This Couple’s Provence Château Wedding Was Inspired by an Iconic Monet Painting
While very much a modern couple, Kandice Hansen and Aaron Tamaddon first met through an old-school method: a matchmaker. Kandice, the senior beauty and home buyer for Moda Operandi, was introduced to entrepreneur Aaron via Zoom by his Tawkify matchmaker, Elizabeth, in the fall of 2022. “At first, I got on the Zoom thinking it would be a polite get-to-know-you after Elizabeth set up this date for us, but we ended up talking for almost three hours,” shares Aaron. Kandice says, “I remember frantically setting up every lamp I had in my apartment to get the lighting just right! We said our goodbyes, and the next day we both shared our feedback about the date with Elizabeth. It was a match!” Since Aaron was spending time in Arizona when they first met, he had to fly back to New York for an in-person date. “We had spoken on a Tuesday, and that Friday he flew back to the city,” explains Kandice. “We met on the steps of Canal Projects gallery, took a walk through the show, and then headed down to Locanda Verde for dinner.”
By July the following year, Aaron was ready to propose. For his engagement plans, he drew inspiration from his grandmother, who suggested that he re-create their first date. “We went to a private viewing of a [Yayoi] Kusama exhibit at David Zwirner, followed by dinner at Locanda Verde,” says Kandice. “When we arrived back home, Aaron had secretly laid out 100 photos of his favorite memories of us together throughout our room and got down on one knee to propose. He knew I wanted to be asked at home and had completely surprised me. It was absolutely perfect.” Photographer Nicole Plett was there to document the moment and ended up being the couple’s first vendor selection for their wedding.
While Aaron popped the question after less than a year, the couple decided to take their time and enjoy the engagement period ahead of their wedding. “We planned for almost two years, giving ourselves plenty of time to bring intention and thoughtfulness to every detail,” they say. The wedding date was set for May 2025 at Château Robernier in Provence. “The first vacation we took together was a trip to Provence, and it was absolutely magical,” the couple says. “We immediately fell in love with the unhurried pace of life, the breathtaking landscape, the rich art history, and the incredible food.” At first, the to-be-weds were choosing between hosting locally in New York City or abroad. “What ultimately led us to France was that our families hadn’t experienced it yet, and we wanted the opportunity to share this special place with them,” they explain.
As they delved into the details of planning, Aaron and Kandice hired wedding planner Eva Garcia of Avodah to help them craft and execute their vision. “We bonded with Eva over a shared love of art and appreciation for Provence and the storied painters who lived there,” the pair says. “Early in the process, she sent us a photo of Monet’s The Luncheon on the Grass, which ultimately guided the design of the entire weekend. It’s such an idyllic scene and represented exactly the feeling we wanted our celebration to carry.” The work—a response to Manet’s famous painting—features a leisurely yet elegant gathering of friends for a picnic featuring light tones and a verdant backdrop.
Food and fragrance became key themes of the wedding details. “Since our sense of smell has such strong ties to memory, we wanted to create something meaningful that will live on beyond the weekend,” shares Kandice. To create that unique sensual memory, they turned to Shabnam Tavakol of Kismet Olfactive to develop a custom fragrance. “During our studio meeting, she drew inspiration from our childhoods, favorite foods, and the local region,” says the bride. “From there we went back and forth on a few versions before landing on a petitgrain-forward blend with bright citrus notes, grounded by vetiver and cedarwood with subtle palo santo and lavender.” The couple both wore the scent—which was called Château Nuptials—and had it diffused through the castle for an immersive sensory experience. The couple also brought this scent along to their first meeting with their caterer, Amandine Anglade of Citron Pavot, who created a signature spritz based on its ingredients for the wedding.
Choosing the perfect garments for their weekend in Provence was a particularly exciting task for the pair. For their welcome party, Kandice decided to opt out of bridal white in a green floral Givenchy dress she found on Moda Operandi. “I was never tied to wearing white all weekend and loved the idea of wearing a floral print to pay homage to springtime in Provence,” she shares. “The soft silk layers and scarf detail had incredible movement in the wind.” She paired the look with gold kitten-heel sandals by The Row for “a hint of drama.” The groom donned a forest green P.Johnson suit that he styled with a linen shirt and Loro Piana ascot. “He looked incredible,” notes the bride.
For the wedding day, the bride wore the first gown she ever tried on: a Danielle Frankel bias-cut dress with a cowl neckline. “I loved the drape of the back and the timeless silhouette, but I knew I wanted to add something special to make it feel unique—something more ethereal than overtly feminine,” Kandice shares. “I had saved a look from the Valentino spring 2017 couture show, a slouchy silk slip under a tulle overlay that I instantly fell in love with. I shared the runway image with Danielle’s team, and they loved the idea. Together, we created a custom pleated tulle overlay that started at the neck with defined pleats that gradually softened toward the hem. The way it caught the light was beyond my expectations.”
To accessorize the gown, the bride chose a pearl ring that belonged to her grandmother as her something old. In Kandice’s words, “Since she and my grandfather couldn’t travel for the wedding, it was meaningful to have that piece of her with me.” As her something borrowed, the bride wore Sauer chandelier earrings with cascading pearls. “Special thanks to the Moda fine-jewelry team for making this happen!” While she originally planned to wear a pair of satin mules by The Row with the dress, Kandice realized she needed to make a swap. “Once we started planning the ceremony and I realized I’d be walking down a gravel path, I decided to save those for the reception,” she says. Kandice decided to repurpose the gold heels she wore for the welcome event. “I ended up loving how they looked with my wedding dress, and I especially love the photos where you can see them peeking through the hem.”
