An adventure and a wedding in one!

Although the criteria for weddings that we do changes constantly as the styles and trends for marriages continually alters, one element never changes. The desire to find a location where family and friends can relax, enjoy and share in the happiness of a newly wedded couple. These days, to fulfill that requirement and entice you to into their abode, many chateaus can organise group activities for you and your guests to partake in during your stay….. an adventure and a wedding in one!

This beautiful Chateau is located in the “golden triangle” of the Dordogne region (think medieval villages, evergreen & oak tree woods, gastronomic delicacies such as foie gras & exquisite wines…) which has activities that appeal to all tastes. You can visit the medieval markets at Sarlat, wonder around the box-tree garden at the Monastery of Marqueyssac, canoe down the Dordogne river, or if you’re feeling a little more energetic even try your hand at spelunking (even just hearing the name makes us want to have a go!)

Aside from all these outdoor adventures the Chateau is also fully equipped to host your wedding. This summer we have had several weddings at this Chateau and each one was personalised to reflect the couple’s ideas for their big day. The Chateau has a lovely small chapel in their grounds where you can have your ceremony or you can take advantage of the gorgeous panoramic views and set the ceremony outside. For a reception meal there are various options which range from a relaxed BBQ right through to a sumptuous dinner. To sum up, it’s a wonderful location where all your friends and family can take pleasure in the beautiful surroundings and gastronomic delights of the region. And if all that adventure wears you out, then we suggest nothing better than a wander over to take a dip in the infinity pool….

If you like what you’ve read don’t hesitate to get in touch at contact@feteinfrance.com. Thanks to Kevin and Katie at KHulett Photography for passing on their beautiful pictures of the wedding we did at the Chateau this summer. They got some fantastic shots and we look forward to working with them again on future weddings.

Your fairytale castle…

… with practical advantages!

Everyone knows that we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to chateaus in France. They come in every shape and size, every state of repair (or disrepair). So it’s always a pleasure to discover a place that ticks all of the boxes our clients have when looking for a chateau for their wedding venue.

Easily accessible from Paris via TGV or from London via Ryanair, this chateau is located just a short 20 minute drive from Poitiers. The chateau was originally built in the middle ages, and like many other structures, was added to and modified over the centuries. While many of the guestrooms still have some of the surprising details left over from the medieval period, all of the bathrooms have been elegantly updated! The chateau comfortably sleeps 34 and can accommodate up to 45 if need be – a real plus!

The grounds of the chateau present a variety of choice for your wedding festivities. Will you have your ceremony on the veranda or in the beautiful gothic church just steps away? Will the cocktail be in front of the chateau or in the rustic “chai” (refurbishment planned for 2012)? Will the dinner be in the reception room or outdoors in long tables in the tree-lined alley? So many possibilities to make a memorable day for you and your guests (and always with ample possible back-up solutions in case of inclement weather!)

Nous, on adore!

A Summer Fresh White Wedding

Our franco-british clients had a lot going on in their lives between their busy work schedules and an international move which meant not a lot of time to dedicate to their wedding.  We at Fête in France helped them pull together their day which took place at a fabulous château just an hour from Paris.  The couple had a romantic outdoor ceremony under an archway of trees.  Guests were then invited for a cocktail on the terrace of the château with gypsy jazz music provided by a group of musicians whose percussionist provided the beat by tap dancing.  Dinner and dancing late into the night was held under a tent – decorated all in white.

Photos courtesy of Olivier Lalin

A Château Wedding in the Loire Valley – Part 2

The reception room we started with was a bare room with stone vaulted ceilings so all the decoration needed to be brought in. In keeping with the château chic theme, the tables were dressed in gold damask tablecloths with high gold candlelabra centerpieces and gold candles. Different aged gold picture frames denoted table names each named after a different Loire Valley chateau.
Lighting was essential to pulling the room together and our expert lighting technicians lit bathed the room in soft gold and rose-colored light and projected damask and leaf patterns on to the vaulted ceilings.
The bride and groom had two cakes – One a traditional American wedding cake and a Pierre Hermé macaron cake.

Have a look at some of the pictures…

All photos courtesy of Olivier Lalin.

First look: Sharon & Fred’s wedding

After over a year of planning, three action-packed days of set-up and clean-up, and one day of rest, we’re super excited to share a few first look photos of Sharon & Fred’s wedding from this past weekend.

There will definitely be more to come and we can’t wait to show you the amazing decoration and lighting that turned the reception space from “wow” into “WOW!”

