midi A-line gown embroidered with flowers and finished with pockets. For shoes, she had several pairs across the weekend, including sparkly platform sandals from Charlotte Mills, white and gold flats from Camilla Elphick and Karli 75 platform glitter leather heeled sandals from Jimmy Choo. Her “something blues” were the sapphire on her engagement ring and the sapphires on her earrings.

Sachin improvised his outfits in his usual style, but looked effortlessly elegant. For the legal ceremony he wore a suit and shirt from Charles Tyrwhitt, paired with a Hermès tie, a silk pocket square from Ede & Ravenscroft and Loake 1880s shoes. For the Indian inspired ceremony he had originally hoped to wear his father’s suit, made in Mumbai by Bada Saab, the tailor once known for dressing Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan. A failed diet meant it did not fit, so he instead chose a jacket from India, cream trousers from Hackett, a silk shirt from Lily Silk and shoes from London start-up Majora. His aunt also brought two beautiful scarves from India, which were used during the ceremony.

The Jewellery

Julie wore vintage pearls and gold bracelets passed down from her mother and grandmother, alongside sapphire and pearl earrings from Latelita for her “something blue”.

The Bridal Party

Julie’s sisters were her bridesmaids and had complete freedom to choose their looks. Anna wore a green satin dress by Maje, while Eugénie opted for a striped coral design by Suncoo.

The Tablescape

Julie’s sister Eugénie designed all the paper elements, from the menus and invitations to name tags and ceremony leaflets, making them deeply personal. The couple sourced Indian print cotton napkins, which Julie’s mother folded into heart shapes. Bud vases were filled with colourful flowers from a local wholesaler, accented by simple gold chandeliers with colourful candles. For favours, Julie’s mother made each guest a bracelet with the initials J and S. Their friend Jonathan Simms initially believed the bracelet had been tailored especially for him, as it matched his initials perfectly.

Food and Drink

The couple wanted their guests to experience the best of Burgundy. Canapés were served in the château’s courtyard, followed by a four-course meal with wine pairings. Highlights included Crémant de Bourgogne from Domaine Paul Chollet, Meursault from Domaine Franҫois Gaunoux, Pernand-Vergeles from Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard and Côtes de Nuits-Village from Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand. The highlight of the evening was a Pommard Vintage 1990 from Domaine Franҫois Gaunoux, the year of Julie’s birth, served with the cheese course. Dessert was the traditional pièce montée.

Entertainment

Sachin and his family entered the ceremony in traditional Indian style, dancing to Saajanji Ghar Aaye from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, one of Sachin’s favourite childhood films. Julie walked down the aisle with her father to A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, played on the violin by a family friend. Their first dance was to Stargazing by Myles Smith, a song they often dance to together in their London kitchen.

Beauty and Wellness

Julie worked with local hair and make-up artists who she described as fantastic. In the run up to the wedding, she focused on regular exercise, healthy eating and weekly 111 Skin face masks. She also took collagen supplements, drank lemon water and chia seeds every morning, and used Kérastase overnight leave-in serum.

Favourite Wedding Gifts

The couple chose Prezola and Amazon for their lists. A wooden bench for their balcony at Woodberry Down Lake became a favourite spot for their morning coffee, made with their new Smeg coffee filter machine. Julie’s cousin Claudine Gaunoux and her husband, who own Domaine Franҫois Gaunoux, gifted them a bottle of Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens 1990, which was especially memorable.

The Honeymoon

The couple went on a minimoon to the Scilly Isles in Cornwall, a place they describe as peaceful and dreamy, like the English Caribbean. Plans are underway for a bigger honeymoon in February 2026, with the Maldives, Sri Lanka or a safari and beach combination under consideration.

Advice

Make sure you enjoy every moment on the day. It goes so fast, so relax, make the most of every minute and trust that you and your guests will have the best time.
Make a list of things you absolutely do not want to miss on the day and tick each one off to avoid any regrets afterwards.
Do what feels right for you during the planning phase rather than others. Choose the dress you want, the hairstyle you want, the flowers you want. It is your day after all.