Le Perche – a great escape only 2 hours from Paris

Le Perche is a little known area of Normandy but it’s an area of France that is near and dear to our hearts here at Fête in France.  Last weekend we got the opportunity to visit a new wedding venue in the area so faster than we could say oui, we had our car keys in hand and our golden retriever in the backseat for a spin out over the rolling green hills of the countryside of lower Normandy.

We pulled up at the chateau and immediately liked what we saw – a long drive, a big parc, a pond and a pretty turreted chateau.  The chateau has been beautifully maintained and features exposed stone walls in many of the rooms.  It’s cozy, bright and welcoming.  For the moment there are 4 very large bedrooms in the chateau and then there are numerous outbuildings which house additional accommodation and a theater.    After a nice visit with the owner and a delicious lunch of homemade soupe de poisson the crowd began to arrive for a traditional English tea dance, which you can read more about in Fête Notes!

It’s almost like being (t)here…

Eiffel Tower playing the “A” in Paris?  Check.

Iconic music from a charming French movie?  Check.

High-def monument-porn photos?  Check.

Should you check it out?  Definitely.

http://www.paris-26-gigapixels.com

Breathtaking luxury château…only 35 minutes from Paris

We were recently lucky enough to visit a truly fabulous château (and trust us, we see a lot of fabulous places!). So what sets it apart you ask? Let us count the ways…
1) located only 35 minutes from Paris so you’re there before you have time to make it through your favorite ipod playlist
2) A grand entrance to greet you with a large gate and cobblestoned drive
3) Beautiful grounds with a lake, forest and elegant French gardens designed by no other than the master of the art – Le Nôtre
4) Chapel for a wedding ceremony of up to 100 guests
5) A reception room ideal for 60-70 guests
6) Guest accommodation site for up to 30 people in rooms decorated with French antiques and modern bathrooms (the best of the past and present!)
7) Period costumes on hand…gentlemen, start powdering your wigs and ladies, start channeling your inner Marie Antoinette.

Interested? More information and pricing upon request.

And the winner is…

…France!

International Living has posted its 2010 Quality of Life Index and France is on top!

Read the article and see how other countries ranked.

Your Paris apartment

You’re planning a trip to Paris and have consulted guidebooks and travel blogs galore.  What you’ve probably universally read is that the way to really appreciate the fair “City of Lights” is to experience it as a Parisian.  And what better way to do so than rent your own centrally located, decorator-designed pied à terre?

Newly renovated and full of amenities, this charming apartment in the 7th arrondissement is your perfect home base. In the heart of Paris and walking distance from almost everything worth seeing, you can be a Parisian (or at least pretend for a while).

The apartment is also a great place to get ready on your big day, away from the rest of the wedding party and snooping eyes!

How to guarantee perfect wedding weather

If you have your heart set on an outdoor wedding why not pick one of France’s sun-drenched regions?

Languedoc
From the Mediterranean shores of the Cote Vermeille to the beautiful medieval walled city of Carcassonne, the Languedoc-Roussillon region of the south of France is one of the sunniest in the country. Sunshine is nearly guaranteed from May to December, providing a fantastic destination for your “shoulder season” or even “off-season” destination wedding in France. Worth noting that July and August can be quite hot, with temperatures reaching 30C/86F.

Provence
The lavender-filled hillsides of Provence are the perfect compliment to this year’s hot wedding color combo of grey and purple. Enjoy the +300 days of sunshine, the provençal cuisine, and the quaint villages and country houses. Worth noting is that the Mistral, the (in)famous wind that originates in the Alps, can swoop in at any time; the Mistral is strongest in the Cotes du Rhone valley.

Cote d’Azur
The epicenter of the international jet-set during the summer, there is no more glamorous spot than the famous French Riviera. Nice, St Tropez, St Jean du Cap Ferrat all feature luxurious hotels and wedding venues to impress the most demanding bride-to-be. Worth noting that July and August are peak season and reservations are best made well in advance.

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Battle of the bakers: Pièce montée vs Wedding cake

While it’s doubtful that people would come to punches over pastry, passion runs deep regarding wedding desserts and the different traditions are worth understanding.

“In this corner…”
The “Pièce montée” (literally “assembled piece” or “mounted piece”) is usually a conical-shaped construction of croquembouche cream-filled puffs, held together by caramel or spun sugar or macarons the French sandwich cookies made famous by Ladurée.

…and in the other corner”
The traditional wedding cake, usually multi-tiered cake covered in frosting and decorated in myriad ways. The trend has been towards fondant icing, which gives a smooth modern look. Nowadays it’s rare to see bride and groom figurines perched on the top tier; brides prefer to have the cake topper incorporate fresh flowers or other decorative elements that tie into their wedding theme colors.

The legalities of getting married in France

Many people wonder about the legal requirements for a wedding in France.  In France there is a 40 day residency requirement for a legal wedding.  For the details on the legalities of getting married in France you check out the following guide from the US Embassy: http://france.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/paris-marriage.pdf

Yes, the legal bit can be a stumbling block for some people but it shouldn’t discourage couples from getting married in France. The law basically stipulates that you need to civilly wed before you can have a religious ceremony. (Most French couples these days have a civil wedding at their local ‘mairie’ and then a few weeks or even months later they will have a religious ceremony with a traditional wedding reception.) If you are not a resident of France for at least 40 days prior to the wedding then you cannot have a legal wedding in France. Obviously, most couples coming from abroad fall into this latter category. Here are a few options to work around the requirements:

Option 1 ) Have a civil ceremony in your hometown and then come to France for a religious or symbolic blessing ceremony. In the past, I’ve even had couples who have decided to have a secret civil ceremony before they come to France to comply with the law and then they organize a church or symbolic blessing ceremony and party with friends and family. Many couples tend to feel that the ceremony they have in front of the people closest to them is the one that really counts. Brides have requested things like, “if my mother asks, tell her that the French ceremony is the real thing!” Whether couples decide to keep it a secret or not, that is entirely up to them but taking care of legal wedding requirements at home before coming to France is the most common method of working around the legal requirement for marriage in France.

Option 2) Have a legal wedding in the UK and then come to Paris on the same day for a wedding reception. If you really want to impress your guests, it is possible to get married in the morning in London and then take the Eurostar to Paris for a wedding reception that same afternoon/evening.

Option 3) Some couples do not have any specific religious beliefs or affiliations so they just want a nice, meaningful symbolic ceremony. Some English speaking celebrants here will perform symbolic ceremonies for couples here in France and then the couples make it official at their local city hall when they return home. Alternatively, some couples ask a close family friend or relative to perform the symbolic ceremony in France and then the couple legalizes the marriage upon their return home.