Over a year ago, luxury wedding photographer Jessica Feiden married her husband, Sid Patel, in a romantic, Impressionist garden-inspired celebration that transformed the French Library into a tableau worthy of Monet himself. We sat down with Jessica Feiden to discuss what led her to the French Library for this momentous occasion.
Photograph by Kati Rosado.
For Jessica, photography began long before weddings entered the picture. “I've always had a love of photos from when I was really little,” she says. After studying graphic design and working in Boston’s corporate world (where Jessica met her future-husband Sid), she began designing wedding stationery on the side. Then, in 2016, a friend asked her to photograph a wedding instead of designing invitations.
“I took this as my opportunity and decided to take all the workshops possible,” Jessica recalls. “The first workshop I did after I quit my corporate job was in Paris, and that's when I fell in love with all things French.”
That love eventually led her to the French Library.
Photograph by Kati Rosado.
Jessica and Sid first discovered the Library at a wedding expo. “He loves to cook, and we love wine and champagne, so we were intrigued,” she says. “Because I love Paris, and love to travel there, I wanted to learn French.” Jessica enrolled in French classes at the Library shortly afterward, embracing “a very welcoming community.”
Their path to hosting a wedding at the French Library, however, was anything but straightforward. The couple originally envisioned a small Martha’s Vineyard wedding, but plans shifted after Jessica’s sister became pregnant and due around their wedding date.
“In a roundabout way, it felt like this was always supposed to be the plan,” Jessica says. “We said to ourselves, ‘we live in Boston. This is where life is. Let’s do all our favorite things in the city.’”
Tucked in the heart of Back Bay, Jessica’s old neighborhood, the French Library quickly emerged as the perfect fit. “We loved the French Library,” Jessica recounts, “so why not really lean into it?” The result was an elegant wedding inspired by French Impressionism, gardens, and Jessica’s own travels to France.
After choosing to hold their ceremony in the Boston Public Garden and hosting guests at the Newbury Hotel, the creative direction naturally followed. “On one of my solo trips to Paris before I met Sid, I went to Monet's garden which was a real-life, pinch-me moment,” Jessica says. “I had taken photos on my film camera. I decided to make these photos of Monet’s garden place cards for our wedding reception.” Those photographs guided the entire palette of the evening: soft florals adorning the space, garden textures, and romantic details layered throughout the Library’s historic interiors.
Photograph by Kati Rosado. Florals by Soul Flora.
Jessica’s admiration for Impressionism stretches back to childhood. “I was always drawn to Impressionism,” she explains. “Growing up, I would go see Degas and his tiny dancers... I feel called to it or drawn to it, inspired by it.”
But Monet remained one of her greatest influences. “I was drawn to the lily pads and that iconic image of the green bridge with all the flowers,” she says. Visiting Giverny in person became an emotional experience that would later inspire both her photography and wedding design. “To go to Monet’s actual home and see the things that he was inspired by was an out of body experience.”
Left: Photograph by Jessica K. Feiden from Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny. Right: Claude Monet, Nymphéas (Water Lilies), 1907. Oil on canvas. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
At one point, the couple even considered marrying in Giverny itself. “One of the earlier ideas I had was can we get married at Monet’s garden?” Jessica laughs. “The French Library felt like a very natural extension of what our vision was.”
Seeing her vision brought to life was one of the highlights of the day for Jessica. “When we came from the Public Gardens after our wedding ceremony and I peeked through the front window of the French Library, I literally started to cry when I saw all the flowers lining the Grand Staircase,” she says. “The space is beautiful and it was easy to find ways to enhance it and bring in ideas.”
Photograph by Kati Rosado.
The celebration was not only a reflection of Jessica and Sid’s love story, but also of Jessica’s continuing relationship with French culture, art, and creativity.
“What does the French Library mean to you?” we asked her.
“I think for me it's the home of all things French,” she says. “It's been amazing taking a passion that I have and then finding a great community that allows me to immerse myself in it.”
For Jessica, learning French has become part of a larger creative life beyond photography. “I’m a lifelong learner and am always trying to learn new things,” she says. “While I love weddings and I love photos, I need to do other creative things that aren't work related.”
One year later, her wedding at the French Library remains a beautiful reminder that sometimes the best plans are the ones that evolve; and that inspiration, much like love, often blooms where you least expect it.
Photograph by Kati Rosado.
-- If you’re looking to plan an enchanting event in Boston’s historic Back Bay, consider renting the French Library for your special occasion.
To learn more about Jessica Feiden’s beautiful work, please visit her wedding services site or printshop site.
Banner photo: Photograph by Kati Rosado. Florals by Soul Flora.
Photograph by Kati Rosado.