Photos courtesy of Olivier Lalin

Le Perche – a great escape only 2 hours from Paris

Le Perche is a little known area of Normandy but it’s an area of France that is near and dear to our hearts here at Fête in France.  Last weekend we got the opportunity to visit a new wedding venue in the area so faster than we could say oui, we had our car keys in hand and our golden retriever in the backseat for a spin out over the rolling green hills of the countryside of lower Normandy.

We pulled up at the chateau and immediately liked what we saw – a long drive, a big parc, a pond and a pretty turreted chateau.  The chateau has been beautifully maintained and features exposed stone walls in many of the rooms.  It’s cozy, bright and welcoming.  For the moment there are 4 very large bedrooms in the chateau and then there are numerous outbuildings which house additional accommodation and a theater.    After a nice visit with the owner and a delicious lunch of homemade soupe de poisson the crowd began to arrive for a traditional English tea dance, which you can read more about in Fête Notes!

Château dinner

We were recently invited to dinner by a chateau-owner, or châtelain, who has a château about 35 minutes from Paris.  Madame Châtelaine, who spends most of her time in the US, singlehandedly oversaw the entire renovation of the château, from the carefully aged tiles in the bathrooms to the antique furniture that graces each uniquely decorated room.

So it wasn’t surprising that Madame Châtelaine would be able to host a gourmet dinner for 10!  And it wasn’t just the food that was remarkable – Fête in France’s dinner companions were:  two blonde Eastern-Europeans/former professional tennis players; an endearing English businessman and his wife, who had the most wonderful continental European accent; a very elegant older couple who traveled the world and who were great patrons of opera and ballet; a charming French businessman from Versailles.

Despite the evident gap in age, means, and social status (alas, we do not count Lenny Kravitz or Sharon Stone among our “besties”) we had such a great time!  Actually, this is one of the occasions where the word “marvelous” would do it more justice: we had such a marvelous time!

So we’re crossing our fingers that we’ll have the chance to get back to the château, whether it’s for another dinner or even better, for a wedding we’ve booked!

Breathtaking luxury château…only 35 minutes from Paris

We were recently lucky enough to visit a truly fabulous château (and trust us, we see a lot of fabulous places!). So what sets it apart you ask? Let us count the ways…
1) located only 35 minutes from Paris so you’re there before you have time to make it through your favorite ipod playlist
2) A grand entrance to greet you with a large gate and cobblestoned drive
3) Beautiful grounds with a lake, forest and elegant French gardens designed by no other than the master of the art – Le Nôtre
4) Chapel for a wedding ceremony of up to 100 guests
5) A reception room ideal for 60-70 guests
6) Guest accommodation site for up to 30 people in rooms decorated with French antiques and modern bathrooms (the best of the past and present!)
7) Period costumes on hand…gentlemen, start powdering your wigs and ladies, start channeling your inner Marie Antoinette.

Interested? More information and pricing upon request.

Château or bust

Visiting a new chateau can be a lot of fun – we get to escape from Paris for a while, enjoy the countryside and hopefully find a great new venue to propose to our clients.

We were put in contact with a chateau owner who is keen to do more weddings at his chateau in France.  We, being keen to develop relationships directly with chateaus, decided to take a trip down to check out the situation.  The chateau was located in the Ardèche, a department nestled between Burgundy and Provence, part of the Rhône-Alps region.  The caretakers were a nice English couple who had been long-time residents of Zimbabwe – with weather a far cry from the grey-misty-coldness of French winters.

The chateau was built in the mid 1800′s and is named after the mountain that overshadows the chateau grounds.  An intriguing historical anecdote is that it apparently was into this mountain that a plane carrying JFK’s sister and her lover crashed in 1948.  The chateau can sleep quite a few people and has a large outdoor terrace that could accommodate an elegant outdoor reception.

Wanting to capitalize on our time away from the office, we enjoyed some well-earned glasses of Saint-Emilion and researched other possible venues we could visit on our drive back up to Paris.  Thankfully there was no shortage of candidates and we decided to contact a chateau our wine merchant friend Charles had recommended to us.  The chateau owner had recently inherited the estate and was happy to have us come visit.

This chateau, located between Beaune and Dole, had the symmetric elegant lines of the 17-18th century style.  Despite the snowy weather and general dishevelment inside because of the renovation work, we could tell that it would be a great venue.  The work is scheduled to be done for the chateau’s re-opening in May, are dates are still available for Summer/Fall 2010!