A Magical Wedding Celebration High in the Hills of Provence

In music and in life, timing is everything. Case in point: When Paris-born singer and songwriter Adeline first met event producer Sinclair Bolden at a party in 2008, their lives were not in sync. “We were both in relationships and living in different places,” she says. “We said hello to each other and that was it.” But when fate orchestrated another encounter five years later, each of them—now single and in New York City­—didn’t miss a beat. “It was like love at first sight that time around,” says Adeline.

The pair dated for a little over two years and decided to get engaged in the most fluid (and arguably French) way possible: after a pleasant day of cooking a meal and bonding with close friends. “I had told Sinclair I wasn’t expecting him to get on his knee and surprise me, so when he asked me to marry him, he just felt it in the moment,” she recalls. “It was great.” When the time came to plan their wedding, Adeline and Sinclair took a similarly impromptu approach. “We knew we wanted to be married in France,” says Adeline, who shares a deep connection to her native country with Sinclair (“he likes to say he was French in a past life”). The couple traveled to the French Riviera to scope out potential venues and made a last-minute stop in Provence, where they fell in love with the Domaine des Andéols, a hotel in the village of Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt. “The modern aesthetic and serene, natural environment fit us perfectly,” she explains.

While the dreamy location brought their vision to life, the couple made their loved ones the real focus of their wedding, with three days of events that kicked off with a yacht party in Marseille. “The most magical thing was watching our friends becoming friends,” says Adeline of the group vacation vibe.

Keep reading to see how Adeline and Sinclair wed in style on September 24, 2018, as captured by Kadeem Johnson and Dar Es Salaam Riser, below.

On the big day, the bride got ready with her girlfriends at their modern hotel venue, which sits high in the hills above Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt

When Adeline started dress shopping, she thought she wanted a vintage tulle design. Instead, she surprised herself with a "timeless" silk gown by Alberta Ferretti. "Everyone is so used to seeing me wear loud and daring stuff. I liked the idea of of wowing people with a classic piece,"she says. The bride wore her hair two different ways—up and back for the ceremony and dinner, and down and full for dancing. For the updo, she added barrettes by friend Jennifer Behr.

The bride’s four ‘maids and four “bridesmen” wore an array of pastel hues. “I wanted to be nontraditional and think beyond gender, beyond tradition and what is usually done,” she explains. Other fashion-forward guests included Aurora James and Elaine Welteroth, who each put a twist on formal cocktail attire.

The flower trio—Amani, Noor, and Beatrice—chose their own attire. “They wouldn’t let go of the petals as they walked down the aisle,” recalls the bride. “At the altar, they threw all the flowers at once in a moment of panic. It was beautiful.”

Adeline entered on the arm of her father, Christian Pétricien, to the tune of "The Makings of You" by Curtis Mayfield.

The bride and the groom married in a bilingual ceremony officiated by their friend, Redha Medjellekh. "We didn’t write vows," Adeline says. "Our officiant handled all the talking and did a great job."

Adeline and Sinclair selected a special song for each moment of the ceremony, specifically choosing Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” for their exit.

Sinclair’s son, Phoenix, was a groomsman, crying happy tears during the ceremony. “It was a huge bonding moment for the three of us, for the family,” Adeline says. “It was his wedding too!”

Afterward, guests enjoyed cocktails in a palm grove before dinner at the hotel’s restaurant situated under a 600-year-old plane tree. During this time, the couple took advantage of the magical golden light.

For dinner, the couple admits that their priorities were the food, ambiance, lighting—and the seating chart! “Seeing this web of love, this foundation, this tribe of people was the best way to start life together,” Adeline recalls.

The setting provided the ideal backdrop to the most powerful—and unplanned—moment of the night. “When the time came to talk, I couldn’t; I was too overwhelmed,” says Adeline, who found her footing by singing Gladys Knight’s “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” to her husband. “I looked at him and he looked at me and everything kind of froze into a time bubble. That moment is still living somewhere; it never ended.” The couple served a traditional French pièce montée, a confection made with cream puffs and spun sugar.

After toasts by Adeline's dad, Sinclair's brother, and several friends (a surprise!), dinner wrapped up around 11 p.m. A dance party followed in a window-filled space, where the bride (now in a Samantha Sleeper dress) and groom kept the festivities going until 3 a.m. Adds Adeline, "We danced until the very end!"

This story originally appeared in the June/July 2019 issue of Brides, on sale beginning April 30.