Planning an event at a château wedding venue in Paris is a dream come true!

But getting married in a castle is not without its challenges. If you’re looking for the best and oh-so grand château wedding venues, take a look at our top list! I’m sharing a bit about what you need to know and where to go with my insider’s list of the best in France!

Château Vaux Vicomte

This gorgeous French château wedding venue is one of my personal favorites. It’s only 50 minutes outside of Paris so guests can get the experience of both destinations and stay in the city.

Château Vaux Vicomte is a 17th century masterpiece designed by King Louis 14th’s principal architect Louis le Vau and this was actually the inspiration for Versailles!

With its own helipad, you can arrive by car, carriage, or make your grand wedding entrance or getaway an unforgettable one.

This château is open to the public, so designing and staging the event does mean we require extra staff for a shorter setup window. For ceremony, the ideal spot is the gardens a la francaise with the view of the chateau in the background. Weather permitting, the Kings Crown Garden is perfect for cocktail hour followed by a reception in the Salle de Rethonde or the Oval Ballroom.

Must Know Before You Book:

This château wedding venue has strict guidelines when it comes to dancing inside since there is precious artwork. Therefore for the dancing part of the evening we build a tent or structure outside. The end result is breathtaking with the facade as the backdrop lit up by thousands of candles we place throughout the gardens. Then you can end the evening with fireworks!

Bonus: With 8 fountains and 7 chimneys, we have lots of decor options to dress up the spaces!

Top Tip: We usually hire guides to guide mini cultural visits for the guests throughout the historical artwork.

Chateau de Chantilly

Another château wedding venue only 50 minutes away from Paris is the beautiful Château de Chantilly. It too is open to the public with incredible artwork and a long history. It’s known as one of the finest pieces of France’s cultural heritage. The château was built for Henri d’Orléans, son of King of France, Louis-Philippe and allowed him to showcase his collection of masterpieces. The castle currently has the second largest collection of antique paintings, after the Louvre.

The gardens are heavenly for a wedding ceremony tucked in the midst of greenery. The Island of Love area is a more English garden look while the French classical gardens offer an arrival over a romantic bridge. Both equally special, giving you great options.

Then I suggest moving into your cocktail hour in the 18^th century-style Large Suites (if your wedding has more than 50 guests). For smaller receptions, dine here and enjoy a long royal table for a dinner reception surrounded by antique artwork.

For larger wedding parties at this château wedding venue, you can proceed to dinner in The Gallery of Painting and the Rotunda, which is the heart of Condé Museum. Your lavish meal will be surrounded by 85 paintings of the past.

When it’s time to dance, we like to usher guests into the capitainerie. It’s like a wine cellar dome where we can host dancing until 2am. Alternatively, fireworks, video mapping, and a tented dance party can take place outside.

Must Know Before You Book:

Have a good understanding of your guest count before you book here. The size of your party can dramatically impact which spaces you’re able to use for the event. All the spaces are wonderful, but each create a different wedding environment and feel.

Bonus:

Top Tip: If you’ve got an exceptionally large wedding size, consider dinner and dancing in the stables for a completely different château wedding venue experience.

Champs de Bataille

An hour an a half outside of Paris, Champs de Bataille is a destination in itself! Owned by world-renowned decorator, Jacques Garcia, part of its charm is the ability to sleep like royalty within its walls! With 24 bedrooms, including the royal bedrooms, some of modern time’s most elite guests have stayed here. For the couple who are concerned less with budget and more about creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience for their guests, this château is for you.

Must Known Before You Book:

For this château wedding venue, we encourage our couples and guests to sleep in the castle. However, larger groups will need to book nearby hotels outside of the city.

Bonus:

Top Tip: Consider the Moroccan space for an afterparty with a bit of exotic decor!

Château de Versailles

Among the best of the château wedding venues, Château de Versailles is only 30 minutes from Paris. It’s perfect for a wedding group who wants to stay in the city and experience something different.

This over-the-top wedding location is as magnificent as you arrive as it is inside. Entering through the royal gates gives you the ultimate feeling of ‘wow,’ while the royal guard drummers create a sense of grandeur.

Cocktail hour is usually held in the Lenotre Gardens. We turn on the fountains and guests can enjoy a lovely garden party and stroll the grounds. A visit of the château is a must during cocktail time or we can incorporate the visit of the château when inviting guests from cocktails to dinner.

Once the cocktail hour is over we welcome guests to the reception area. No dinners are allowed in the hall of mirrors except state visits but guests can walk the halls for their instagrammable moments or watch fireworks from there following dinner.

As guests enjoy the halls, I like to have different entertainment around. We can feature ballerinas, operettas and singers in each of the rooms for the families to experience while they take in this regal wedding venue’s artistic beauty.

When it’s time for the reception, guests dine with light dinner music in the main reception space before moving to Orangerie for dancing. This outdoor space is where Louis XIV gathered all the orange trees from the royal houses across Europe and soon created the largest collection through his acquisitions.

Must Know Before You Book:

Because it’s open to the public, ceremonies here must start a little later in the evening. Versailles also has water fountains and light and fireworks shows open to the public on many summer days so weddings need to be planned around those dates or in September or May.

Bonus: Something exceptional at this château wedding venue is the chappelle royal – where you can have concerts and opera and musical entertainment as a prelude to an event.

Top Tip: Only background piano or classical music and soft opera is allowed in main reception area so this château wedding venue is only for couples that are comfortable having dinner and then moving to another area for dancing. The “orangerie” where guests dance, is only open from May to September.

Château de Villette

This is a more intimate location of the château wedding venues available to couples. It’s located in Burgundy so guests can see a bit of the French countryside when visiting. Ideal for an intimate wedding, the castle consists of 7 suites in the main building and 7 bedrooms in the left wing. In total, 27 guests can stay on property, which makes a great boutique hotel for family to all stay together. The living quarters even comes completed with heated swimming pool and 185 beautiful acres of land to explore. There are two lakes, woods, a classical garden of Andre Lenôtre, 16th pressoire à vin and a picturesque cascade fountain on property. Famed Jacques Garcia decorated the château, and today is known as “Le Petit Versailles.”

Must Know Before You Book:

Since the property sleeps a limited number of guests, this château is ideal for a wedding under 50 people. If you opt for more invitations, a tent will need to be constructed.

Bonus:

The location is only 30 minutes outside of Paris so guests who do not stay on property, can stay in the city! And it feels like an impeccably decorated private home, something you will love receiving your guests in.

Top Tip:

The venue is a private property, one of the only of its kind, so you don’t have to be concerned about late night music. This also allows for a longer install process, giving us the opportunity to get more elaborate with decor. Consider the hidden garden with hanging flowers for your ceremony!

 

Consider these fantastic château wedding venues for your destination wedding in France and we’ll do the rest!