The last stop of our three part segment is finally here!  Sorry for the delay in this post – as wedding season has finally started to wind down and we’re playing catch up on the blog 🙂  Like the last posts, most are from my trusty iPhone, with the exception of a few supplemented photos from the official websites in the event my trusty iPhone couldn’t do justice.

CANNES

From our adventures in Provence, we drove a few hours south to the Cote d’Azur and checked into The Carlton – an iconic waterfront hotel overlooking the Bay of Cannes, opening up to the Mediterranean Sea.  The hotel is right on Boulevard de La Croisette, famous for the Cannes Film Festival (during which the hotel plays host to many famous movie stars) and designer shopping.  Pulling up to the hotel, I definitely had a Grace Kelly moment — the fancy hotel served as the setting for the movie “To Catch a Thief”, starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant.  This year the hotel celebrated their 100th anniversary!

We had coffee with Alexia Caly, the hotel’s event sales manager and got the scoop on weddings at The Carlton.  Tres glamorous!  If anyone is interested in learning more about hosting their wedding here, please contact us as we can share the brochures, photos and information we gathered from Alexia.  She told us about an exciting, large and elaborate Indian wedding they had coming up – where the couple was buying out all 343 hotel rooms for the long weekend, including the beach club/restaurant and shutting down Boulevard de La Croisette for a traditional barat (ceremonial parade in Indian weddings) complete with elephants.  She said it will be the first time the entire hotel is bought out by one individual.  Wow!

The lobby at The Carlton
The ballroom was setup for a fur exhibition all month – they even brought in their own black and white carpet to match their branding!  I’m sure you can get an idea of how pretty the room could be without the furs, steel structures for their lighting, and b&w carpet.  Look at those chandeliers, ceiling moldings and marble!

Our room with a view

Beach Day at the Carlton!  Definitely a place for people watching…be sure to don your best coverup and oversized designer shades.
A yummy lunch on the beach of prosciutto, melon and caprese salad.

Private hotel beaches and restaurants dotted the coastline along the main drag.  Expect to pay for a full or 1/2 day if you want a lounge chair – even if you are staying at the hotel.  Anyone can eat at the beach restaurants, but it’s prime real estate so expect that to be reflected in the menu pricing 🙂  Come for a leisurely lunch, to see and be seen and soak in the view…so worth it!

After lunch, window shopping turned into real shopping when I couldn’t pass up these darling nude patent Miu Miu kicks with diamond studded heels!  Oops 🙂

After a full day, the beaches emptied and the streets lined with cafes and shops came alive.  We waited 45 minutes to get into Coquillages Brun, a seafood brasserie known as the “go to” place in Cannes for the freshest fare – it’s been around for 60+ years.  You can watch servers shuck oysters fresh off the boat on the side of the restaurant.  They serve everyone complimentary mini snails while you wait for your food to come, and I was surprisingly adventurous – not bad!

 

NICE

We left Cannes to work our way down the coast – next stop: Nice.  Much more local and laid-back vibe than flashy Cannes.  Pictured here: the colorful boats in le Port de Nice.

We checked into Le Negresco, another iconic belle epoque style hotel on the Riviera.  The hotel is a melting pot of traditional, ornate french style while also housing a modern art collection.  It is definitely an experience – a little old world Paris at the beach! I have stayed here a couple times previously, but this time they just completed a huge renovation of their guest rooms and hallways which previously were a little dated.  The result – magnifique!  Black laquered vault doors with gold knobs for each hotel room and brand new furnishings and fixtures – it was like the W hotel meets Versailles…especially with the neon kaleidescope-esque carpet.  Delightful, even if a bit bizzare.

The whimsical La Rotunde (The Carousel), open for breakfast and lunch.  How cute would a wedding brunch be in this room??  On the hour, the carousel horses move up and down…fascinating.The Moet & Chandon champagne bar on the outside terrace overlooking the Mediterranean.  A perfect place for an aperitif before dinner.  A DJ spins trendy tunes here in the evenings.

The Versaille Salon – available for private functions.

