An American in Provence

(All the professional pictures in this post and the following posts are from our photographer, Jacques Bouaziz, a photographer here in Marseille, www.photojac.com. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a photographer in the Bouches du Rhone area. Also, please do not use these photos without permissions. Thanks.)

The morning of the wedding, after having slept a grand total of 4 hours the night before, I went to the hair salon in Salon to get my hair and make-up done. Leah came with me and had her hair and make-up done as well. Lucie arrived later with Manon. We left the salon around 11:30, went back to the house and had a quick bite to eat. Around 1 we arrived at the bed and breakfast in Lancon, which was close to the Mairie. The tourist office had given me a list of places to stay in Lancon, so I had called around, looking for a place to stay. We had originally thought that mom and dad would be staying in a hotel in Salon, which would not give me much room to get ready, plus would then have to get in the car all done up and drive to Lancon. So I had reserved a room several months ago. It turned out to be absolutely beautiful- a very old house with a swimming pool and also an antique store. It was so perfect that we decided to just do the pictures there instead of going all the way over to a public park in Salon and coming back (also saving lots of time.) Mom went off around 1:30 to meet Alain at the church, they had to tie on the pew bows and make sure everything was set up. Mom returned, we got dressed, and then the rest of our family and the photographer arrived. We had some pictures taken, then at 2:45 it was time for Alain to arrive. I was picturing him arriving, knocking on the door, and me going out to meet him. Instead the photographer told him to go back to the City Hall and wait there. So I see him taking off, not looking at me, and am thinking "Why the heck is my groom taking off?" Dad, Mom and I walked out to where everyone was waiting in the square in front of the City Hall. Around 3 the Mayor came out onto the steps and clapped his hands (I think meaning- Okay, enough now. Let's get this show on the road.) We made our way into the City Hall, first Alain and his mother, then Lucie and Manon, then Guillaume and Olivier, and then Dad and me. After everyone was assembled, the ceremony began.