The Wedding

The wedding events began shortly after we arrived in France.  When we got off the train, we had just enough time to shower and throw on some clothes before we headed to the 'Bienvenue' reception.  This party was held in the gorgeous gardens of a hotel.  We were greeted by our friends and handed local rose wine and delicious appetizers.  This evening certainly set the stage for the events to come.  

The next day (after we all recovered from too much wine the night before), we indulged in yet another decadent evening.  The rehearsal dinner was held at one of the oldest restaurants in town, Les Deux Garcons.  The food was incredible and the tables were set with gorgeous crystal centerpieces.  By this point, the various friends and family were  starting to get to know each other, which made the rest of the wedding festivities so much fun.

After the meal and a bit of dancing, all of the young people headed to a nearby outdoor bar for an after dinner drink.  

The next day was wedding day!  David was kind enough to invite me as an "honorary groomsman" to the pre-wedding preparations at the cottage and grounds where the wedding was held.  It was so fun to be a part of the pre-wedding antics and to get a sneak peek of the venue before the guests arrived.  

The tent was decorated with an unbelievable collection of roses:  

The beautiful bride and her ladies in waiting:

My handsome husband:

The wedding itself was simple and elegant.  The aisle was lined with candles in hurricane lanterns.  Unfortunately, someone's scarf got a bit too close to one of the lanterns, catching on fire in the middle of the exchanging of vows!  Before the flames could get too high, another guest took off his jacket and put the fire out.  The ceremony continued and by the end of the night, we were all laughing about it.

Immediately following the ceremony, the guests toasted the bride and groom in the beautiful stone courtyard before heading to a separate tent for the reception.

The reception tent was just as breathtaking as the ceremony tent.  The tables were filled with roses and beautiful china and stemware.  

We were served a five-course gourmet meal paired with complementary wines.  This was probably one of the best meals I have ever had.  Fortunately, the courses were spread throughout the evening so we were not too full to dance.

As the bride and groom cut the cake, sparklers went off around the perimeter of the tent!

Overall, the entire evening was beautiful.  The thing that impressed me the most is that while the wedding was extravagant, it was still comfortable.  Everyone had a wonderful time and it was a perfect reflection of the bride and groom.

The next morning, we were invited to brunch to bid the happy couple farewell on their honeymoon.  

We were so glad to be a part of David and Meredith's wedding extravaganza!

Aix-en-Provence

Almost a year later, and I am FINALLY getting around to recapping the rest of our trip to Europe!  

After our whirlwind tour of Italy (we will definitely be back someday), it was time to head to France for the wedding of our dear friends, David and Meredith.  David and I have been friends since freshman year and I have known Meredith since they started dating in college.  They are a perfect match for each other, and we couldn't be happier for them!

The wedding was held in Aix-en-Provence, a charming town with a nice blend of historical and modern touches.  We stayed at a small boutique hotel, Le Cardinal.  I had low expectations since this was one of the cheaper hotels in the area, but it far surpassed my expectations!  The room was beautiful with an original fireplace, floor to ceiling windows, a gorgeous balcony, and period furniture.  Everything was antique without being stuffy, which I think is hard to pull off.  It was also in a great location, just a few blocks off the main thoroughfare.

While in Aix, we were kept pretty busy with wedding events including a welcome reception, rehearsal dinner, the wedding itself, and a farewell brunch - which I will write about in another post.  We did have a little time to wander the streets, window shop, eat some pastries, and stop in a beautiful church.  I got a sense that the pace of life here was just right - not too busy and not too slow.   I have a feeling Aix would be a lovely place to live.  We would love to return to the Provence region someday.

I would have loved to spend more time exploring this charming city, but we were happy to sacrifice time to explore in favor of attending the magnificent wedding events, as you will see in the next post.