4min
May 20, 2025
We Will Always Have Paris! Lighting a Parisian wedding and related events.
A luxurious wedding celebration across Paris—from a vintage circus to the opulent Opera House—was a masterclass in creative vision and collaboration.
The Paris Opera House holds many memories for most people of spectacular performances in an extravagant setting. But for one couple, it will now be a symbol of something deeply personal … a cherished memory of their wedding rehearsal dinner.
This performance was one act of a three-part wedding celebration that took place at three locations across Paris. It was orchestrated by Debbie Geller, founder of Los Angeles-based Geller Events who describes this multi-day event as one of the biggest in size and scope of her illustrious 25-year a career.
Surprisingly, the festivities began not at a palace or estate, but at the circus.
“I wanted each event to feel completely distinct. And for the first night, I thought, let’s do something unexpected.”
The event took place at the Musée des Arts Forains, a whimsical vintage circus museum tucked away in Paris. Full of old-world charm and theatrical flair, it set the tone for an imaginative weekend to come.
The next night, the wedding party reconvened at the Paris Opera House. Guests were greeted by thousands of red flowers spilling out the doors, cascading down the grand staircase, and suspended from above in a dramatic floral installation. “Nothing says opera like red,” Geller says. The floral designer, Roni Floral Design, in France, agreed.
The wedding itself took place on the final evening at Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. At that event, the aesthetic shifted to a timeless all-white palette.
The scope of the wedding also brought with it several firsts. Notably, Geller partnered with a French planner for the first time in her career—essential for managing not only logistics and language, but local customs and the nuances of each historic venue.
“Alejandra Pouple Events helped us navigate language and culture to truly honor these incredible locations,” Geller notes.
It was also the first time Geller couldn’t be present for nightly rehearsals and light checks due to the overlapping events. To manage the visual continuity across the three evenings, she collaborated with Ray Thompson, Senior Lighting Designer at Images by Lighting.
“Debbie had to be at the Thursday welcome event,” says Thompson. “So I advanced the lighting at the Opera House. The next night, she called the cues at the dinner while I was already setting up for the wedding at the chateau.”
LIGHTING THE PARIS OPERA HOUSE
Ray began looking at the lighting design for the rehearsal dinner three months ahead of the wedding events. Ten days before, he flew to Paris to be onsite. Working inside of the Paris Opera House would be the closest the events would be to a site of historical and cultural significance and it had to be right.
Images by Lighting was brought in as consultant but worked closely with All Events, the in-house lighting designer.
“It’s always our desire to collaborate with the people who know the venue best,” Debbie says. Ray adds, “In this case, the dinner space had a unique architectural structure. We used the site’s clad trusses which were built to match the room exactly as it exists. There are strict spacing rules. Before we could even think about tables or stages, we had to lay out the room to accommodate those. We had space for exactly 200 guests.”
In Paris, the lighting design touched every detail: the flowers, the DJ, the entertainment, and layers of architectural lighting. Giant floral arrangements were illuminated from above and both sides—carefully lit to enhance their beauty without blinding guests. Hidden among the blooms were hundreds of battery-operated lights, placed to highlight the intricate floral design.
“We lit Andrea Bocelli and his son on stage,” Ray says. “The in-house supplier, who also handles all shows at the venue, was our production partner. They knew the space and we brought the vision.”
Geller brought in Belgian artist Charles Kaisin, known for surrealist dinner experiences. “There were 100 waiters for 200 guests,” she says. “Each course was introduced with choreographed, costumed servers. With every new dish, the music changed, and the lights dimmed for a theatrical reveal.”
After dinner, guests made their way into the Opera House for a special performance. First came Matteo Bocelli. Then, to the astonishment of the crowd, Andrea Bocelli appeared. “The guests were absolutely blown away,” Geller says.
At the chateau the next night for the wedding ceremony and celebrations, lighting became a matter of logistics and safety. “This was a huge property,” Ray says. “And Debbie moved guests throughout it. From ceremony to cocktails, to a dinner tent, to a drone show, and then back to the chateau on mini trains.”
That final return was a scene-stealer. Guests arrived to a new view of the chateau—completely transformed by video mapping and pyrotechnics from The Monumental Tour.
And the grand finale? An after-party featuring Calvin Harris that had everyone on their feet.
There’s a book to be written about each of the three nights. But in the simplest of terms, this was an event where every evening unfolded with theatrical precision. Behind the scenes, it was a masterclass in creative collaboration, logistical choreography, and artistry.
And for one couple, this unforgettable weekend became their love story—told across three spectacular nights in Paris.
Event Production and Coordination: Geller Events | European Planning Consultant: Alejandra Poupel Events | Artistic Direction & Design Collaboration: NicolasBarelier | Floral Design: Roni Floral Design | Photography: Jose Villa | Videography: East West Films | Tenor: Andrea Bocelli | Entertainment: Nuart Events | Musical Entertainment: Inspiration Live Music | Scenography / Surrealist Dinner Entertainment: Charles Kaisin | Cocktails / Bar Catering: DNA Bartending | Champagne: Bulles Signature | Catering : Poteletchabot | Invitations, Menus, Printed Materials: Lehr and Black | Linens: Nuage Designs Inc | Rentals: AS Design Rental | Furniture Rentals : 126 Events; AS Design Rental; Vendome Locations; AS Luxury Paris | Tabletop Rentals: Maison Options | Antique Furniture: Soubrier | Sound & Lighting: All Events | Lighting designer: Ray Thompson, Images by Lighting
