While Jessica Blumenthal was the head of analytics at Who What Wear, software company founder Edward Kim pitched her his product, Memo. “I thought, ‘He’s smart, we should keep in touch.’ After a couple of meetings that were maybe networking—maybe dates—we took the leap and started officially dating,” she explains.
Three years later, Eddie proposed on the roof of the restaurant Crown Shy after a romantic dinner in New York City. At the end of the meal, Eddie excused himself to the restroom, but ended up being gone a little too long. The restaurant host alerted Jessica that Eddie wanted to show her a new restaurant from the same hospitality group from a bird’s-eye view. Since he’s on the board of GHM, which owns Cote and Cocodaq, this didn’t set off any alarms for Jessica, and she took the elevator up more than 30 floors. “The host and I eventually turned a corner, and I saw him on this patio with a view of Manhattan and a bottle of Champagne, surrounded by candles,” Jessica says of the proposal.
Once engaged, the couple decided to expand their family before walking down any aisle. Their son, Remy, was born in January 2022.
With Remy’s arrival, the pair picked wedding planning back up and set a summer date at Airelles Gordes, La Bastide. “We kind of wanted to be a bit over the top about it,” Jessica says of their venue. “After looking at some other hotel options, we landed on La Bastides de Gordes because we felt it was a special hotel that was worth traveling for.”
To help bring the bride’s classic style to life, she trusted Alexis Eskenazi & Co. to creative direct the wedding. “She brought a lot of the vision for the tone of the wedding overall, which she described as tasteful, ethereal, and feminine,” Jessica shares. To capture every moment, La Dichosa was behind the lens all weekend. And Lyke Minded set the tone with a minimal, romantic invitation suite.
For her bridal wardrobe, Jessica ended up selecting a Norma Kamali slip online. “[It] just hung so well on my body and felt very classic, greek goddesss-esque,” the bride shares. “Little did I know I was pregnant at the time I purchased it! I’m so glad I didn’t order something more structured and custom. To accommodate the little bump I had at three months, I ended up working with a seamstress in the valley to remake the dress in a thicker satin. It wasn’t an overly precious purchase for me honestly, but I felt good in it. . . It’s funny; I love dressing up every day but I don’t think I ever discovered my bridal style.”
In the hotel’s gifted pajamas, the bride got ready to say, “I do,” with makeup artist and hair stylist Karine Brossard, who gave her a natural glam look.
On the other hand, Eddie was meticulous about his looks. “He wore a Ralph Lauren Purple Label tuxedo and aptly used the wedding as an excuse to invest in good pieces,” the bride shares.
On September 2, 2023, the couple’s friend, Tessa Gould, officiated the outdoor ceremony beside a floral installation by Laetitia C. Fleurs d’Atelier. “Both Eddie and I have such a strong relationship with her,” Jessica says. “She also has a New Zealand accent which is nice to listen to.”
After practicing their vows repeatedly, it was time for Jessica and Eddie to exchange heartfelt words in front of their loved ones. “Our son, Remy, who was one-and-a-half at the time of the wedding, was in the crowd watching along and shouting, ‘Mommy! mommy!’ throughout the ceremony, which lightened the mood and made everyone laugh,” the bride recalls.
Another reason the couple chose their venue was because the reception and party could accommodate dancing all night long. “When we lived together in New York, we’d be out late dancing at Avant Gardener in East Williamsburg and wanted to bring that energy to France,” Jessica says. The Gypsy Queens, and later Deejay Fabien Koufach, kept the energy high. “A group of us went until 3 a.m.—mind you, I was pregnant!—and had so much fun. . . There were crazies who wanted to stay up and keep going, but I was exhausted.”
Post-Sunday brunch at the hotel, the newlyweds and seven friends headed to Ibiza. “Our original intent was to enjoy some long nights at the club child-free, but since I was pregnant, it was a little more low key,” Jessica smiles. “We loved all of the beach clubs, the fresh seafood, and the sunsets. The last three days we spent alone were perfect, then it was back home to our son in Los Angeles!”
