Questions to ask yourself before booking your wedding venue in France
When you choose a venue for your destination wedding in France, it is very easy to get overwhelmed. There are hundreds of beautiful castles all over the country, and some of them seem so affordable, that you ask yourself how come not everyone is getting married in France!
When you browse one of the online directories that reference hundreds of stunning properties, you should ask yourself a certain number of questions.
- What is my destination? (Paris, Provence, Normandy, Bordeaux, etc)
- If you don’t know how to choose, ask yourself where are your guests will be traveling from. Is the place easy to access? Will you need to plan and manage logistics, transfers, and accommodation for them?
- What is the landscape I’m looking for?
- What is the style and ambiance I want to create (laid-back, chic, glamourous, romantic, regal, countryside, etc)
- How much time will I and my guests spend in France?
- Is it a wedding weekend or a one-night celebration?
- Do I want to have an outdoor or indoor reception?
- How many guests will there be?
- What is my overall budget? (it is recommended to spend no more than 30% on your venue)
Answering these questions will allow you to filter venues that you will see. Before you sign a contract with your dream wedding venue, evaluate if it corresponds to your criteria. If you have to take a plane, then a train, then rent a car to get to your wedding venue, then perhaps, you should continue looking.
How to choose a region for your destination wedding in France
Selecting a remote location will require planning transportation and accommodation for your guests. Everything is possible, but you need to anticipate associated costs and logistics.
If you host an intimate event, it might be easy to do. However, if you have a 100+ guests wedding, I would recommend choosing a more accessible venue.
Stick to regions that can be reached within a one-hour car drive from the nearest airport or a big city. Paris, Nice, Bordeaux, and Marseille should be your points of reference.
Regions like Normandy, Britanny, and Loire Valley are less accessible and will require extra travel effort. It is up to you to decide whether the beauty and comfort of their destination wedding venues are worth it. Generally, I would only recommend selecting remote locations, if you plan to have a multiple-day celebration (and I don’t only mean the day-after brunch).
Best wedding venues in France
Venues that are located in bigger cities or close to them are generally preferential unless your budget is unlimited, and you are ready to take care of the logistics and accommodation. If your wedding venue is easily accessible by taxi, you will have one problem less to deal with. Here is a small list of venues located near Paris that I particularly love :
- Chateau de Bouffemont
- Chateau Barthelemy
- Chateau de Dangu
- Chateau de Chesnaie
- Maison de Sylvie
If you prefer to have your destination wedding in southern France, you might love Domaine de Mont Leuze or chateau de Garibondy. These properties are located very close to Nice airport, and your guests will be able to get there by taxi (30 minutes ride). That being said, should your guests want to spend their holiday in southern France, they are most likely to need to rent a private car anyway.
If you want to have a city wedding, then you have a large variety of stunning hotels and palaces to choose from. In Paris, it is Shangri La that has my heart. You can read more about this wedding venue here :
Shangri La weddings – venue observer
If you are dreaming about the ultimate luxury experience, then you should definitely have a look at Crillon. Among my favourite locations are also :
- Hotel le Marois – check for a complete venue analysis here
- Hotel d’Evreux – check for a complete venue analysis here
In Southern France, Le Negresco is extremely popular.
If you choose to have a hotel as your destination wedding venue, make sure you read your contract carefully. Often, hotels have restrictions with regards to noise levels, candles, and external vendors that you will need to respect.
Looking for an English-speaking wedding planner?
Venue search is not easy, despite the variety of directories! If you are reading this post, it is likely that you have already been looking for a perfect wedding venue for a while.
Perhaps, you have already contacted several locations, and chances are, they are not a good fit.
If you don’t have time to waste, I will be happy to take care of the venue selection for you! I will present to you the best properties and will help you to make the right choice that will leave you confident and excited about it!
Send me an email to hello@katerinameyvial.com or via this booking form , and let me free your time for celebrating with friends, bridal shopping, and champagne tasting!
