Culture and Fashion

Provence doesn’t only make vacationers dream, it also seduces brides and grooms to be. Beyond the irresistible charms of the region, celebs choose Provence because it’s dear to their hearts. Here’s our recap on some famous weddings.

By Caroline Taret - Photos DR / Getty Images
October 28, 2011

1951 In Cinemascope

Yves Montand married Simone Signoret at La Colombe d’Or in Saint-Paul de Vence.

These two superstars of French cinema met in Provence and more precisely on the patio of the Colombe d’Or, artistic haunt serving excellent food in Saint-Paul

de Vence. The couple maintained their habits throughout their lives, lunching in the sun at the same table for every visit. Their presence can still be felt there, like those of some important artists who changed the world, Picasso, Matisse, and Jean Giono…

 

1956 The Marriage of the Century

The American actress Grace Kelly said “I Do” to Prince Rainier, monarch of the Principality of Monaco.

Without a doubt the 20th century’s most glamorous marriage, the wedding of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, actress and muse of the director Alfred Hitchcock, remains etched in everyone’s memory. Women around the world perceived their love affair as a genuine fairy story, and even today it remains a myth. And Provence plays a role since it was on the Riviera during a shoot of the film “To Catch a Thief”, directed by Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, that the beautiful American was introduced to the Prince of Monaco. In 2011, their son and current sovereign, Albert II married Charlene Wittstock at a grandiose ceremony.

 

Put to test

1971 Rock n Roll Version

Mick Jagger and Bianca Perez married in Saint-Tropez.

The leader of the Rolling Stones’ first marriage was to a politically and socially committed Nicaraguan-born actress, who would go on to become a lawyer and the mother of his first daughter, Jade. The couple was very much a part of the jet set and British high society, and their marriage on Brigitte Bardot’s little port was the glam event of the early 70s. Mick Jagger went on to marry for a second time with Jerry Hall in 1980, after a 10-year affair with the top model who would become the mother of four of his children.

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2011 British Chic and French Touch

Marc Ronson and Joséphine de la Baume tie the knot in Aix-en-Provence.

Thirty years after his compatriot, the British producer and musician married the French actress in Provence, not in Saint Tropez, but in Aix-en-Provence. Brilliant musician Marc Ronson, author of the Amy Winehouse opus Back to Black, was surrounded by his friends including Sean Lennon. Provence, much appreciated by the English, is also in the sights of Kate Moss and her husband Jamie Hince, who would like to invest there, why not in a winery. To be continued…