For the reception, Allison changed into a customized version of Danielle Frankel’s Lua dress, a column silhouette she wore for dinner, the cake cutting, and the first dance. “I’ve always been so enthralled by Danielle Frankel’s innovative work,” Allison says. “The intricate and delicate fabric of this gown moved so beautifully for our first dance that the dress just felt like an extension of me.”
Following speeches from the couple’s parents, Allison’s maid of honor Randi, and Simu’s best man Peter, the newlyweds cut into a tiered wedding cake featuring layers of matcha and vanilla. Then, their friend Reneé Rapp took the stage to perform Etta James’s “At Last” for their first dance. Brooklyn Soul followed, getting guests on the dance floor before the after-party began at 11 p.m. Eventually, Canadian DJ duo—and Simu’s fellow Western University alums—Loud Luxury took over, playing a set that included their hit “Body” and their remix of Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia.”
For her late-night looks, Allison envisioned ending the evening in something short, sparky, and made for the dance floor. She chose hand-beaded mini dresses by Rosie Etienne and Galia Lahav. “I knew from the very start that I wanted to end our wedding night in shimmery, sparkling brilliance,” she says. “The intricate beadwork was done so masterfully on each dress. Finding and trying on these killer party dresses with Rosie and Galia each was one of my favorite parts of the wedding process.” At 1 a.m., Simu’s friend and Shang-Chi castmate Benedict Wong made an appearance as his musical alter-ego, DJ Obi-Wong, keeping the party going until the early hours.
“Looking back, we’re just so overwhelmed with gratitude,” Allison says. “We’re still wrapping our heads around the fact that we were able to celebrate the start of our marriage with our loved ones in a place as magical as Provence and at venues as special as Carrières des Lumières and Estoublon.”
For the newlyweds, it was about everyone who made the weekend possible just as much as it was about the celebration itself. “We continue to be moved by the amount of time, energy, and coordination that our destination wedding required of everyone involved,” Allison says. “And we just feel unbelievably lucky as we continue to reflect on the weekend’s celebrations and every precious memory it created.”
