What makes a good destination wedding venue in France?

Pools expert Julia French dips her hand into the box of confetti to find out what kind of property makes a perfect destination wedding venue…

Destination weddings in France continue to be a popular choice with couples enticed by the romantic settings and sunnier climes. There are thousands of wedding venues in France, but they’re not all of the château variety – beautiful, smaller venues full of charm are also high in demand. Buying a property to run as a wedding venue is potentially a more challenging prospect than looking for a chambre d’hôtes, as it’s a lesser-known path. Getting the property right is the first step to a successful venue in the wedding world and to succeed doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be king of the castle.

Location is at the top of the list when it comes to buying property and the same applies for finding the property for an ideal wedding venue. Accessibility is a priority, having an airport or two within easy distance makes life easier for all concerned.

Lauren Crease is the owner of Manoir Beaulieu, located in the beautiful Charente countryside, which in addition to two nearby airports also benefits from the TGV rail service to Angoulême. “On top of the location being accessible, I would say that being next to a beautiful bustling village helps – we’re close to Aubeterre-sur-Dronne. Not only do couples like their guests to meet up in places for drinks either side of the wedding, but they also enjoy the boulangerie and other local shops and amenities. A destination wedding means you don’t just spend one day with your guests and its over – you spend the whole weekend or week having a holiday, with a fun wedding day thrown in!”

Being near a village or town with accommodation is essential if you have a smaller venue and it can also help out for occasional overspill for a larger venue. Consider too nearby activities on offer -canoeing, surf lessons, even hot air ballooning – which provide added value to the guests at no cost to the couple.
Weddings by their very nature can be a noisy affair, so make sure any neighbours are out of earshot and also out of sight. Manoir Beaulieu is surrounded by trees, providing privacy for guests. It’s best to avoid a property with immediate neighbours as peace and quiet is not synonymous with a fun-filled wedding.

Good things can certainly come in small packages. Sarah Ball runs Perfect Little Wedding, a wedding planning service in France, specialising in smaller wedding packages. She advises that, although small is big business, when looking for a house as a venue go for the maximum number of bedrooms you can afford.

“Given the choice between a six or an eight-bedroom property, always stretch your budget for eight as this will broaden your market and increase the return. It is best if the bedrooms are all doubles or large bedrooms and preferably ensuite. The bridal suite especially should be a decent size, ideally with ornate features and presented in such a way to make the bride feel pampered and special. Don’t forget the guests though, especially as some will have travelled great distances. Fantastic accommodation goes towards making them feel all the more welcome and valued.”

Another consideration is where you will live. If the property has outbuildings then perhaps convert one for your accommodation, even if it’s just for the wedding season. You could benefit by having a separate space allowing you to take a break from work and to recharge your batteries. As Sarah advises it is not just the wedding couple and guests you need to consider. “Wedding suppliers will be in and out of your house all day, which is something you might not be prepared for. Unless you do it all in-house, there will be caterers, the photographer, florist and waiting staff, not to mention the band and DJ! Weddings are great fun, with the big day being especially exciting, but this also brings a lot of people with differing demands, which is not for everyone.”

Although there may be a hive of activity in the house, the wedding celebrations are almost always outside, which is the big draw for most couples. All weddings share the same order of the day, irrespective of the size of venue. Whether there are 20 or 120 guests, the grounds need to accommodate all aspects of the big day, from the pre-drinks to the last dance. Château Destinée is in the heart of the Dordogne. Linda Mayer and Pete Hood bought the property in 2019 after spotting its potential to be a fabulous wedding venue.

Linda first set her mind on finding a flow for the venue as a whole, making sure there was a cohesive feel, leaving no area ignored or wasted. Paths around the grounds lead guests to the different areas used throughout the day. “The flow of the building and the gardens is an important consideration. With wedding parties, you need to have more than one place for the guests to congregate; different areas but at the same time they should be be inclusive with one another.”
For the location of the ceremony, Linda has a unique suggestion for her couples to simply ‘pick a tree.” “Shade is a major consideration as it does get hot here. We are lucky in having so many mature trees providing a thick blanket of shade, which works much better than just using parasols.”

The wedding reception is held in their courtyard, therefore it’s close to the facilities in the château. This is helpful for not only the guests, but also for the waiting staff when it comes to serving the four-plus courses of the wedding breakfast. As with other successful venues, the château has an old stone barn, not only for the evening party but also as their ‘wet weather plan’ in the event of a downpour during the day. The weather can never be guaranteed; likewise, the barn can also be used on the days when it is too hot, giving them a ‘hot weather plan’ too!

Generally speaking, the pool is not in use on the day, but even if the venue is close to the sea or river you will need a pool. Most venues put on a party with a BBQ or similar the next day as part of the wedding package, and a pool is integral to that. This more informal party is an opportunity for the couple to spend more intimate time with their friends and family.

“A swimming pool is paramount for a successful destination wedding, not necessarily for the big day itself but the days either side and especially for the ‘recovery after party!” Linda says. Château Destinée offered a blank canvas; with no existing pool they could do whatever they wanted, which was a large 15x5m pool, with a constant 1.4m depth.

“We decided to position it away from the château but within sight. We didn’t want it to be enclosed by a wall or a fence, as that would have limited the area surrounding the pool for guests, and instead opted for an automatic safety cover. This opens up the area, providing a good flow with the rest of the grounds. The pool is beautiful and is a wonderful place to bring all the guests together and relax.”

By definition, a destination venue is somewhere that brings people together from different places. A destination wedding is a one-off occasion which is unlikely to be repeated with the same people, making it an incredibly special occasion deserving of a special venue.

Lydia Taylor Jones is an award-winning wedding photographer in southwest France. “I love photographing weddings in France, they are always so relaxed and romantic,” she says. “Whether it’s at a château with an impressive sweeping staircase or a manoir with gorgeous weathered French shutters, the charm always shines through”.

It’s not just the venue that shines through, the weather is one of the main reasons couples chose France. “Not just because the days are sunnier with that holiday feel” Lydia says, “the golden hour here really is unsurpassable, resulting in some really special breathtaking photos.” In addition to the building and setting, a large part of the success of a wedding venue is the owners-the hosts-who are responsible for adding that certain something.

As Lauren sums up: “You need to be prepared to work hard you can’t just buy a wedding venue. It’s hard work and long days with a lot going on behind the scenes! Running a wedding venue isn’t for the fainthearted but it is an absolute honour and the rewards make it all so worthwhile!”

Julia French runs Pristine Piscines in southwest France Tel: 0033 (0)6 32 10 39 92.

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