Romance in France is part of the culture and I can think of few things as romantic as a wedding. The daughter of a friend recently got married in Provence and I was honored to be among the guests invited to their week-end celebration.
In France the civil ceremony is the legally binding one, but most people opt for both a civil ceremony at City Hall and a religious one in a church which usually includes two days of festivities. Today's pictorial post covers the days before, during, and after the ceremony, so enjoy the celebration:)
The venue for the celebration was a large private property which sleeps 30, a large patio,
a vineyard behind the parking area,
and a "water spot" technically not a legal pool :)
The couple's friends stayed on the property while everyone else rented other accommodations. Our lovely rented home included an outdoor patio under vines,
and very treacherous old stone steps (where I fell)!
The day before the ceremony we wanted to do some test shots and two of the groomsmen obligingly stood in as body doubles for the bride and groom:)
The ceremony inside a medieval church ended with a shower of rose petals,
and the couple drove off to the reception property in an electric jeep.
Champagne, wine, and cocktails awaited, along with eight tables of hors d'oeuvres.
As night fell, we walked over to a large tent for our dinner.
Several courses and drinks later, speeches and toasts
led to dancing the night away.
The next day was the more casual celebration where nearly everyone enjoyed the "water spot".
I had not brought a bathing suit and was about to jump in clothed, but the bride lent me a bikini :)
Brunch was buffet style, with self serve coffee, tea, juice,
cheese, and of course rosé.
By the time all 200 guests had left, we still had to put away the furniture, collect the trash, and take all the empty bottles to the recycling center. Apparently the caterer said those tasks were not included in the $$$$$ contract.....everyone pitched in and we got it all sorted in the end.
I split the 12 hour drive back with the bride's father, but we did take a lunch break on the way back to enjoy the view at a rest stop :)
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