postcard to paris #1 ~ la vie en rose

"Hold me close and hold me fast. 

This magic spell you cast. 

This is la vie en rose." 

- Edith Piaf (1947)

Last Sunday, it was an honor and joy for Mr. Gorgeous and I to attend (and for me to photograph) the wedding shower of my good friend's lovely daughter and her dashing fiancé. As soon as I walked through the doors, I knew I had found my first Pour l'Amour Postcard to Paris...

The wedding shower site: Chez Moi - a lovely French Bistro in the heart of Chicago

Every moment was elegant, intimate and lovely

La Vie en rose, took over the entire restaurant: each 8 person table was draped with white linens, topped with black and white stripped runners; set with Hydrangeas, gold chargers, sparkly gold votives, petite black and white striped boxes housing tiny Eiffel Tower favors. Overhead: crystal dripped chandeliers, oversized vintage French posters, red velvet curtains and a large wall clock (reminiscent of the train clocks of Musee d'Orsay.

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"Love transcends all space and time...let love rule." - Lenny Kravitz

 

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The mother-of-the-bride (a renowned artist) added intimate touches throughout the room: an Eiffel Tower made from the crystal pieces of an antique chandelier, baroque picture frames with romantic whimsical sayings in French, a shabby chic(ed) fleur de lis finial standing guard over a decadent bedecked cake. Ooh La La!

 

The tulle, adorning the dress form on the gift table, is from the mother-of-the-bride's bridal veil. Le sigh...

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If music be the food of love, play on." - William Shakespeare

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The menu followed the Parisian theme: 

Appetizer - fruit and cheese plate; onion and bacon tarte

Entrees: steak frites and chicken crepes

Joe (the groom to be) gave a most lovely toast. Bien sur, we toasted with Mimosas.

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"Old, new, borrowed, blue. Ari & Joe are getting ready to say I do!" 

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Sitting through the gift opening part of a wedding shower is a joyful but unavoidably long, tedious process. 

Of course our Hostess devised the perfect accompaniment for the moment: 

Parisian Prop-Photo-Op! 

Our hostess hand made paper sparkly cutouts that followed the Parisian theme: 

a French Poodle, the Eiffel Tower, Kiss Lips, J'adore Paris, a beret, and (of course) a Queen's Crown. 

And a gilded frame for the guests to pose with. C'est amusant!

Grandmother and mother of the bride

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"You light my fire. I feel alive with you baby. You blow my mind...Outstanding (so outstanding, yeah)." - the Gap Band

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The Bride and Groom to be graciously agreed to briefly pause their gift opening

to accompany me and my camera outside for a few minutes...

"Give your heart and soul to me. And life will always be - la vie en rose." Edith Piaf

Ari & Joe's wedding shower was simply sublime. Two families, and their closest friends, gathered to celebrate the love between these two oh so lovely young people. We were thrilled to shower them with the items needed to seed their home. The love swirling through the room, the sweet love shared between these two, were palpable things, almost visible. It was a beautiful day.

Vivre! Rire! Aimer!

Temple