5 Things To Know About Getting Married at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Built by the Baroness Beatrice de Rothschild as her winter home, this Belle Epoque villa, inspired by Italian Renaissance architecture, is perhaps the most iconic and well-recognised wedding reception venue on the Cote d’Azur.
Originally called Villa Île-de-France, it was renamed to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild following the death of the Baroness in 1934. This was the same year that the villa was bequeathed to the Académie des Beaux-Arts (the Academy of Beautiful Art) who have lovingly maintained the villa and gardens according to the wishes of Baroness de Rothschild.
Since being opened to the public in 1937 it has played host to some of the most grand, lavish weddings in the region. Including NBA star Domantas Sabonis’ marriage to his beautiful bride Shashana in 2021 and Barbie-star Issa-Rae’s wedding to her beau Louis Diame, also in 2021.
If you’ve decided that Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, with it’s extravagant works of art and jaw-dropping views of the Mediterranean, is the only place to celebrate your love, here are a few things to know about choosing this extraordinary wedding venue.
1. Book Early to Avoid Disappointment
As you can well imagine this villa is a popular choice for many couples. If you have a particular date in mind for your wedding it’s best to get ahead of the curve and book early. It would be a shame to miss out because of not contacting the villa soon enough.
June and September are the most popular months for weddings on the Cote d’Azur. With weekends being the most popular option, if you choose to get married on a weekday there’s more of a chance your date will be available.
2. 7 Themed Gardens (plus a rose garden)
As well as being a lover of man-made art, the Baroness was also a lover of natural art. If you are a nature enthusiast, you’ll be spoilt for choice. The villa is surrounded by 8 gardens, each designed with a specific style.
The French Garden
Designed to mimic the shape of the bow of a ship, the French Garden is directly behind the villa when you exit through the back doors. Baroness Beatrice designed this garden in this way so that standing on her upstairs terrace and looking out towards the gardens, with the Mediterranean Sea on both sides of her, would evoke the feeling of being at sea. Specifically being onboard the ship named Île de France, a particularly memorable journey for her, and the namesake of her dream villa.
The Spanish Garden
Ochre walls and terracotta-coloured floor tiles give you the feeling of enjoying a summer evening inside the courtyard of a Spanish villa. The heady perfume of honeysuckle and the view of striking Birds of Paradise flowers will have you ordering Sangria instead of Rosé.
The Florentine Garden
Originally part of an Italian garden planted by the Baroness, this is the only part which remains. Being just next to the French garden, the grand horseshoe staircase is a popular spot to capture an iconic shot of you and your beau framed by the Mediterranean Sea.
The Stone Garden
Arches, fountains and gargoyles adorn this unusual corner of the gardens. Come and enjoy the Stone garden when you are seeking a shady spot during the heat of summer.
The Japanese Garden
Conceived by Professor Shigeo Fukuhara, this peaceful garden’s main theme is water. A perfect garden for photographs if you are planning a wedding taking cues from the Orient.
The Exotic Garden
Renamed from the Mexican Garden following unseasonably cold weather during the winter of 1985, the Exotic Garden was restored using plants lovingly donated by the villa’s neighbours.
The Provencal Garden
There couldn’t be a garden at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild without a space dedicated to the flora and fauna of Provence. This garden is filled with Olive and Pine trees, as well as Lavender, which the region is well known for.
The Rose Garden
This magnificent garden is planted with 100 different varieties of rose, including the Princess of Monaco rose, and a rose named after the Baroness de Rothschild herself. To enjoy this garden at it’s peak, visit during May – July when the flowers are in full bloom.
Why not take a visit to the villa and spend time visiting each of the gardens. As you do, you’ll discover which one speaks to you the most. Perhaps you’ll find a garden which complements closely the style of wedding you’d like to have. Then you can take a walk-through with your photographer and videographer so together you can plan how you will weave these beautifully designed gardens into your special day.
3. The Bridal Apartment
One very important thing to consider when planning your wedding at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is that there is not the facility for you or your guests to stay overnight at the villa. View the villa purely as your ceremony and reception venue, as you will need to find another option for accommodation.
However, there is a beautifully apportioned room on the first floor of the villa set aside for the bride to get ready or get changed on the day of her wedding. With closet space to store outfits, and enough space for a hair and makeup artist to setup, envision this space for your late-night look change.
4. Open to the Public and Now Available for Exclusive Rental
It’s worth remembering that the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is open to the public all year round. This may seem like a small point, but many other popular villas and chateaux in the region are closed to the public. This means that in order to visit you’d have to schedule a site visit, possibly with your wedding planner and certainly with the site or event manager of the venue.
The beauty of the villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is that it is open to the public 365 days a year 10am to 6pm. So, if you’re struck with a sudden desire to visit your wedding venue simply to soak in the atmosphere and daydream about your special day, you can just head over there!
And you can even enjoy the best of both worlds. The villa now offers exclusive rental of the premises and closes completely to the public during a wedding or event. This means that you are free to plan your celebration at any time of your chosen day, exactly as you want it.
5. Peninsular Living
Not to be overlooked when planning your wedding at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is that it is built on a narrow peninsular which invites sometimes extraordinary, sometimes bizarre weather patterns.
Those who live on the Cote d’Azur are fond of telling visitors that we enjoy 300 days of sunshine a year. This sounds like a dream, and honestly, most of the year it is absolutely the case. But I haven’t yet worked at a wedding at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild where a bride, groom, or guest hasn’t remarked about how insanely warm and humid it is.
For this reason think about avoiding weddings during the hottest month of the year, August. And even outside of that time, think about options for how guests can keep cool during the day. Keep water (and other cool drinks flowing). Arrange for outdoor activities to be shaded as much as possible etc.
And now, your reward for reading all the way to the end of the blog is that you get a bonus 6th thing to know about getting married at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild!
6. Budget
The question I get asked the most about weddings at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is “How much does it cost to get married at the villa?” Of course, this question depends largely on the kind of wedding you’d like to have. A supplement is charged for weekend weddings for example. And if you want 10,000 white peonies suspended from a faux ceiling and a chorus of sweet-voiced opera singers accompanying your walk down the aisle, you’d need to adjust your budget accordingly.
That being said, expect to pay in the region of € 2 500 per guest for a typically extravagant, opulent wedding. After all, we’re not choosing Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild to have a low-key, demure event!
So if you want your special day to be marked by extraordinary rare art, exceptionally designed gardens simply made for a stunning photo shoot, unrivalled views of Mediterranean and a sunset which would make any artist or painter weep, the “Pink Mansion”, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, is your only choice.