The English Celebrant- The English Celebrant
Your Wedding in the Var, part 1
Updated: Feb 16, 2020
So Why Provence? – The Coastal Var :
The PACA (Provence, Alps, Côte d’Azur) region is surprisingly extensive. It comprises 6 departments covering the area between the Italian border north to Briançon in the east; from the Carmargue and the Rhone river as far north as Bollène in the west.
Every part of Provence is as beautiful as it is diverse
And it stretches from the majesty of the Southern Alps to the Mediterranean Sea. My job as a celebrant has taken me to all but the Alpine areas, and every venue I’ve been to, whether it be a villa, a gites, a wine domaine, a chateau, a beach club or a hotel has been quite magical.
For the sake of ease, I shall divide Provence into smaller and quite distinct sections : The Riviera, The Var, The Vaucluse (including the Luberon National Park) and the Rhone Valley.
The Var
I start with the Var which is where we have been living in deep contentment since 2004. We are based near the ancient Roman hill village of Fréjus, a perfect starting point for travel to all parts of Provence and beyond.
The Varois Coast
Its extensive coastline includes the iconic Saint-Tropez peninsular and stretches from the Riviera Coast near Cannes in the east to half-way between Toulon and Marseille in the west. We've conducted several coastal Weddings, Elopements and Vow Renewals over the years, however when choosing a "beach" wedding you should be aware that prices are often higher than you might find inland, and easy accessibility for your guests, particularly during the heavy traffic period of the high season, needs to be taken into account.
Cap Camarat, above the Bay de Pampelonne, Ramatuelle
Manoah Plage, Pampelonne Beach, Ramatuelle
Also, when planning your timing, you may need to consider that beach restaurants, hotels and clubs often do not allow access to wedding parties until 7pm, enabling them to serve a full day to their holiday clients.
Restaurant de la Plage, Grimaud
Sometimes you may find a beach restaurant that will allow a day time wedding, such as this one in the Bay of Saint-Tropez, as long as you're happy to have holiday-makers all around you, and, of course, you and your guests use their facilities to the max!
In truth, we've found that non-guests keep a respectful distance and remain quiet under such circumstances – most are happy to have the free entertainment...
A Private Villa Wedding, Grimaud
Elopement at the Hotel Mauresque, Boulouris
Next time in The Var part 2 we'll explore the inland areas of the Var and visit the châteaux, vineyards and even cloisters to be found in this lovely department. A Bientôt!