The seasonal winds in Bali have finally shifted and the fresh, dry season has come. It happened suddenly, as if commanded by the hand of Pascal Morabito especially for the occasion of his latest wedding to his lovely wife, Marie Ève. They are so well-matched that they simply can’t resist being wed again and again. And who ever said romance was dead? Not a bit of it.
Hundreds of guests, clad all in white at yesterday evening’s marriage ceremony and celebration enjoyed cool breezes and a perfect Bali sunset. No location could have been more idyllic for this spectacular gathering than the Morabito Art Villa, Pascal and Marie-Ève’s glorious home on the south coast of Bali. The parklands were festooned with lanterns and fairly lights, and a phalanx of white phalaenopsis greeted guests as they descended from the balé to the lawn, following Pascal and Marie-Ève who were borne aloft on matching gilded palanquins in procession to the ringing tones of a gamelan orchestra. A traditional Balinese Hindu blessing ceremony was conducted with a riot of bright offerings and radiant smiles outshining the rays of the setting sun as it sank into the Indian Ocean.
Many guests remarked upon the effortlessly regal bearing of the (once-again!) bridal couple. Pascal was the benevolent and generous King and his bride the perfect vision of a gracious and lovely Queen, in a diaphanous gown of silk brocade cut in the style of a traditional Balinese kebaya. It takes a perfect figure and flawless skin to pull off such a whisper of a gown and still appear demure. This was no challenge for a lady with the classic, natural beauty of Marie-Ève Morabito. She looked absolutely breathtaking, all evening long. That’s Bruno Piazza (above), looking on breathlessly.
And what an evening it was! Morabito’s wine cellar is splendid, and guests were plied with lobster tail and fresh-cut sashimi followed by a fine al fresco dinner under the stars with so many chefs at so many stations, that I never managed to visit them all. On to outrageous entertainments, including a dancing dreamgirl in a bubble, flying fire and acrobatics, and finally we all took to the dance floor, illuminated by an Austin Powers psychedelic light show, until after midnight. As we slipped out after the cake was cut and the champagne poured, but before the clock struck twelve, we discovered our charming houseguest, Belgian metteur en fête, Eric van Bruggen (above) reposing near the front door, nearly dropping from exhaustion after a day that began with lunch in Sayan at Made Wijaya’s Taman Bebek, and ended on the Morabito dance floor. We whisked the boy home, refusing to let him even think for one minute about riding home on his motor scooter!
Among the guests were many of Bali’s most elegant and interesting characters, including Lucienne of Tugu Hotels (above front left), Mathias and Gaelle Echene of Pantai Lima fame with their gorgeous new baby, Pika (above right) and Pascal (above left) Chevillot of the soon-to-open Petitenget restaurant Sardine, Dayu Sri of Warisan, Chris Salans of Mozaic, and Monty and Kiki Brown of Aman Resorts. Still, local luminaries were far outnumbered by the Morabito’s many friends and family from France and elsewhere around the globe, making for a very congenial international gathering.
