Candice & Carl, Part 1 – Venue Search
Written by Candice and Carl – Part 1 of 3
We knew we wantedsomething different...
“We had always loved France; the food, the wine, its beauty, warmth and memories of holidays on the South coast. The idea of making our special day somewhere we would always remember, a unique day just for us, to share with our family and friends, a perfect day….
Our first thought was that we could get married in a French church and find a venue for the reception, but unfortunately you have to have lived in France for over a month to do that and as much as we would have loved to stay in the beautiful sunny countryside of France, it wasn’t possible. We decided to have a blessing and our reception in France instead. We searched online for venues and found a number of agencies that could help us to find our dream location. Our initial thought was to use a venue finding service to get the ball rolling and then we would organise the rest ourselves. How hard could it be?
We chose to use the French Wedding Company for this as they had a range of venues to suit our budget and hand-picked 12 options for us to narrow our search. We chose to view six and spent an amazing weekend touring the Dordogne countryside and looking at venues. We were met at each one by Laura and her team to walk the venues and give us suggestions about what we could do at each one, which helped us to visualise what our day would look like and the general flow of the day.
Our chosen venue was the first place we visited, although it was a hard choice between the options available. The sun shone on the hilltop Chapel of St Paul’s next to the tastefully renovated stonework gites. The idea that we could have our ceremony in a chapel and have our reception within the gardens overlooking the fields and lake, with accommodation for our closest friends and family was more than we hoped for. St Paul’s was beautiful and we had found our venue.”
Photos by Peter Antoine Photography
Search STATS
For Candice and Carl we…
- sourced approximately 30 possible venues
- contacted 20 that met their exact requirements
- proposed 12 that were the nearest match, available and within budget
- visited 6 with them
- helped them book ‘the one’.
If you are struggling to get to grips with the various options available to you, how to understand their costs or just don’t have the time to trawl the internet looking for them then contact us and tell us what you are looking for.
Celebrations that engage, excite & delightfrom start to finish
Planning a Destination Wedding in France - 5 Things To Know
Thinking about a destination wedding in France?Great choice!
There are a few things however, that if considered in advance, can set you on the right path to a unique and successful wedding.
French Wedding Etiquette
As with many couples opting for venues in the wonderful French countryside, you may find the way of doing business somewhat different to the 24/7, online speed of big city living. Combine that with a culture of frank discussion, fixed service criteria, and ‘not questioning the expert’ and it can be easy to start off on the wrong foot and find supplier negotiations quite frustrating. Getting support and advice for your negotiations will make it much easier and quicker.
They Speak French
Yes, I am stating the obvious… but having knowledge of the French language can transform how you plan your wedding. When you are not tied to using English speaking suppliers, an even more diverse world of venues and extremely skilled suppliers are there for you, to help you create a truly unique day.
Marriage is only legal at the town hall
Even the French must marry at the local mayor’s office before they can marry in church. It is pretty much the same as going to your local registry office, before having a blessing in France. If you meet the criteria for a legal wedding in France, the paperwork can be a bit laborious, but when you know how, it can be quite easy to arrange. Translation will cost though, so do take that into consideration in your budget.
It costs more than you think
One of the most common mistakes couples make is underestimating the cost of their wedding day. Setting a budget is a good starting point, but is it realistic for the day you are hoping to achieve? France offers great value but this is not the same as it being cheaper. If you are hoping to avoid a packaged wedding in favour of having something more bespoke, be very sure that you have considered all the behind the scenes costs. This may vary from venue to venue so take advice from those in the know. It may cost you, but what you could save in time, money and stress, will make for much more enjoyable wedding planning.
Its a big and diverse country
There is a reason that many French don’t go further than their own backyard for their holidays… France is a wonderfully diverse country, rich in culture, landscapes and architecture. Each region has a very distinct character and there is one to reflect every couple. They also have their own pros and cons, be it weather, costs or access. Research your region well or take advice before looking for your venue, to help narrow down the areas that will best suit you.
The team at French Wedding Company have expertise in all these areas. We are all bi-lingual, have an extensive database of quality, knowledgeable and flexible English and French suppliers as well as access to a broad range of venues. We are based in France so know the regions and culture, understand the legalities and business etiquette. Our years of experience mean we also know what it costs and how to get the best value from your budget.