For Jessica, photography began long before weddings entered the picture. “I've always had a love of photos from when I was really little,” she says. After studying graphic design and working in Boston’s corporate world (where Jessica met her future-husband Sid), she began designing wedding stationery on the side. Then, in 2016, a friend asked her to photograph a wedding instead of designing invitations.
“I took this as my opportunity and decided to take all the workshops possible,” Jessica recalls. “The first workshop I did after I quit my corporate job was in Paris, and that's when I fell in love with all things French.”
That love eventually led her to the French Library.
Photograph by Kati Rosado.
Jessica and Sid first discovered the Library at a wedding expo. “He loves to cook, and we love wine and champagne, so we were intrigued,” she says. “Because I love Paris, and love to travel there, I wanted to learn French.” Jessica enrolled in French classes at the Library shortly afterward, embracing “a very welcoming community.”
Their path to hosting a wedding at the French Library, however, was anything but straightforward. The couple originally envisioned a small Martha’s Vineyard wedding, but plans shifted after Jessica’s sister became pregnant and due around their wedding date.
“In a roundabout way, it felt like this was always supposed to be the plan,” Jessica says. “We said to ourselves, ‘we live in Boston. This is where life is. Let’s do all our favorite things in the city.’”
Tucked in the heart of Back Bay, Jessica’s old neighborhood, the French Library quickly emerged as the perfect fit. “We loved the French Library,” Jessica recounts, “so why not really lean into it?” The result was an elegant wedding inspired by French Impressionism, gardens, and Jessica’s own travels to France.
After choosing to hold their ceremony in the Boston Public Garden and hosting guests at the Newbury Hotel, the creative direction naturally followed. “On one of my solo trips to Paris before I met Sid, I went to Monet's garden which was a real-life, pinch-me moment,” Jessica says. “I had taken photos on my film camera. I decided to make these photos of Monet’s garden place cards for our wedding reception.” Those photographs guided the entire palette of the evening: soft florals adorning the space, garden textures, and romantic details layered throughout the Library’s historic interiors.
Photograph by Kati Rosado. Florals by Soul Flora.
Jessica’s admiration for Impressionism stretches back to childhood. “I was always drawn to Impressionism,” she explains. “Growing up, I would go see Degas and his tiny dancers... I feel called to it or drawn to it, inspired by it.”
But Monet remained one of her greatest influences. “I was drawn to the lily pads and that iconic image of the green bridge with all the flowers,” she says. Visiting Giverny in person became an emotional experience that would later inspire both her photography and wedding design. “To go to Monet’s actual home and see the things that he was inspired by was an out of body experience.”
Left: Photograph by Jessica K. Feiden from Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny. Right: Claude Monet, Nymphéas (Water Lilies), 1907. Oil on canvas. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
At one point, the couple even considered marrying in Giverny itself. “One of the earlier ideas I had was can we get married at Monet’s garden?” Jessica laughs. “The French Library felt like a very natural extension of what our vision was.”
Seeing her vision brought to life was one of the highlights of the day for Jessica. “When we came from the Public Gardens after our wedding ceremony and I peeked through the front window of the French Library, I literally started to cry when I saw all the flowers lining the Grand Staircase,” she says. “The space is beautiful and it was easy to find ways to enhance it and bring in ideas.”
Photograph by Kati Rosado.
The celebration was not only a reflection of Jessica and Sid’s love story, but also of Jessica’s continuing relationship with French culture, art, and creativity.
“What does the French Library mean to you?” we asked her.
“I think for me it's the home of all things French,” she says. “It's been amazing taking a passion that I have and then finding a great community that allows me to immerse myself in it.”
For Jessica, learning French has become part of a larger creative life beyond photography. “I’m a lifelong learner and am always trying to learn new things,” she says. “While I love weddings and I love photos, I need to do other creative things that aren't work related.”
One year later, her wedding at the French Library remains a beautiful reminder that sometimes the best plans are the ones that evolve; and that inspiration, much like love, often blooms where you least expect it.
Photograph by Kati Rosado.
-- If you’re looking to plan an enchanting event in Boston’s historic Back Bay, consider renting the French Library for your special occasion.
To learn more about Jessica Feiden’s beautiful work, please visit her wedding services site or printshop site.
Banner photo: Photograph by Kati Rosado. Florals by Soul Flora.
Sophia Kornitsky
Rentals Manager & Administrative Coordinator
Sophia is native to central Massachusetts and began learning French in high school. She deepened her passion at Wellesley College where she majored in French and film. During this time, she studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence and interned at the Musée Jean Cocteau on the Côte d'Azur. Following her studies, Sophia lived in Paris for several years in a variety of education- and hospitality-based positions. When she's not at the French Library, she is going to the cinema and exploring cafés in Boston. She is thrilled to show you the beautiful and historic spaces the French Library has to offer in her role as Rental Coordinator.
