It all started with a $37 "express" manicure. In Europe, some places choose to be closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays, Fridays, or sometimes Sundays, depending on the establishment. My sister and I would be attending a wedding that evening and we wanted to get manicures! We found the only place that was open nearby and trekked over. Without a reservation, the owner said she could squeeze us in for an "express" 35 Euro manicure. This is the color I chose:

Needless to say, the manicure surely was "express" but it was not relaxing, nor was it worth the money. Regardless, our nails were now painted and we're ready to take on Sunday in Paris!

We then went in search of food around the Arc De Triomphe.

I needed to exchange some more money, so we went to the Exchange place behind the Cartier store on the Champs.

We stumbled across this kosher resutaurant, XXV, not too far from the traffic circle, and we settled in for lunch.

I ordered a mixed green salad and a spinach boureka.

The food was nutritious, and definitely filling.

We had an incredible second lunch when we arrived at our second place where we stayed in Paris, at our friend Sophie's. She made this pasta salad with bowtie noodles, arugula, hearts of palm, and sundried tomatoes. It was delicious!

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Later that night, we sojourned out to the end of the 2 train line to the parks of Porte Maillot in search of our friends' wedding pavilion. Several lovely French (English-speaking) people helped point us in the right direction and we made it (pretty much) on time!

Me and my sister, Stephanie.

This was a traditional Sephardic Jewish wedding, so there was a chuppah, the wedding canopy, for the bride and groom to stand under, surrounded by flowers, family, and friends. Our friends were Jessica and Jeremy, both from France. Jeremy's rabbi would give a speech about each the bride and groom, read the marriage contract, and declare the couple married in the eyes of God and Israel.

With respect to the bride and groom's privacy, I have removed the images of them from the ceremony on this blog. There are plenty of other things to see and watch!

Also during the ceremony, Jeremy signed the marriage contract (the ketubah), along with two witnesses, gave Jessica a ring, and recited some blessings. The act of breaking the glass (plate, usually) in remembrance of the destruction of the holy temple, signals the end of the wedding ceremony.

Out to the reception! It was a little hot, but otherwise beautiful weather!

This is our new buddy, Justin, from San Francisco, friends with Jeremy, who came to France for the wedding.

The beginning of the appetizer buffet: sushi, sliders, finger-foods, champagne, rose...

These puffs were filled with fois gras mousse:

These ravioli were filled with fois gras as well:

This was my first time having fois gras, and I almost had to sit down from the pleasure of eating it. The smooth creaminess was divine!
They also had a carving station with (counter-clockwise from bottom left): chicken skewers, duck, sliced beef, more beef, and lamb (not pictured. Was already eaten...)

My sister, Stephanie, holding my glasses while I changed into more comfortable shoes. I needed to be more mobile as I flitted from food table to beverage table to sample all the deliciousness.

At the actual dinner part of the reception, this was the appetizer: a fois gras plate with terrine and mousse and bread.

This was the main course of dinner: a lamb chop with a medallion of beef, asparagus, and champignons (mushrooms).

Our friends from the States boogie-ing.

At one point during the dancing, this guy walks out (blue shirt) and all the girls start to squeal. Holding my camera, I slowly back away from the girls bum-rushing the stage. I have no idea who this guy is, but everyone bolted to get their phones to take photos and video. I finally elbowed my way to my sister, who was happily singing along at the front of the crowd and she told me that it was Amir Haddad, a French-Israeli singer who is hugely popular because of his EuroVision appearance and catchy songs. He had a great performance at the wedding!

After dancing, the catering staff set up the dessert buffet (about 50 meters long) with things like this:

Some things I couldn't take pictures of because I had already shoved them in my mouth, like pillowy macarons and the fruit on sticks dipped in this chocolate fountain:

Look at this wedding cake! It was a huge display and so beautiful!

In the Sephardic Jewish tradition, it is customary for the bride and groom, in layman's terms, to be the life of the party. Jessica and Jeremy arrived back to the dance floor after changing clothes and mounting their majestic seats. They were carried through the reception hall by male guests. At this point, the mothers give the bride and groom gifts (a Cartier watch, Tiffany's necklace, cufflinks, a bracelet) and perform a henna ceremony.

A small blob of henna paste is placed on the palm of the hand and then secured with a piece of cotton and a ribbon. The henna is to remain on the hand for 20-30 minutes for it to stain the skin and then it can be discarded. The henna stain lasts for about a week after application, and it's supposed to symbolize good luck.

We had a magnificent time!
It was, hands-down, the BEST wedding I'd ever been to - I danced for probably 3 hours, ate too much, stayed until the end, and was sincerely thanked for attending. The live band and singers were terrific and nailed every song. I even got a blessing from the bride and groom (tradition before or after the wedding, since they have all the good fortune cards on their wedding day).

Mazel tov and a happy life to Jessica and Jeremy! Thank you so much for including us in your day.

Check out the videos from the day below!

VIDEOS