Since her marriage to Château des 3 Fontaines, located in Vaucluse, in Pernes-les-Fontaines, Claire remains absolutely amazed. She looks back, with Pierre, her husband, on these 3 days and 3 nights of festivities. A look at a fairytale wedding.
Everything begins with a meeting
They can be found in Paris, in the heart of the Luxembourg Garden, located in the 6th arrondissement. «We live a stone's throw away, across from the Church of Saint-Sulpice,» explains Claire. This pretty young woman speaks with a smile. She holds Pierre's hand while chatting. Together, they are not yet 50 years old. She is rather tall, with a delicate, tired face, and cheeks glowing with sunshine. Her black hair is magnificent. Long, it cascades down like a train to the middle of her back. Her slightly chipped glasses round her Persian gaze. Her emerald green eyes stare at you intently. She is dressed in a spring-colored dress. It is true that the temperatures are exceptionally spring-like. The thermometer is nearing 17°C this month of March. She recounts: «I was born in Lebanon, in Beirut. I met Pierre in Paris, while we were studying at Sciences Po.»
Pierre, on the other hand, is a head taller than her. He must be 1.85 m tall. He is blond and has a 3-day beard that is barely visible. He's muscular; he's a former elite athlete. He was a ski champion. «We met three years ago, in 2019, just before COVID. It was a strange meeting because we experienced both love at first sight and a very strong friendship. What's wonderful is that we have almost the same passions.» Looking at him closely, and listening to him roll his "r"s, there's something foreign about this man. And it's true. Pierre was born in Poland, in Krakow, to be exact, in the south of the country. His real name is Piotr. But he prefers to be called Pierre.
Getting married in a castle in Provence, from dream to reality
During their studies at Sciences Po, they decided to get engaged. «We got engaged in Poland. It was the first time I'd ever set foot there,» Claire recounts. "Krakow is a beautiful city. Pierre's family is a family of artists and entrepreneurs. His mother, Krystina, is a pianist. And his father, Yanush, manages a company in the telecommunications sector. I was very well received, especially by Pierre's sisters," she says, smiling. Claire discovers Poland. She particularly appreciates the country's traditional culture and history.
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Back in France, they decided to get married. It was May 2020. «It wasn't easy to find the ideal venue,» recalls Pierre. "We had requirements and dreams. We dreamed of getting married in the south, in the sun, and in a castle. We visited half a dozen. Then, we truly fell in love with Château des 3 Fontaines." In September 2020, the couple hadn't found what they were looking for. On September 29th – they still remember the date – a friend, Pierre's future best man, called him and told him about Château des 3 Fontaines . In the aftermath, Pierre calls Claire. A few days later, they go there for a weekend. «We fell in love with the castle, its park, and the owners. They really went out of their way for us. They loved our story. Strangely enough, the rooms we visited looked like the ones I had imagined in a dream a few days before.»
An exceptional place for an exceptional wedding
Back in Paris, their decision is made. Claire and Pierre, charmed, are confident. They have 5 months left to organize everything. Too short? «Not really," explains Pierre, "because the castle has agreements with" local caterers with incredible service capacity and responsiveness. »We've tested it!" The budget is not an issue. Neither is the number of guests. They have 600! True, and there will be around 600 of them on the day. The wedding date has been confirmed: it will be May 28, 29, and 30, 2021. They decided, because of their families and friends coming from Lebanon and Poland, to celebrate their wedding over 3 days and 3 nights.
On D-day, the first guests arrive late Friday afternoon, May 28th, at the château. There are already about a hundred of them. For the occasion, the future newlyweds arranged for their guests, who came from Lebanon and Poland, to meet them in Avignon. «From there, with a service provider from the château, shuttles were waiting for us. And, we all went to the château together. That evening, we organized a first party with the theme: gastronomy and wines of Vaucluse. We were already about a hundred.» Claire and Pierre spend their first night on site, in two separate rooms. The next day is D-day. The fiancés obtained special permission: to get married religiously in the famous papal cathedral in Avignon.
At the mention of the wedding Mass, Claire and Pierre sit on a bench in the Luxembourg Garden, apart. Their Mass lasted nearly two hours. It is 3:00 PM when the newlyweds return to the château. This time, they are indeed married. Since leaving the cathedral, photos have been flying. In the park, The couple escapes for about thirty minutes for an intimate photoshoot amidst the fountains and pools. Then, it's the wedding reception, in the old stables transformed for the occasion. In the evening, before the wedding night, the party is in full swing around a gourmet buffet, which brings together the couple's 600 guests.
It's 3:00 AM when the couple finds themselves in their bridal suite, upstairs. She is decorated, as if dressed in white, for the occasion. The next day, it's already the last day. The festivities resume with a rally, organized by the witnesses, to visit the region.
The 3 days and 3 nights are ending at Château les 3 Fontaines. Back to Paris, before Honeymoon, scheduled for July 2021... in Poland and Lebanon.
In Paris, Claire and Pierre are leaving the Luxembourg Garden and pass by the palace of the same name, which houses the Senate. They go home. Claire's belly is rounded. The family is going to grow. «There are already 3 of us,» she confides, moving closer to Pierre. Together, they turn around, waving goodbye. She concludes: «This marriage, near the French Riviera, was truly ideal.»