My Riviera Wedding

The Bastide Saint Mathieu is so packed full of charm that is difficult to know which aspect of this wonderful wedding venue to begin talking about first. The thing that struck me straight away when I arrived for my first visit, was definitely the calmness and tranquility of the area. Located at only few minutes away from the centre of Grasse down a country road, under a bridge and down a country lane, I felt as if I was in the heart of Provence when in fact the coast and its beaches are only about 20 minutes away by car.

Coming through the gates and up the crunchy gravel drive, one is immediately face to face with a superb Provenal-style rustic villa with luscious green gardens. I was immediately greeted by the owner’s little dog, followed shortly after by a  black and white cat called Louis (as in Hamilton the racing driver) and finally by the owner himself, a friendly British man called Bill. Bill and his wife Soraya have lovingly completely renovated their property to the splendor of what it is today. The décor is harmonious, interesting and tasteful with a very cosy, homely feel. The property has 6 bedrooms, all doubles and a suite on the ground floor with its own terrace.

The patio in front of the house with a romantic fountain in the middle, gazebo and summer kitchen, measures approximately 300 metres squared and is the ideal location for the seated dinner part of your wedding celebrations with a maximum capacity of 200 people. The area around the property’s swimming pool is a great place to have pre-dinner drinks. The Bastide Saint Mathieu’s olive gardens provide a beautiful setting for a wedding ceremony underneath a gazebo specially constructed for the occasion or simply below an archway of flowers or chiffon draping.  The living room inside the property can be used as a dance area for a bit of moving and shaking after dinner. I would recommend this venue for small to medium-sized weddings for couples who are looking for a home from home in a charming country setting.

The Bastide Saint Mathieu is also the perfect wedding venue for those who wish to prolong their wedding into a  vacation in the company of their nearest and dearest. As well as being marketed for weddings and special events, the property is rented out as a holiday villa all year-round. During the high summer season (July and August),  the full weekly rental fee would apply even to those couples who wish to rent the property for a 1 or 2 day wedding. This is simply a question of profitability as the owner needs to ensure a certain level of income, renting out the property for a 2 day wedding at a daily rate could mean missing out on a week-long rental at full price. In high season, you should be looking at paying between 10 000 and 17 000 euros HT (excluding French VAT at 5.5%) per week for exclusive use of the entire property. My boyfriend Gregory used to work for a company specialising in the rental of self catered holiday accommodation, he seemed to think that this price was on the lower end of the average price for this kind of property. In the low season months however, the villa may be rented out on a per night / per day basis for as little as 2 100 euros HT (excluding French VAT at 5.5%).

The Bastide Saint Mathieu’s owners do not have any exclusive supplier relationships with any wedding vendors or wedding planners on the Cote d’Azur. They are more than willing to help couples to plan their wedding if they decide not to get a wedding planner on board.

Bill and Soraya are happy to welcome visitors, so if you are in the area and would like to take a look at the property for a future holiday, wedding or special event, do not hesitate to give them a call on +33 (0)4 97 01 10 00. Alternatively you can send an email to info@bastidestmathieu.com. For more information and photographs take a look at the Bastide Saint Mathieu’s website: www.bastidestmathieu.com.