The Bride Wore a Cathedral-Length Veil to Marry at the Groom’s Family Basilica in Paris
Dahye Taffin de Givenchy and Sean Taffin de Givenchy’s meet-cute took place against an idyllic wintery backdrop while they were both undergraduates in Montreal, Canada in 2018. They were students at McGill University, and encountered one another by chance at a beginning of the semester kick-off party. “McGill is a school of many traditions, one of them being a ‘winter carnival,’ which is essentially a week long of parties, snow activities, and bar crawls—all in subfreezing temperatures,” Dahye explains.
“Dahye was on the event volunteering team and was helping run coat check, checking tickets, and handing out water bottles,” Sean remembers. “I spotted her the first night, but didn’t go up to her that same night. The next day, I saw her again, and my friends helped me muster up the courage to introduce myself. We chatted for a few minutes, I got her number, and the rest is history.”
They got engaged in New York City. “I told her my uncle was in town and that we were going to have dinner with him at Casa Cipriani that evening, so we took the train downtown to meet him,” Sean remembers. “Part of the story was that he wanted us to meet him up in his room before walking down to the restaurant together, but of course, when we got into the room, there was no uncle in sight, and I got down on my knee and proposed.”
“I thought I knew Sean so well and that I could read his face like the back of my hand,” Dahye admits. “But I was wrong! I genuinely did not suspect a thing and was in complete shock. His poker face leading up to the proposal was stellar. Having it be an utter surprise was the best thing—my emotions were so raw and pure. I still remember it very clearly.”
The engagement ring—and the couple’s wedding bands—are all from Taffin, the bespoke jewelry brand by James de Givenchy, Sean’s uncle. James’s signature is his colored ceramic bands, and Sean chose the light blue color for the engagement ring with a pear-shaped diamond. “I think it is a true reflection of my personal style,” Dahye says. “And I always get so many compliments on the uniqueness of the colored band.”
The wedding was held at the end of the summer in Paris, where Sean’s mother and brother currently live. Sean spent much of his upbringing in France, and given the couple celebrated their civil union in New York, it felt appropriate to have their church wedding in the groom’s home country.
They had three days of celebrations from August 28 to 30, starting with the rehearsal dinner for immediate family and the wedding party, then a welcome brunch for younger family members and friends to meet, and finally the wedding ceremony and reception. “I am so glad we were able to stretch out the events as it gave us time to genuinely connect and converse with family and friends who we haven’t seen in a while,” Sean says.
When the couple began planning, Dahye was in her master’s program, and Sean was working full-time, so they didn’t have much free time. “I think the hardest part was getting the ball rolling,” Sean remembers. “The good thing was that we had a full year and a half to plan following our civil union in New York City, so not having the stress of time pressure certainly helped a lot.”
They enlisted Marie Bitton from Maiden Agency as their planner, and the first thing they did was lock down a date with the main venue, Le Pavillon Dauphine. It checked off all the boxes: grand and historical architecture, a vast outdoor space, and just far enough from residential areas so that there was no risk of noise complaints. “My vision for the wedding was timeless, classic and undoubtedly Parisian,” Dahye says. “I am a big vision-board nerd, so I spent many a weekend finding images that show the vibe and inspiration for each event. Once I was happy with this vision board—which was a PowerPoint deck of 100-plus slides—I shared it with Marie, and she did her magic to scout the right vendors and designers from there.”
“I was in charge of the food and wine,” Sean jokes.
The rehearsal dinner was held at La Fontaine Gaillon. “It wasn’t our first pick, but the original restaurant we booked went bankrupt a few weeks before the date!” Dahye says. “Marie and Louise from Maiden Agency jumped on it right away to find a new venue for us, and in the end, we were happier with how it ended up. This corner of the 2ème arrondissement literally looked like a movie set, and having a cozy terrace made it perfect to receive guests for a welcome drink and to float in and out during dinner for a smoke or fresh air.”
For this kickoff event, Dahye wore a Victoria Beckham dress. “This look was a perfect marriage of classic lines and unexpected details,” the bride says. “I loved that it was a timeless satin dress that clinged to the body and also had the modern touch of criss-crossed black straps and a train that went down to the floor.” Her blazer was by the Korean brand Kimhekim. “I’ve been following it for many years,” she says. “It was a classic blazer, [but] with feminine ruching and pearl details in the front.”
The welcome brunch was the next day at the hotel Le 5 Particulier. “This hidden gem is tucked in Neuilly, a charming neighborhood right on the outskirts of Paris,” Dahye explains. “It has a private garden area that is lush and makes you feel like you are completely outside the city centre. It was forecasted to rain all day, but luckily the sky cleared up just in time.” There was a game of “Find the Guest” bingo, with Paris-themed prizes, a profiteroles cart, and a buffet of viennoiseries. “The Bingo game was a great way to break the ice and get different groups to mingle!” Dahye says.
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