The celebrity wedding of Eva Longoria, star of Desperate Housewives and Tony Parker, NBA basketball chamption was not the most auspicious fete in the history of Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte. The Chateau is an exception venue close to Paris and is a popular choice for celebrity weddings with exquisite furniture, unique period decor, open fires in magnificient fireplaces, and the unforgettable sight of the candlelit gardens.

Resplendent today as it was in former times, Vaux-le-Vicomte stands as a symbol of the intelligence, taste and independence of its creator, Nicolas Fouquet.

August 17, 1661 goes down in history as the most lavish, refined and dazzling celebration in the chateau's history be it rich in hidden drama. Overcome with joy at the chance of parading Vaux-le-Vicomte before the King whose faithful servant he remained, Nicolas Fouquet assumed that he would take over the post of prime minister vacated by Cardinal Mazarin. Boy was he wrong.

On this beautiful summer's day. Nicolas Fouquet and his wife officially opened Vaux-le-Vicomte in the presence of the King, who had expressed a desire to see the recent improvements, together with the Queen Mother and part of the Court. After the heat of the day died down, the guests followed their Royal Highnesses into the gardens and marvelled at all the lakes and fountains, the lawns, terraces and flowers, at the awesome grottoes and cascades.

Returning from their walk, a meal was served in the chateau, and everyone then hurried to the edge of the woods for the entertainment; "Les Facheux", a ballet-comedy written and played by Moliere. As the curtain went down, a fireworks display started over the grottoes, reflected in the mirror-like surface of the Great Canal, where a giant whale let off more fireworks.

After the last explosion, Louis XIV headed back to the chateau when suddenly hundreds of rockets shot up from the dome of the building, forming an arch of flame in the night sky.

This unprecedented enchanting celebration, the model of royal fetes to come, marked the high point of Fouquet's career, as he himself had no reason to doubt. Secretly the King had decided that Fouquet would die, and he had asked to visit the chateau, to throw Fouquet off the scent. Only the King, the Queen Mother and Colbert knew that he was in fact only hours from his fall.

For Louis XIV to witness such applause going to someone else, to visit a home more luxurious than his old palaces and a magical garden, were trials to hard for his self-esteem to endure, and they fuelled his desire to destroy the minister. Were it not for the Queen Mother's advice he would have had Fouquet arrested on the spot.

Two weeks later Fouquet was arrested. He was never to leave prison alive.

Later Voltaire was to sum up the famous fete thus: "On 17 August, at six in the evening Fouquet was the King of France: at two in the morning he was nobody."

You do not have to be rich and famous to get married in France. Any one can rent a castle and have their very own fairytale french wedding.