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There's a particular magic that happens when a wedding unfolds not in hours, but in days. When champagne toasts at sunset on Monday evening become inside jokes by Wednesday morning. When guests who arrived as acquaintances depart as family.
In the limestone hills of Burgundy and the lavender fields of Provence, I've had the privilege of orchestrating celebrations that refuse to be rushed—three-day intimate gatherings and five-day grand affairs where every moment is given room to breathe, to matter, to become memory.
The Philosophy of
Slow Luxury
Multi-day château celebrations represent a return to something essential we've lost in our accelerated world: the luxury of presence. Not the luxury of excess, but of time itself.
These aren't elongated parties. They're carefully composed symphonies where each day has its own rhythm, its own purpose, its own emotional arc.
When Time Becomes the Gift
Learning from Masterful Examples
Three Real Celebrations
Priscilla and Stephan's September celebration honored two cultures across three distinct days, each with its own identity.
𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟲: "𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟴𝟬 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 – 𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟬𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲"
The journey began with time travel. Guests arrived in 1920s attire—flapper dresses, suspenders, feathered headbands—stepping into a Gatsby dreamscape of vintage trunks, a crimson Morgan automobile, and an accordionist playing beneath ancient oaks.
But the heart of the evening was the Chinese Tea Ceremony. In this intimate ritual, Priscilla and Stephan served tea to their parents, grandparents, and elders—a profound tradition where the simple act of pouring tea becomes a bridge between families, cultures, generations.
By evening, 120 guests gathered in the château's alley for bœuf bourguignon served at rustic farmhouse tables, live jamón ibérico carving, and a whisky-and-cigars bar that felt pulled from a different century.
𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟳: "𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲" 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘆
The lilac pastel greenery shades exuberance gave way to timeless elegance. At 16h30, beneath a 300-year-old oak tree, 124 guests witnessed vows exchanged in dappled sunlight. The aesthetic shifted entirely—from 1920s whimsy to château classique—with a jazz band at the fountain, a romantic dinner on the terrace, and dancing until 3am in the candlelit Orangerie.
This intentional contrast gave each day its own emotional landscape.
𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟴: "𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 + 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗿 + 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹"
The final chapter unfolded with buckwheat crêpe workshops on the terrace, a vinyl records bar where guests curated the soundtrack, wine-and-cheese tastings for 90, and kayaking on the Yonne River for the adventurous seven. The farewell dinner was a relaxed brasero barbecue—no dessert, just stories and laughter as the sun set over Burgundy hills.
By departure, these weren't guests anymore. They were witnesses to something extraordinary.
Château de Martinay: The Refined Provence Experience (3 Days, 68 Guests)
A&S's September celebration in Provence proved that intimacy and luxury are perfect companions.
With only 68 guests, every detail could be exquisite. The welcome evening featured a Provençal buffet beneath ancient olive trees—bruschetta, tapenade, bœuf bourguignon in cast-iron pots—in a palette of dusty rose, sage green, and warm cream.
The wedding day itself was Modern Provence at its finest: an outdoor ceremony at 16h30 with eucalyptus and pale blue ribbons on every aisle chair, cocktails beneath parasols as golden hour painted everything amber, and dinner by the fountain where dusty rose met navy blue and steel grey in perfect harmony. DJ Raphael kept the party alive inside the château until 3am.
The farewell brunch transformed the Orangerie and poolside into a crêperie—both savory buckwheat galettes and sweet crêpes made to order, with guests in sundresses and linen shirts sharing their final café au lait in the September sunshine.
This is what intimacy offers: not less, but more. More attention, more intention, more presence.
Natalie and Ibrahim's September celebration was a masterclass in evolution—five days, 172 guests, nine distinct spaces within a single estate.
𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆: "𝗩𝗶𝗻 & 𝗩𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀"
Just 34 early arrivals descended into medieval wine caves at 18h30 for tastings by candlelight, followed by gourmet burgers from a food truck at the Pavillon Oriental. Intimate. Casual. The calm before the crescendo.
𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆: "𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘆"
Sixty-nine guests gathered across the château's three terraces for a classic Burgundian evening—open bar at 17h30, dinner at 19h00, and a bonfire on the fourth terrace as stars emerged.
𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆: "𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿è𝘀 𝘁𝗿è𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰"
Now 160 strong, the celebration moved to the Grand Marronnier and Roseraie for a vinyl DJ, brasero BBQ, ping-pong tournaments, and heartfelt speeches. The party had officially begun.
𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆: "𝗜𝗡 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝗡 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆" – 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗗𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗔𝗬
All 172 guests. A ceremony at the forest edge at 16h30. Cocktails in the Carré Central. Dinner in the Salon de Musique as violins and saxophones wove through candlelit conversations.
And then, at precisely 22h15, the sky exploded in fireworks—a 15-minute spectacle that painted the Burgundian night in gold and silver. The Grande Galerie became a dance floor until 5am, with late-night snacks served at 1am for those who refused to let the night end.
𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆: "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗯é𝗲"
One hundred thirty-eight souls gathered poolside at the Pavillon Oriental for a farewell brunch that felt less like an ending and more like a celebration of everything that had been. By 14h00, as the last bus departed, what remained wasn't a guest list—it was a community.
The 5-Day Timeline:
The Grand Experience
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭: Welcome evening (18h00-23h00)
Casual cocktail and regional dinner. Let guests arrive, settle, connect.
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮: The Wedding Day (16h00-3h00)
Ceremony at golden hour (16h30-17h00), cocktails, seated dinner, dancing.
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯: Farewell brunch (11h00-14h00)
Relaxed poolside or terrace gathering. Crêpe stations. Coffee. Lingering goodbyes.
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭-𝟮: Arrivals and intimate gatherings (small groups)
Wine tastings, casual dinners, early bonding.
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯: Pre-wedding celebration (full guest list)
Larger party, vinyl DJ, outdoor activities, building energy.
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟰: THE WEDDING DAY (all guests)
Full ceremony, cocktail, seated dinner, fireworks, dancing until dawn.
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱: Farewell brunch
Poolside relaxation, final moments, departures.
Essential Elements for Success
04
03
02
01
05
𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀
𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲
𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁
𝗔𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀
Use different areas of the château. Vallery used nine spaces across five days—each location felt fresh, intentional.
Allow 2-3 hours between major events. Let guests rest, explore, anticipate.
Each day should have its own visual identity. Château du Fey moved from Gatsby gold to fairytale romance. Vallery progressed from rustic caves to fireworks spectacle.
Alternate high-energy moments (fireworks, dancing) with contemplative ones (wine tastings, brunch, kayaking).
The Tea Ceremony at Château du Fey had its own dedicated time (16h30 Monday), separate from the wedding ceremony. This gave it proper reverence and attention.
The Gift of Time
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