A Wedding at the Chevre d'Or Hotel in Eze

One of the most exclusive wedding

venues in the world

With its spectacular views over the French Riviera, the Hotel Chevre d’Or in Eze, France, is a prized wedding venue for couples across the globe; it must be among the most beautiful and photogenic venues in the world.

Perched 400 meters above the dazzling Mediterranean Sea and set against the French alps – it’s a place of true escapism and serenity that seems far-removed from the bustle of the rest of the French Riviera. Over the decades, the five-star hotel (and its Michelin-starred restaurant) have hosted guests including Elizabeth Taylor, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and the Obamas.

Eze village, where it’s sited, is itself a beautiful hill-top medieval village and one of the most popular destinations in the entire South of France in its own right (and thankfully, no vehicles, whether two-wheeled or four, are permitted, adding to the sense of tranquility). The hotel has 45 rooms and suits, some of which are nestled in the hillside while others are in the cobble-stone lanes of Eze village.

(Note: The unique blur effect in some of these images was created with a tilt lens (not added in Photoshop!).

Wedding Ceremonies at the Chevre d’Or Hotel

Typically, wedding ceremonies here take place on one of the hotel’s terraces which are 3-400 meters (or 1,300ft) above the blue Mediterranean Sea. This beautiful wedding took place at the end of September while it’s still hot (hence the umbrellas for shade), but nowhere near the oppressive heat of July and August that can feel like 40 degrees Celsius (104F) due to the high humidity here.

If you are interested in having your wedding ceremony at the Chevre d’Or, you may have to choose between the shady green terraces on the east side of the hill where giant animal statues loom (the Garden Terrace), and the two south-facing terraces that also include the spacious purpose-built ceremony space featured in these images (these are called the Garden Café and the Rose Terrace, the one used in this wedding is the Rose Terrace). The hotel can accommodate a maximum of 84 people for wedding ceremonies.

Personally, in terms of photography, I’m not a huge fan of the Garden Terrace with the animal statues – the area can be relatively dark, sea views are somewhat restricted, the terraces are quite narrow for ceremonies and sometimes the bright green of the foliage can reflect off people’s skin and wedding dresses. I wouldn't say it's a no-go, but definitely warn your photographer.

The south-facing terraces have none of these problems and benefit from spectacular back-drops, however they are fully exposed to the sun meaning fans, umbrellas, and logistical timings may be crucial to protect yourself and guests from sun exposure - something you ought to take seriously.

For this wedding, people travelled from across the United States and China and were treated to the beautiful surroundings of the hotel’s terraces and the stunning streets of Eze village itself, where we had a photoshoot the day before.

Wedding Photography at the Chevre d’Or

In such a beautiful place it’s a wonderful experience to photograph here – both the ceremony and on the hotel’s sprawling terrace. The only difficulty can be the direct sunlight, but if couples have their backs to the sea (as they often do), then that helps.

I would recommend couples take advantage of the setting for a separate couple photoshoot (later on the wedding day) on the winding, honey-colored stone terraces. These paths and punctuated with an exotic array of stunning botany and set against the sea and surrounding mountains. Some of them are also well-orientated for golden hour light but note that the sun disappears before the official sunset as it vanishes behind a hill.

Elsewhere, the rooms and suites such as the one pictured (The Panoramic Suite) are spacious, draped in luxury features, and often have large windows and/or balconies and are therefore bathed in beautiful, soft light.

Selected Wedding Gallery

A Photoshoot in the Hotel's Grounds and Eze village

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