1 “We filled the entrance with this flower curtain that I’d been dreaming of for a very
long time,” says the bride. 2 The couple and their squad proved that no party is
complete without a group selfie. 3 Lunch was served under the gallery’s intricate
dome, so the long tables featured minimal decor: single rose stems in bud vases.ost well-heeled French couples
have two ceremonies when they
marr y: one civil, the only kind
recognized by the state, and one
more personal and often reli-
gious. Amélie Reymond, 30, and
Laurent Fiat, 36, made it official at
the courthouse in Paris’s 1st
arrondissement last Januar y, then
celebrated with a 125-person luncheon at Éléphant Pan-
ame, a restored Napoleon III–era building owned by the
groom housing art galleries and dance studios. “When we
entered, ever yone stood up and clapped for us,” says the
bride. “I was ver y emotional. I cried a little—but I blame
that on being seven months pregnant at the time.”
The second ceremony came eight months later. “We
wanted to celebrate again in the middle of summer, when
ever yone is tan, beautiful, and happy,” says the bride.
So in August, with 65 guests looking on, they exchanged
vows—this time, handwritten and from the heart—in
a chapel near the groom’s family home in Flassans-sur-
Issole, a small village in Provence. “It was so intimate,
with only our closest family and friends attending,”
Amélie says. The sunny countr y wedding the bride envi-
sioned was interrupted at cocktail hour by a suddenM
Venue Éléphant Paname; elephantpaname.com. Floral design Atelier Roses
by Claire; atelierosesbyclaire.com. Atelier Claire Jaurand; 011-33-6-29-42-57-11.
Catering Kaspia; kaspia-receptions.com. Rentals Options; options.fr.
Photography Laurine Paumard; laurinepaumard.com.13 2BRIDES.COM JUNE/JULY 2016 233