The door man and bellmen in costume (yes, they look like this everyday!) along with some of the hotel staff for their 100th anniversary photo-op last year.

ANTIBES

In Antibes, we scouted the amazing Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc…definitely one of my personal favorites – to stay or as a wedding venue!  Originally built as a private mansion, it opened as a hotel in 1870 and has 118 rooms.

Check out this gorgeous wedding at the hotel – talk about an aisle! (Photos by Alban Pichon).  

While you are in Antibes, make sure you stop in the historic village (near the old fort) for some shopping for local goodies and souvenirs at the little shops and fresh produce at the covered market.  (Note: the streets are very windy and narrow as well as there being tons of pedestrians, so just park and walk…no matter how confident you are in your mini car rental!)

Also in Antibes, is the area of Juan les Pins – a short car ride away and a super hip/trendy spot that definitely comes alive at night.  I consider it the “South Beach” of the Riviera – where the younger crowd comes to play at night. Go around 6pm after a day at the beach for some early evening shopping at the boutiques (there are some good ones…including a hat maker devoted solely to beautiful headpieces!) followed by a leisurely dinner of people watching at one of the many cafe’s.  Shops stay open as late as midnight in the summer months.  Even though it’s a casual/festive atmosphere here, leave the shorts and tanks at home – it’s not uncommon to see ladies in cocktail attire, including the 4″ heels.

We normally eat at one of the street cafes, but this time we found a cool restaurant right on the beach – perfect for watching the sunset!  At night, the lights twinkling up the coast are just lovely.

MONACO

Last summer we stayed in Monaco, at the famous Hotel de Paris next to the casino, but this year we just made a day trip.

Alain Ducasse’s restaurant Le Louis XV inside Hotel de ParisA guest room at Hotel de Paris with a view of the Casino

Our hotel room during last year’s stay

View from our room

The banquet room – can you imagine getting married here with huge windows facing the main square, including the famous casino?  Talk about feeling like you’re in a movie!

I found my Sergio Rossi wedding shoes during my stay here last year – on display in the lobby of Hotel de Paris!

We had a relaxing gourmet lunch at The Monte Carlo Beach Resort, sister property of the fancier Hotel de Paris.  The Beach Resort has a chic art deco vibe. There is a free shuttle that runs between all 3 sister properties and you can use the facilities at any of the  3 hotels if you are staying at one of them.

An elegant yet rustic seafood restaurant built into the rocks on the point of the resort

Lunch was an artichoke (three ways) tower at the Monte Carlo Beach Resort

CAP FERRAT

The next day, we visited St. Jean Cap Ferrat.  Another grand dame on the Riviera, I have fond memories of staying at the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat with my grandparents on vacation.  The hotel is a similar layout as that of the Eden Roc, and also like the Eden Rock the hotel bas been around for many years and has seen many celebrities, dignitaries and politicians.  Make sure to check out the beautiful video of the hotel on their website – my very own wedding videographer, Gabriel of MG Image, created it!

The salt water infinity pool and pretty poolside restaurant are reached by an all-glass tram that takes you down the cliffside of the property.  Even when in the Riviera and not staying here, I always make it a point to visit and at least have lunch by the pool!  This would make an awesome wedding venue.

We spent our last night in the Riviera back  in Cannes.  That evening there was an over-the-top, fabulous private event put on by The Grand Hotel in Cannes celebrating their 50th birthday – it was straight out of movie complete with 18 ft. tall electric violinists in fresh floral gowns, a spinning carousel dessert bar with a white grand piano at the center, haute cuisine and a majestic firework display.  See a video clip from my instagram here.

A stilt walker in a costume remnant of a mythical creature ushers guests into the main entrance.

As you can see, we had a simply amazing trip to the Riviera – there is nothing quite like it.  There are so many great hotels and venues!  Whether you are going for your destination wedding, honeymoon, or just an overdue vacation…we hope you have found our recap helpful 🙂  And of course, if you are interested in planning a chic wedding in the Riviera (or anywhere else!) be sure to contact us regarding our destination wedding packages.  Merci!