*As Seen in Flutter Magazine*Photos by: Jose Villa

After Thursday evenings lovely and intimate rehearsal dinner under the Plantane tree,  the following night was the big welcome party with around 110 wedding guests.  The party took place on the panoramic terrace of Bastide des Gordes in the enchanting, midieval hilltop village of Gordes (named one of the prettiest villages in France, for obvious reasons – I mean just look at that view!)  We scouted this venue during our previous planning trip and fell in love – it’s a boutique, luxury hotel in an ancestral castle – built into the cliffside with a panorama of the Luberon.  I just knew it had to be a perfect fit for one of our client’s weekend events.  The welcome party was a “white theme” cocktail party/strolling supper – super appropriate for a summer fête in Provence.  Yelena and Julien surprised everyone and broke their own rules, wearing chic, colorful ensembles so they stood out in the crowd (the bride is the Events/Marketing Manager for Valentino in NYC, so would expect nothing less than something fabulous like that dress!)  Flowers and decor were all white with natural greenery and accents of kumquat oranges.