This is a new series, that won’t necessarily run EVERY Wednesday, but I will try to add to it as often as I can.
Since I am planning my own wedding, here in Paris where I live, with Chéri, I thought it would be fun to share some of my ideas, inspirations and plans for this most special day.
This first post for the series will be dedicated what I often call the “car of my dreams”. Granted it’s no Rolls or BMW, but I LOVE these cars. The Deux Chevaux. Created by Citroën in 1948, with prototypes dating from 1939, this car was destined for the social classes as an inexpensive vehicle to rumble around the country side in. They stopped fabrication in 1990. This car is now a cult.
This isn’t a car, it’s a way of life.
Photo courtesy of : 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie
I still see some around Paris. It is just about the most adorable car there ever was.
Today I am visiting a company who has entire collection of them : 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie, (this literally translates to “4 wheels under 1 umbrella”! …they offer all sorts of services in these fun little cars. I am considering hiring them for our wedding transportation. Although I do love luxurious things, I really actually have simple tastes. And this car goes so well with my personality. It’s charming, and compact, everybody loves it, versatile, happy and stuck to it’s own style throughout the years, didn’t require a lot of work, but when brushed off and shined up it seemed as sparkly as a Parisian skyline with it’s cute round lights. It’s irresistible!
Photo courtesy of : 4 Roues Sous un Parapluie
The company 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie has reasonable prices and is so flexible they will allow you to create a custom made service. Or you can chose from any of their other services that they have listed on their website, for a weddinng or just a night on the town, or a shopping expedition with your girlfriends. They do historical tours or just a romantic drive to the countryside with a picnic and a bottle of bubbly!
Photo courtesy of : 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie
I will be looking at their collection of cars to pick out which one I would like to use for our wedding needs, and will post pictures afterwards.
UPDATE :
Shots from my visit :
They were kind enough to let us ride around the parking garage for a couple minutes! They were going to let me drive but I opted out, I didn’t want to be responsible for crashing their little car, even in the safe bounds of the garage.
It was a pleasure to meet Florent Dargnies the director and founder of the company and Aurélie Alix the costomer relationship manager. Absolutely charming people who obviously LOVE what they do! Florent got the ideafor his enterprise when he was still in school. He had gone to Germany for a year of study abroad and had brought his parents’ old 2CV along with him for transportation. When he returned to Paris, he noticed how people would stop and smile at his car. I mean who can blame them it’s got so much personality!
So Florent, who had been study for a degree in commerce, had the brilliant idea to start a business with these charming car that make people smile! Du génie! And it’s a hit.
His company has grown so much since he started in 2003, and he hope to see it grow to where his fleet of 34, 2CV becomes large enough to where people think of these cars as they think of the gondolas in Venice. These cars should be a part of the Parisian backdrop and the Parisian daily life.
To add to the charm, all of the “chauffeurs” (drivers) were uniforms from the French clothing brand Saint James which has some very “Breton” influence! Très français. And I love their promise that there will be a “chauffeur poli, cultivé, courtois et sympathique” (meaning a driver who is polite, knowledgeable, courteous and friendly!). But of course!
Their clients range from internationals here for tourism, to local individuals who are want to offer a unique gift to someone.
They even do organized treasure hunts, or have company events that use their services! Can you imagine, seeing a group of 10 2CV driving down the streets of Paris!?! I LOVE that!
In fact, one of the technicians we spoke with (the one who drove us around the garage to show us how the car works) was on his way later to a 2CV rally of 6,0000 cars! (It wasn’t in Paris, or else you KNOW I would have gone too!). All those cute little cars all in the same place all at once! SO FUN!
I am a HUGE fan of Florent’s endeavor and hope you will become a fan too.
UPDATE!
We used the car service for our wedding and it was prfect and adorable!!!! It fit well with out circus/carnival wedding theme. The service and driver were falwless and we were thrilled by the whole experience. I will never forget driving down the Champs Elysées with my dad beside me, on my way to marry the love of my life!!!!
Me and my dad on our way to my wedding!
Photo by Elisabeth Perotin
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Tags: 4 roues sous 1 parapluie, antique weddinng ride in Paris, citroen, deux chevaux, paris visite en voiture 2CV, voiture mariage paris, wedding car service in Paris
This caused the participation levels to drop dramatically, and other than me, Chéri and Lauren Cashwell, I had just a couple of participants. But lucky for us, they were some enthusiastic and très easy-going people. We decided to ditch the race for lack of participants and just picnic and paddle around the lake. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and we hadn’t a care in the world!
But they are VERY small and the entire restaurant is smaller than my living room. But it is delicious, and they have lots of customers, a good sign as to how well you can eat there.
