Château Destination Weddings in France
As an American, we don’t get to see a lot of castles in the USA. Obviously we don’t have the history for them nor the societal hierarchies that warranted castles that protected domains and possessions and invading foreigners. These historic edifices are what makes being a wedding florist in France so fun for me. I get to go on a ‘tour’ each time there is a wedding and see some beautiful classical edifices.
Each time I speak with a couple and learn about the venue they’ve chosen, I go straight to searching for pictures online. I literally get goosebumps when I see the location and imagine the possibilities of the flowers for their wedding. There are HUNDREDS of castles to choose from! How lucky am I?
Each chateau is different. For me, there have been a couple privately owned and who rent out the rooms and living areas for weddings and others are more designed like a hotel and feature upscale ambiance but less authenticity. Either way, they are magnificent structures lending themselves to romantic wedding shots and fairytale dreams weddings.
I’ve made a list of some of these French chateau that open their doors to weddings. Here is the blog article you can check out if you’re searching for a venue in France.
When considering a venue in France, remember that your guests are traveling and need a place to stay. So, depending on the size of your wedding, selecting a venue that has accomodations or hotels nearby is essential. Sometimes you may need to shuttle guests from one place to another since nothing is ever in one place. So,you need to consider how you’ll shuttle these people and look into taxi services in France. What about food options? Tired of traveling and maybe on a different time-zone, food such as water and snacks becomes essential for guests and should be supplied in the rooms of the venue or available as a light lunch or tea event. All the comforts of home are generally offered in a chateau but it isn’t as easy getting to one for some of your guests.
Some of the chateau you are renting come with the basics like bedding and towels but you can bring your own food and use the grand kitchens. Others are more hotel-like and your guests have a room but you can’t go venturing into the kitchen at midnight for a snack.
I’ve been on my way to do the wedding flowers and the circuitous route that Google maps may take you on to get to these isolated castles can be scary as you think you won’t ever arrive! The country roads in France have lots of turns, you’ll drive through small villages, make sharp lefts or rights, drive down a road that is barely the size for one car and have countryside views for miles with no chateau in site. Did I mention the road signs are in French? (Don’t rely on Google maps to pronounce these towns correctly!) But it is all worth it!
Many chateau have a long entrance maybe lined with trees or hidden by trees. Once you come upon it, you’ll feel like you’re stepping into another age and your magical wedding begins! Here are some chateau couples I’ve worked with have hired for their wedding venue. I love them all!
