Though their work in and around the hotel business—Jennifer Isicoff is a hospitality publicist, and Peter Flexner works in hotel real estate—has found them crossing literal paths through lobbies on more than one occasion, the New York City-based couple met in 2018 “the old-fashioned way,” on a dating app. The professional overlap was just one of the many ways in which they found they were compatible. “One of the things that bonds us is our love of seeing the world, and seeing the world through really interesting properties,” says Jennifer.
After Peter proposed in 2023 on a ski trip in Canada, the pair knew pretty quickly they wanted a destination wedding. Aside from their passion for travel, both Jennifer and Peter’s brothers had thrown destination weddings, and their families had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “How many times in your adult life do you get to take a trip with so many family members and friends? It was really so special,” says Peter. But which region would be the right one, and how could they plot a celebration that allowed the location to shine? Ahead, the couple share how they planned a lavender-scented wedding near Cannes, France in July 2024.
Follow your fixation
Around the time of their engagement, Jennifer had been working with a hotel group in Monte Carlo. Over several business trips to Monaco, she’d become more familiar with the French Riviera and started to develop favorite spots. “Peter had some envy of this beautiful place I was getting to explore through work, so we took our own trip there,” Jennifer says. On their visit, the couple couldn’t help fantasizing about marrying there, and soon it became a fixation.
They began to research venues, and mulled all the fun excursions guests might have on extra days in Monte Carlo, Nice, and of course Paris. “I felt like I could help people have a great time there,” says Jennifer, “and it was a destination that I could just be an informed host in.”
Don’t be afraid to pivot locations
After one work trip in the area, Jennifer visited a potential venue she’d found online, a beach club close to Monaco. “It was right on the water and had this spectacular mountain view, nestled near a rock formation,” she remembers. “It was a really rustic club, but charming and intimate. I thought I could make it look nice.”
The mother of the bride expressed some apprehension that perhaps the club was a little too rough and ready, but still the couple reached out to a few wedding planners who had planned events there. But the one they eventually hired, Chloé Atlan at Aava Weddings, actually steered them away from the venue. “You could do better,” was Chloé’s unfiltered advice. She shared a deck with some suggested venues that more clearly aligned with their vision, and which she had worked with in the past.
Trust your butterflies
Looking over the deck of venues, Jennifer and Peter narrowed the list down to their two favorites, and then took another trip to the area to visit each. When they walked into Château de la Napoule, they knew. “Immediately, when we walked in, there was simply no competition,” she says. “We were slapping each other. ‘Wow, this is the most beautiful place we’ve ever seen.’ How did we ever consider anywhere else?”
There were many details of the Château to love, from its Gothic architecture and medieval charm to the ocean views. There were spaces throughout the estate where they could stage each of their wedding events without having to raise a tent or other structure, allowing them to fully immerse guests in the French landscape. It was the best of ornate, stately French chateau culture with the benefits of the oceanside party she had initially envisioned. “It had beautiful views, but it was a proper space to have dinner where tables didn’t have to be placed in the sand,” the bride explains.
