Some brides turn to their mothers for wedding dress inspiration, but in Alizée Thevenet's case, her style muse was her future mother-in-law Carole Middleton.
Since the Princess of Wales chose a stunning lace Alexander McQueen wedding dress in 2011, her mother's very private bridal gown remained untouched and available for her brother James Middleton's bride.
During the coronavirus lockdown, Alizee – who was staying at the Middleton's Bucklebury Manor – stumbled across Carole's boho dress she wore on her big day with Michael 41 years earlier, complete with a Bardot neckline and embroidered detailing. The financial analyst decided it was the perfect choice for her low-key French wedding on 11 September 2021.
James and Alizee got engaged in September 2019 but they had to postpone their nuptials twice following the outbreak of COVID-19. They said 'I do' in Bormes-les-Mimosas, famous for being one of the most beautiful villages in the Côte d’Azur, and shared their photos exclusively with HELLO!.
Looking striking as always, the 32-year-old bride debuted the never-before-seen ivory floor-length gown as she stood in her wedding car with her new husband, and posed with their pet dog and flower girl Ella in a rustic field setting surrounded by hay bales.
"My something borrowed was in fact my dress from my mother-in-law Carole who last wore it 41 years ago on her wedding day in June, 1980," Alizée explained.
"While talking about dresses with Carole and sharing ideas during lockdown for inspiration, I tried on her wedding dress and fell in love with it.
"It fitted me perfectly and was exactly what I wanted. It always troubled me that wedding dresses are only worn once so it was amazing to give such a beautiful dress a second lease of life," said Alizee, who has since welcomed baby Inigo with her husband.
To finish off her elegant look, the bride wore her hair in a chic half up half down style, secured in place with a flowing veil.
Inside 'private' ceremony
James had previously said he wanted his wedding to be "as private as possible", which explained why the guest list was kept to just 50 loved ones. These included the Prince and Princess of Wales, their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, Pippa Middleton and James Matthews, and their children Arthur and Grace.
James and Alizée said 'I do' at the town hall before driving to their beachside reception, Cafe Leoube, in a vintage 2CV.
Bormes-les-Mimosas major François Arizzi, who officiated the civil union, described it as "a very nice and very family ceremony."
He told Var Matin that Prince William and Kate "did not want to steal the show from the newlyweds," and added that Willaim "did not have any formal attire but wore a beige and off-white suit," while Kate wore "a long dress of a very light green colour."
Meanwhile, Carole was a glowing mother-of-the-groom in a boho print silk dress from Temperley London, which was visible in a rare wedding photo James shared on Instagram.
READ: James Middleton makes rare sweet comment about baby Inigo