The Urban Grocer Gets Hitched!

It was while studying in the library at the University of Chicago during a bitterly cold winter that I first met my now fiancé, Michael. Cut to six years later and we’re looking forward to celebrating our wedding in just a few days under the warm summer sun in Provence, France.

Now there are many romantic stories between then and now, but let’s be honest – what really counts here is the food and wine, which seems boundless in the region. Vineyards sit next to olive groves, farmers markets overflow with seasonal produce and first-pressed, freshly marinated, handmade everything. And so we’ve created menus, three days of eating, and even artichoke and herb-spiked floral arrangements to reflect this.

The welcome cocktails held the night before the wedding is plentiful with local favorites from olive cakes and eggplant caviar to madelines and macarons. On the day of, guests will be welcomed with lavender infused sparkling water, followed by a copious cocktail hour where everything from pancetta and pesto on a sweet bread to roasted ham with garlic and rosemary to an array of cold soups, like mint and courgette with fresh goat cheese, will be on offer. The first and second courses during the sit down meal continue to reflect local and seasonal eats, followed by the all-mighty French cheese course.

To wash it down, local, small-batch, and organic reds, whites, and the necessary Provencal rose, were brilliantly selected by a young and inspired sommelier in the northern part of Provence.

And then comes my personal favorite: dessert. Rather than a big American-style cake, we’ve opted for an entire buffet of sweets. Long strips of puffed pastries topped with cherries, strawberries, and peaches will accompany lemon tarts, chocolate soufflés infused with basil, and a plethora of fruity macarons. And then there are the sponge cakes and homemade candies too.

And so like any great wedding, we’ve got our fingers crossed for amazing weather, beautiful company, and gorgeous food and wine – luckily in Provence, this is the norm.