Travel to a timeless Marseille cove to get a closer look at the know-how of Christina Sfez wedding dresses in action. Wedding design, makeup and hairstyle, decoration, photography... Go behind the scenes of her latest shoot which is a source of inspiration for future brides before their wedding. For the occasion, the various talented professionals selected by Christina Sfez are at her side to reveal the secrets of this great moment to you.

The photoshoot in the eye of Christina Sfez

Where did the idea and inspiration behind this Ode to the Mediterranean shoot come from?

Christina Sfez: The first idea for this inspirational shoot? I wanted to highlight the edge of the Mediterranean to give inspiration to the bride and groom around the theme of marriage and the theme of the sea combined with raw materials. I am still very attached to the hues, the harmony, and the obvious color associations. I had in mind shades of blue and indigo associated with raw shades such as the white of limestone, the color of terracotta pieces, or the sand gray of linen.

Tell us a bit about the place you have chosen.

I sent my inspirations to Juliet and she immediately thought of two places that matched the moodboard. Travel to Calanque de Callelongue, between Marseille and Cassis, in the South of France for the contrast between the white of the limestone rock and the deep blue of the sea. The precise location chosen had to be changed the same morning.

Why? The famous Mistral was blowing hard that day. Effectively, the team reacted quickly to find an ideal location that was a little more sheltered from the wind.

“ I am always very attached to hues, harmony and obvious color associations”

How long does it take to organize a shoot?

It takes a minimum of a month to a month and a half for the organization to be able to exchange our ideas between vendors. The shoot itself takes place over a four to six hour day.

What is your favorite part of the organization? And the most tedious?

Without hesitation, I prefer the creation of the moodboard and the universe around the shoot. I also enjoy considering which talents to contact and highlight their work on this occasion.

Being located in San Diego made it difficult to coordinate everything due to the 9 hour time difference. Adelaïde, who is the manager of the Marseille showroom, took control of the coordination of vendors, upstream, and during the D-Day.

“ Harmony needs to happen instinctively”

Tell us a bit about the selected vendors: why them?

I have known some of the vendors for a long time such as Delphine Ruffini (whose work I adore), Margaux de Marelles Weddings (whose universe I admire) or even Lise Mailman from Papier and Co (by far my favorite wedding stationery in France).

It has been a while since we have worked together on a shoot. It was the perfect opportunity after this suspenseful period.

I discovered the magnificent work of Juliet Airs, a lover of the Mediterranean, through one of our brides whose wedding she covered. Her style is ideal when compared to the moodboard for this shoot.

For the decor, Franca Atelier and Sarah Espeute were obvious choices. They were already on my mind when I created the initial moodboard. Their ability to combine the delicacy of their handmade work with raw materials represents everything I love. Their work is the true centerpiece in our series of photographs. For the dried flowers bouquet, we all agreed that Canopea Design was the perfect florist.

Any advice for those who are preparing their first fashion series?

Whatever the starting point, the idea is to build a universe and a moodboard around this primary inspiration, whether it is a link, a color, or a work.

Second step, you have to contact service providers whose work you admire and with whom you can easily exchange ideas. It is important to be able to communicate well all together upstream so that the rendering is up to the image that the whole team had of it: we must not forget that this shoot must be able to support the work and enhancement of each person's wealth. You have to find vendors who also correspond to the world of the shoot, so that in no case does this distort the work of one of them and that harmony occurs instinctively.

The shooting seen by Adélaïde, manager of the Christina Sfez showroom in Marseille

As for the creations, how did you select and stage them?

Adélaïde : “We did a fitting session beforehand at the showroom with Juliet the photographer and Marion our model. We then agreed on the atmosphere we wanted to give to the shoot; which dresses were the most appropriate for the photographer but also for our model who should feel good in it. Then we sent our looks to Delphine, our makeup artist, who developed a beauty treatment for each of the dresses.

What do you remember from this shoot?

We were able to give the atmosphere we wanted despite the severe constraints of the weather; we had to be fast and efficient. The girls from Marelles Wedding had done a great job preparing the decor for the table. Juliet was extremely precise in her shots. Marion, our model, and her partner were magnificent despite the cold. Delphine was perfect for the makeovers. We were all very happy with the result! “

The shooting told by the talents

Since a shoot is primarily a team effort, we must highlight those who brought this Christina Sfez creation to life under the beautiful sun of the South of France. Photography, Hair and Makeup, wedding design, stationery… Without them, we could not have done this shoot.

