Wedding venues : Ritz Carlton Paris

While César was sinking into illness – Claude Roulet’s book “Tout sur le Ritz! (ed. La Table Ronde) puts forward the hypothesis of arteriosclerosis, or even syphilis — the palace took off and acquired international fame thanks to its incomparable distinction. It was now considered essential when it came to organizing a party or a ball – the American heiress Barbara Hutton celebrated her twenty-first birthday there – even if it meant “arranging” with the laws in force: During the First World War, defying the ban on serving alcohol, Olivier Dabescat filled teapots with whisky. In the early 1930s, when major workers’ strikes were in the headlines, the Ritz kicked out Chanel employees who wanted to break into the suite where the seamstress lived. Shortly before the Occupation, Sir Noël Coward, the British Sacha Guitry, was amused to see Coco Chanel’s servant following her mistress while wearing the latter’s gas mask on a cushion. Almost everything has been written or implied about Chanel’s turpitude at the Ritz during World War II. According to Claude Roulet, the palace had become a Nazi headquarters, a kind of mess for German officers. Georges Mandel, then Minister of the Interior, advised Hans Franz Elmiger, the director general of the establishment, born in Switzerland, to play the card of neutrality. It suffices to list the successive occupants of the suite usually reserved for Barbara Hutton — in order, General Göring, then General Eisenhower, then Eva Perón, the wife of the Argentine dictator — to get an idea. Some of the palace staff had joined the ranks of the Resistance and served as informants. At the Liberation, Hemingway – literary hero and American officer – rushed to free the Ritz (well, especially its wine cellars), before making it his home base, and all questions concerning the activities of the establishment during the war were quietly swept away. Paris was a party again. The end of the 1940s and the 1950s coincided with the return with great fanfare of Americans to Place Vendôme, notably film stars such as Charlie Chaplin, and newcomers such as socialite columnist Elsa Maxwell. Brilliant and intelligent, the one who looked like a dwarf from Velázquez introduced Rita Hayworth to Ali Khan and Maria Callas to Aristotle Onassis. Photographs show Elsa Maxwell at the piano of the Ritz in the company of the Greek diva who sings, her poodle in her arms.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the hotel hosted high society weddings.

It was the favorite place of great Hollywood couples, like Véronique and Gregory Peck, or billionaires, like Marella and Gianni Agnelli or Stavros Niarchos. In the late 70s, however, the place seemed too formal for the times. Witness this anecdote: Doris Brynner, ex-wife of actor Yul Brynner, stayed at the Ritz with her boss, Valentino Garavani. Known for her natural distinction, she was dressed in a simple travel outfit, tracksuit and sneakers. Others might have admired Doris’ attitude and confidence in her look, but Valentino threw a fit: “You can’t walk out of the Ritz like that!” The establishment was decidedly too rigid, not cool enough. Everything changed in the 80s, with the arrival of John Fairchild, the boss of “Women’s Wear Daily”, the fashion bible. He often lunched on the terrace of the Ritz in the company of Hélène Rochas and other Parisian birds such as Yves Saint Laurent or Emanuel Ungaro. And promoted the palace in his bimonthly magazine “W”, which terrified Americans with its famous “In & Out” lists. After a few seasons, socialites and fashion icons returned to Place Vendôme. Soon followed by Gianni Versace, who organized his fashion shows around the hotel swimming pool. The opening of the swimming pool in 1989 was an event for all of Paris, says Kate Betts, author of the bestseller “My Paris Dream“. Then editor of Fairchild Publications, she wrote that Parisians were fighting to “become members of the Ritz sports club” and that “suddenly swimming [had] become so chic”. As for the haute couture fashion show of the Versace house, it was a moment not to be missed. Imagine Mount Olympus, land of gods and goddesses, in the era of supermodels Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell: these absurdly beautiful creatures, supposed to “not get out of bed for less than ten thousand dollars,” were the stars of the parade. The Italian designer, installed at the Ritz to do his fittings there, brought a sexy and rock’n’roll flavor to the establishment.

In the front row of his shows, INXS singer Michael Hutchence could be seen accompanied by his girlfriend, supermodel Helena Christensen. Upstairs, in Gianni Versace’s suite, Linda, Christy and Naomi posed in great bursts of laughter. The place exuded carelessness and fun. The jet-setters were there, such as Lynn Wyatt and Nan Kempner, as glamorous as they were elegant, proving that people from high society could have fun too. “In the summer, the week of haute couture shows was like a big family reunion, remembers Lynn Wyatt, wife of an oil tycoon. All the guests in the front row knew each other. Nan Kempner and Lynn Wyatt were inseparable, even at designer dinner parties. “The only time I said stop was during a Valentino fitting: Nan wanted to wear all the dresses in the collection! says Lynn.

1997 was an “annus horribilis” for the Anglo-Saxons. Pamela Harriman, the United States ambassador, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while swimming in the Ritz swimming pool and, six months later, the Princess of Wales met a tragic end after leaving the palace for the last time under the paparazzi flashes. Despite these dramas, Lady Amanda Harlech, hired at Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, made the establishment her second home. She could be seen, charming and radiant, holding a lounge at the hotel bar with fashion icons Daphne Guinness or Isabella Blow, while the other tables were frequented by personalities such as jeweler Joël Arthur Rosenthal, designer Valentino or director Wes Anderson. At the Hemingway bar, Colin Field was still all the rage with his cocktails, in particular the Dirty Martini, the Serendipity, based on champagne, or the Bourbon Sour, which Christian Louboutin recommends because it is not too “heavy”. Champagne remained the favorite drink of fashion people, however, as evidenced by Carlos Souza, international director of Valentino: “The bar bill for a photo shoot with Naomi Campbell in the palace almost cost me my job, recalls- he. That was pretty much my budget for the whole semester. “But if it were to be done again, Carlos Souza would not change anything. “Without hesitation,” he said. Put it down to wonderful moments in the fashion world. And, of course, the magic of the Ritz. »