At Cannes, a fake wedding gives us a taste of real ultra-HNI festivities

It’s that time of the year again, the world’s most famous, most good-looking celebrities are breathing the same superior, French Riviera air. The two week-long Cannes Film Festival has only just begun but we’ve already had an Alia Bhatt x Carlos Sainz sighting, Vin Diesel shedding nostalgic tears and Lucas Bravo making Emily in Paris fans swoon at the red carpet.

While we always talk about fashion, also perhaps the films, but what about where the celebs stay when at Cannes? Well, both Diesel and Bravo have been spotted at Carlton Cannes, the Regent Hotel that’s perched on La Croisette, the famous coastal boulevard facing the Mediterranean Sea. And they’re not the first celebrities to make this iconic hotel their home.

Built back in 1913 with most screening venues a short walk away, the hotel’s legacy is tied to the film festival. Over the years, Barack Obama, Walt Disney, Elizabeth Taylor, Shashi Kapoor and Christian Dior have all made the luxe property their base. In fact, in 2023, the hotel introduced a new wing of long stay apartments crafted for those whose creative juices just flow better by the French Riviera.

Now a century since its opening, the Carlton is ready to embrace a new role as a destination wedding venue. The transformation is easy to imagine: endless azure, Belle Époque architecture, celebrity footprints and you as the bride and groom. Still can’t picture it? Same. To paint a true to life image, the hotel hosted a three-day-long faux wedding and I was invited to be a guest.

Yep, that’s right, in the age of AI simulations and VR where any experience can come to you, Carlton flew in guests from around the world for a taste of what’s on offer. The list included UHNI wedding planners like Gideon Hermosa, Callista Osborn and Amrit Dhillon-Bains, who works exclusively with NRIs, alongside a small set of writers.

The moment my nine-hour flight from Bengaluru to Nice landed, I stretched my feet, mentally prepping for the hunger games that is the immigration line. Anyone with an Indian passport knows that this endless wait can make or break your holiday spirit.

Yet to my surprise, as I stepped onto the aero bridge, an entourage of suits welcomed me. The hotel’s travel concierge whizzes guests past queues, making immigration a breeze. Call it cheap thrills but watching the rest stand in line as I walked away, made me feel so smug. Imagine hosting a wedding that starts off like this, guests don’t just get an airport pick up, but they get to skip the boring lines; now that’s a flex.

I rode this high on the 40-minute car ride from Nice airport to the Carlton hotel in Cannes. As we pulled up, the arrival felt historic. Cream coloured stone, intricate stucco work and two towering twin domes make the facade larger than life. Stepping in, you’re welcomed by frescoed domes, dreamy Murano glass chandeliers, 10-feet-tall floral installations and luminous sunset-hued marble columns.

Designer Tristan Auer, who restored the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris and Jumeirah Burj Al Arab in Dubai, was called in to lead the renovation at the Carlton. The rich red (or pastel pink if that’s more you) of a lehenga against the lush white marble with the pristine blue waters in the back—you could already picture a wedding photoshoot here.

After checking in, I was escorted to my bedroom that was as plush as you’d imagine. Mists for your pillow, lip balm and hand cream because you can't have too many, a walk-in closet and a bed that you’d never want to crawl out of. The attached living room also had a bottle of champagne on ice and a disposable camera to capture the impending experience, which was a thoughtful touch.

We kicked off the faux wedding with a welcome dinner on the rooftop of the newly-made luxury apartments. With a heated plunge pool and a private bar, it’s ideal for an intimate start with about 100 of your favourite guests. The champagne flows freely, there’s a DJ to set the mood and views of Cannes for those postcard-perfect photos.

“For ultra-affluent South Asian families, Carlton is elevated prestige,” shares the California-based Dhillon-Bains, adding that this will be a big sell for her clients. “It’s a status symbol that says this isn’t just a wedding, it’s an international event.” Waking up at the hotel the next morning, I felt this main character energy. As I stepped into the little French balcony in my suite, I saw a string of tourists taking photos of the facade of the Carlton. My Princess Diana (or Shah Rukh Khan) moment was when, spotting me, they started pointing up excitedly. 

