You arrive and are overcome by the beauty of the château. Your lofty expectations are exceeded...for the next week, this château is yours! Stroll the grounds feeling the warmth of the Provençal sun and taking in the fragrant flowers in bloom all around you. Explore each of the 18 château bedrooms in anticipation of your guests' excitement upon arrival. Relax by the pool set within picturesque ruins and feel your anxieties wash away.

Close friends and family begin to arrive and each meal becomes an excuse to relax and share notes on recently visited outdoor cafes, boutiques, beaches, and local markets. Guests staying in the nearby village are thrilled to find a welcome basket upon check-in filled with regional favorites, a bottle of wine, including local cheeses, olives, chocolates, lavender soap and a personal welcome letter from you, highlighting your favorite local activities. Private day trips lure guests to arrive early and partake in the best the region has to offer. Board the private bus with 5 or 50 of your closest friends to explore beautiful medieval towns, unforgettable wineries, picturesque fishing villages or historical sites...this must be a dream!

It's time for the rehearsal dinner. The wedding party meets in the Chateau's chapel to walk through the ceremony. The string trio runs through their repertoire and everything begins to feel real.

After the rehearsal, a few more guests join you for poolside cocktails, followed by an intimate, candle-lit dinner at which your guests take turns toasting your honor. Each table is adorned with a candelabra entwined with ivy...the lighting is romantic and the cuisine heavenly...

You awaken early with excitement and take a quick stroll around the grounds before breakfast. Fresh flower arrangements have been placed at the chapel's entryway and you peak in to see the florist sprinkling rose petals down the aisles (apparently she was up earlier than you!).

Confident that every detail has been attended to, you gather your bridesmaids and head into town for some pre-wedding pampering. After a water massage at Aix-en-Provence's famed roman baths, you and your bridesmaids set out for the salon. The salon's stylists make quite a fuss over the gaggle of "jeunes Americaines" in their midst, and work their magic on you - everyone looks great! Feeling refreshed, you return to the château to hear that your soon-to-be husband and his entourage having enjoyed the day golfing.

Good thing the master bathroom is the size of a studio apartment. Before you know it, twenty sets of hands seem to be occupying themselves with your final ablutions — make-up, veil, and the endless set of buttons down the back of your wedding dress... Your Mom gives you a last minute kiss then heads down to join the guests... Someone sneaks you a sip of champagne, and you take a final peak in the mirror.

Finally, the moment you've been waiting for has arrived and you are escorted down the stairs. You enter the chapel and the guests rise - it finally hits home that this is all for you! A handsome tuxedoed figure awaits, and your vision blurs as your eyes meet for the first time. You pause briefly to collect yourself before the long walk down the aisle. You steady yourself at your father's side as he gently takes your arm and leads you past the smiling faces of friends and family and you take your place next to your sister and best friends. Throughout the ceremony you look around, savoring every moment so that it doesn't slip by too quickly. The vows, the rings, the wine, the kiss...

You and your new husband are doused with rose petals on the way out, and someone hands you a glass of champagne. Still a bit light-headed, you make your way through the receiving line and to the buffet and enjoy a delicious brioche toast covered with tapenade. The jazz combo swings softly in the background as the party makes it way to the reception on the Château's front patio.

Your guests feast on rack of lamb and sea bass encrusted in wild mushrooms as the sunset paints the sky. You are unashamedly thankful for the Chateau's "moat of distance" that has kept the wedding small so you can enjoy quality time with all the people who are most important to you.

The jazz gives way to a DJ, and you dance the night away, surprise guests with a fireworks display over the lake (a French tradition) before slipping up to the master suite for some time alone.

The next morning at brunch, you politely laugh and disagree as your guests tell you, one after the other, that this is the most spectacular wedding they've ever attended. In truth, you couldn't agree more...