Photography : Juliet Airs

Who are you Juliet Airs?

Juliet Airs : “ Born in Marseille in 1993, I grew up between Malmousque and the port of Vallon. Inspired by the Mediterranean, I learned to work with the variations of light and its changing refractions, the sea constituting a life-size reflector. I have developed a color palette that matches my world and how I read my surroundings. The way I look at Marseille and its contrasts are imbued with a sensibility constructed daily. ”

What atmosphere did you want to give to this shooting?
” It was at the end of the last road to the creeks, on the border between the city and the natural park, that the shoot took place. Christina Sfez's dresses came to life against the limestone walls and were illuminated by the rays of the sun on a high mistral day. ”

Hairdressing and makeup : Delphine Ruffini

Who are you Delphine Ruffini?

Delphine Ruffini : “As a former dancer, I have always wanted to evolve in the artistic world, the stage, the show, and the beauty. From an early age, I made up my friends with felt-tip pens and cut their hair without permission.

My true calling was felt strongly after several years spent in Paris to discover different horizons, including that of fashion.

It was in 2017 that I embraced the world of marriage with enthusiasm. What do I like best about my job? To reveal the beauty of each person subtly and to see the light reflected in their eyes. Self-taught in hairdressing, I favor sobriety and always respect the nature of the hair. Experience has taught me to be confident in my work.

What was the inspiration behind your work for this shoot?

“ For this shoot, I was inspired by nature and the elements that surround us. Every face is different and sometimes we must disregard our previous plans to achieve the perfect look. We have to apply makeup and a hairstyle consistent with the face of each person.

I usually do very natural makeup. Here, I decided to stay on a non-covering matte complexion to contrast with the shiny reflections of the water. On the other hand for the Sunset dress, I wanted to create the "wet" effect on the eyes by superimposing several layers of gloss on the eyelids and moistening the hair, like a recent release of water for a minimalist/glam side. "

Wedding design : Marelles Weddings

Who are you Margaux de Marelles Weddings ?

Margaux of Marelles Weddings: “Marelles Weddings consists of a creative duo, Margaux and Marie, who are wedding planners. We met through our prior workplace where we developed a beautiful friendship and discovered our common interests. Through this bond, the Marelles Weddings agency was born.

Complementary and different, each one puts her experience and knowledge at the disposal of the bride and groom in order to realize their wildest desires and dreams… or simple ones. Since each story is unique, we take it to heart to offer a tailor-made service to our newlyweds and an adventure that resembles them.

How did you work with Christina Sfez? What is THE piece that symbolizes this shoot for you?

We followed Christina's work and loved her designs. Quite naturally, we went to introduce ourselves at the very beginning of the Marelles Wedding adventure, 7 years ago. We sympathized with our values and our vision of marriage converged until we offered her our very first collaborative shoot.

This shoot was the evolution of our work over the years: a more modern vision without convention or tradition.

Our key pieces of this shoot are:

- The Franca Atelier vase, a true piece of art that is sufficient in itself and dresses a table with or without a bouquet. For this photoshoot we asked Canopea Design to create us a dried flowers bouquet.

- The Maggie dress perfectly embodies the current bride: feminine, fashionable, powerful, light in both its cut and color. She breaks the rules and we love it! ”

At the stationery : Papier and co

Who are you Lise from Papier and Co?

Lise de Papier and Co : “So I have been Lise Founder of Papier and Co. and Co-Founder of Ruban Collectif for ten years.

I was born and raised in the South West of France. More precisely, I am from Hossegor in the Landes. The places I love are the sea, the forest, the mountains, and Spain which is not far away and allows me to draw infinite inspiration! "

How did you work on stationery with Christina on this shoot?

Very simply and intuitively. I don't know if it's the fact that we are both girls from the South, where the sea is essential in our lives, but we did not need a lot of exchanges with Christina to understand each other artistically. She shows me a moodboard and automatically flashes come to me and together we find the winning combination!

For this South East shoot, I imagined a simple graphic and organic wedding stationery to go with the atmosphere. Like a stopover without chi-chi in the Calanques.

I liked this theme so much that I included it in the new 2022 Wedding Stationery collection from Papier and Co. under the name “Marseille”. A must-have for all brides who are looking for simplicity and authenticity!