France · Aix-en-Provence · Venue guide
A Wedding at Château de Grimaldi, Aix-en-Provence
Château de Grimaldi is a private estate in the countryside just outside Aix-en-Provence – an old stone house inside the walls of a former archbishops’ palace, with a Romanesque chapel, olive groves, umbrella pines and a pool by the ruins. I filmed two American couples here in the spring and early summer of 2022: Hannah and Andrew in May, and Sarah and Mert in June.
- Where
- The countryside just outside Aix-en-Provence
- History
- The site of the 17th-century palace of Archbishop Grimaldi
- Ceremony
- In the chapel or in the gardens
- Best months
- May, June and September
The archbishops’ estate
The estate was once the seat of the Archbishops of Aix. In the 17th century Cardinal Girolamo Grimaldi rebuilt it as a grand palace; the palace was later pulled down, and the present house was built inside its old walls. What remains today is a wonderfully romantic mix – a Provençal house with terraces, the ruins of the palace, a small Romanesque chapel, olive groves and umbrella pines.
The wedding day
Ceremonies take place in the chapel or in the gardens. The ruins of the old palace make a magical setting for a welcome dinner, the pool beside them for cocktails, and the courtyard in front of the house for dinner and dancing. Both of the weddings I filmed here followed the classic rhythm of Provence: a ceremony in the late afternoon when the heat softens, aperitifs on the lawn and dinner as the light fades.
Where to stay and getting there
The house has around eleven bedrooms for the closest family and friends; other guests stay in Aix-en-Provence, with its fountains, cafés and the Cours Mirabeau, and the Montagne Sainte-Victoire painted so often by Cézanne on the horizon. Marseille airport and the Aix TGV station are both nearby, and the high-speed train from Paris takes about three hours.
Planning a wedding in Provence
The best months for a wedding in Provence are May, June and September. Lavender blooms from late June to mid-July, high summer is hot, and the mistral can blow for a few days at a time, so a sheltered option for the ceremony is always worth having. A legal French marriage takes place at the town hall, so most couples marry legally at home and celebrate here with a symbolic ceremony. More about weddings in Provence and on the French Riviera.
Planning your wedding at Château de Grimaldi?
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