The second evening was reserved for the cocktail and rehearsal dinner but the day was for rest and relaxation. If you’re craving quick indulgence, you can take a stroll by the promenade and pop into Hermès to pick up a pocket scarf that matches your suit. Or you can head to the hotel’s fitness floor which has cryotherapy, steam and sauna, a state of the art salon and spa and a suite of Hyrox training equipment. But that’s the bare minimum; what really sets it apart is the boxing ring inspired by Muhammad Ali, and subsequently Mike Tyson’s time at this property.

Here’s an idea: as part of your wedding celebrations, why not include a playful team bride versus team groom boxing match? You can even pull in the hotel’s elite athlete trainer Stéphane Demouy as the judge for the day. The name dropping has only just begun. After a hearty pesto linguine at Carlton’s Mediterranean restaurant, I visit the Grace Kelly suite, an ode to the late actor and Princess of Monaco, who reportedly loved the hotel. The iconic location was our makeup studio for the day. Based on your outfit, a team of artists prep your look and hair, and I’m happy to confirm, they know what to do with Indian skin tones.

The big dinner was at one of Carlton’s three ballrooms, the feted Grand Salon that can accommodate over 600 guests. We entered to see the faux bride and groom popping a bottle of champagne into a cascading tower of coupes as violinists soundtracked the moment. I will repeat, every element is larger than life. But the true highlight was the fairytale forest that celebrity art director and flower designer Djordje Varda built in the room. Famous for designing Pippa Middleton’s wedding among other billionaire clients, Varda is Carlton’s go-to florist and for the occasion he had created a maximalist, old-world tablescape complete with crystal candelabras towering over clouds of white hydrangeas, delicate orchids and sprigs of lavender; it was undeniably abundant and that was even before we started on our seven-course French dinner with wine pairings that included sea bass tartare, saffron rice risotto and lamb fillet.

Rest assured the hotel has exclusive tie-ups with a range of Indian chefs so you can make the spread your own. “It’s both timelessly European and perfectly adaptable to Indian-scale celebrations,” Dhillon-Bains adds. “It’s less crowded than Italy’s hotspot venues, offering affluent clients sophisticated novelty.”

The hotel also has a unique ability to presuppose your needs. The third morning, as I woke up from my wine drunk slumber, I didn’t have to march to the main restaurant for breakfast. The team moved the buffet to a suite so you can avoid bright lights and overstimulating small talk and sneak in, in your PJs.

That afternoon too, instead of a classic wedding lunch, the hotel leaned into experience. You know how it’s become a norm to have bangle makers and puppeteers serving souvenirs at a Rajasthani palace wedding? Carlton pulled out all stops to create the French equivalent. We started with an hour-long workshop with floral designer Varda, where he taught us how to pick and arrange stems. Experts from Molinard, the historic Grasse-born perfume brand founded in 1849, then swooped in to help us create our own fragrances. We mixed and matched different concoctions of praline, anise, ylang ylang, amber and bergamot, and poured them into glass bottles engraved with our names.

Lunch stretched out onto Carlton’s beach club where a sunny, floral tablescape by the beach awaited us. We also had custom beach hats and hand fans to pick from. Each gift was a reminder that today weddings aren’t just about the ritual, but about building a mini holiday for everyone there.

In all honesty, these experiences are all cherries on top of an already delicious cake. Even without the extra additions, the drama, the spectacle and the history woven into Carlton Cannes makes it a memorable wedding destination. Walk into any souvenir shop in the South of France and the Cannes magnets don’t just have the Croisette, they have the facade of the Carlton, that’s how integral the hotel is to Europe and film history.

Your wedding then becomes part of the mythology of the Riviera. It’s where Alfred Hitchcock filmed To Catch a Thief, where Grace Kelly first met her future husband Prince Rainer III of Monaco, and where you tie the knot. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

How to get here: Take a flight to Nice and the property is less than an hour away

Address: Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, 58 Bd de la Croisette Cs 40052, 06400 Cannes, France

Book online here