COVER STORY
Laurel & Elliott’s Provençal Wedding at Le Grand Banc
With
The Bridal Journey
It began in London, where an impulsive Facebook friend request turned into a first date at the Haggerston Pub and, soon after, an inseparable bond. Laurel, a singer and author, and Elliott, a fellow musician and illustrator, built their love through collaboration, novels illustrated, music videos filmed on road trips, songs performed across continents.
Photographer Yana Yatsuk / Planner L’Heure Dorée
Between Los Angeles, where they now live, and the UK, where their story started, one place remained their constant: Provence. Elliott’s family had restored a summer house in Forcalquier, a village they both adored, and over the years it became their refuge in between tours. It was there, among lavender fields and limestone hills, that they chose to marry.
The Proposal
In the summer of 2022, at Les Mourres, a cluster of rocky formations overlooking Provence, Elliott planned a picnic of orange wine and memories. The spot had long been theirs, a perch for watching moonrises. This time, though, he dropped to one knee. “I honestly had no idea it was coming,” Laurel remembers. “It was the same rock we always sat on. That made it feel even more surreal and perfect.”
A Place Written in the Stars
When the couple’s friend Alexa Chung invited them to dinner one summer, they found themselves at Le Grand Banc, a secluded hamlet perched high in the Luberon. With pétanque, live music, and good wine flowing, Laurel and Elliott fell for the place instantly. It became the obvious setting for their June 21 wedding, the summer solstice. “We had never even been to a wedding together before,” Elliott reflects. “In a way, we made it all up as we went along, led by creativity, magic and love.”
LAUREL & ELLIOTT (1)
Photographer Yana Yatsuk
The Vision
The couple worked with French planner Alexia of L’Heure Dorée, a vital support while they were based in Los Angeles. “I knew the coordination side could make the day stressful,” Laurel admits. “Finding someone we trusted on the ground was essential.” Their aesthetic drew inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette with whimsical, vintage French romance brought to life through vintage linens, silver candelabras, angel statues, and flowers foraged by friend Mia Larocca.
The reception table became a tableau of family and history, lace, stone angels, French market finds.
“At one point, everyone tied lace napkins around their heads,” Laurel laughs. “It was such a joy seeing people embrace the little details.”
The Ceremony
Led by their best friend Clarisse, the ceremony was deeply personal. “We hadn’t read her words beforehand,” Laurel says. “That made it even more emotional, we both cried so much.” Music was just as integral, friends Chrome Sparks, Miya Folick, and Joaquin Pastor performed a three-part Spanish guitar piece, La Clase de L’Amour. “We discovered it by accident during planning and instantly knew it had to be our song.”
Their bridal party walked single file in bold black outfits with white accessories, each carrying a single white flower. “It felt iconic against the French countryside backdrop,” Laurel shares.
Fashion Notes
Laurel’s look was an assemblage of layers, textures, and treasures, a reflection of her personal style. A vintage Dolce & Gabbana skirt formed the base, paired with a custom corset by Imoral London, crafted from a vintage white tablecloth. Accessories included a Blumarine belt, Simone Rocha bracelet, and a veil handmade from LA-sourced fabric. Carel shoes added a quintessentially French touch. “I wanted something nobody else would have,” she says.
Elliott wore a Jacquemus suit with a silver tie guard, a Christmas gift from Laurel, and Toga Virilis shoes. They shared most of their outfit planning with one another, “because it felt impossible not to.”
A Feast to Remember
Food was a central pillar of the day. Michelin-starred chef Andrés Giraldo Flórez of Oakland’s Snail Bar created a four-course menu that spanned tartare with salsa macha to trout with lemon verbena, finishing with whipped fig cream and fraises des bois. “The dinner went until 1:30am, unplanned but perfect,” Laurel recalls. Guests danced between courses, espresso martinis in hand.
Music and Magic
The night unfolded like a festival, Ryder the Eagle and Kirin J Callinan performed Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, DJs Banoffee and Escuby took over the decks, and by 2am, the couple finally cut their cake. “It was chaos in the best way,” Laurel smiles. “Exactly what we wanted.”
LAUREL & ELLIOTT (1)
Photographer Yana Yatsuk
The Favourite Moment
“The ceremony,” Laurel reflects without hesitation.
“Pure love in the moment, with no microphones, no tech, just us, our words, and the people we love.”
Words of Advice
“Plan well, but let go on the day,” Laurel advises future brides. “I didn’t check the tables or the flowers, I just absorbed it all. People don’t remember perfection, they remember the love and the energy. That’s what lasts.”
