Romantic Weddings in Limousin France

Not very far from our guest house, Les Trois Chenes, lies a fairy tale castle surrounded by by its own vast estate, eight hundred and fifty hectares of green fields and oak woods. There are forty hectares of clear blue water in the form of a network of lakes. You need a map to appreciate just how large the estate is and you need to drive, or ride the cycles available for your use in order to reach the cottages and mill that have been converted into wonderful bed and breakfast accommodation and self-catering gites. The name of this place is Domaine des Etangs, the perfect Chateau wedding venue in S W France.

On the first floor a long table forms the centre piece of a large, spacious hall, while on the ground floor the restaurant is elegantly furnished and the tables look out over the lake and hills beyond. Every little attention has been given to decorating the tables and the room from the solid wood side tables to the simple and effective table decorations.

There is also a separate building available for guests, a huge hall reminiscent of medieval halls. It has two enormous fire places which dominate this impressive space.

The landscape setting of the Domaine is second to none. There are fruit trees, potagers, a goat farm, hedgerows, but these lie in the midst of the wide open spaces of untamed nature. As you walk or ride through the estate you'll notice the quiet broken only by the sounds of nature. You'll see wild deer, fish, birds and a host of other wildlife. Enjoy also the long history of the land.

You and your guests can take advantage of grass tennis courts and a heated open air swimming pool. You can enoy rowing, caoëing and pedalos or the pleasures of fishing in the lakes alive with sandres, perches, black-bass, carpes, tanches, gardons and other brochets. (I'm going to leave the fishing experts to translate these!) Just soak in all that sun and keep trim while you do it. You can cycle and walk along the twenty kilometers of private pathways or perhaps even jog a little around the lake and breath in the clean, fresh air.

Alternatively you can simply relax.

The estate buildings sit comfotably in the landscape. The plan below shows you how the accommodation has been arranged in separate hameaux , or hamlets, groups of farm buildings, each private and nestled into the landscape on the banks of the lake.

Each hamlet, Litrac, le Pecheur, le Sobotier, le Moulin and L'Age, respect the authenticity of the original buildings, every detail has been considered, from the traditional methods of construction to underfloor heating.

The exterior of these buildings doesn't prepare you for the simple splendour of the interiors. Inside the use of the traditional building materials of the Limousin, wood and stone is continued. The floors are surfaced with stone flags, the wooden structure of the building is apparent, the stone walls unclad.

The first thing that you notice when you walk inside is the sheer space. High ceilings and large rooms luxuriously and comfortably furnished. Nothing prepares you, though, for the waterfall and the inspired frieze-like decorations in the entrance hall.

Don't be fooled by the vintage elements in the bathrooms. The lovely copper bath picks up on the copper and chrome theme used through all the buildings and the wash basins are carved from stone, but these details are teamed with an ultramodern jet shower. Everything is clean and functional, everywhere is light and airy.

Ideal for the Honeymoon

Whether you arrange a wedding here or not, the Domaine is perfect for the honeymoon, wedding aniversaries and that special week-end away together. The Hameau de l'Age makes a perfect, private little love nest.

You can even stay in a converted water mill.

Everywhere you look you will see clean lines, and space broken only by the most beautiful objects carefully placed to catch the light, or blend into the shadows. Orchids, glass vases full of green apples, green chrysanthemums in glasses on the tables, little metal buckets for bread. It is a delight to search out all these curiosities because they are easily missed; they are so perfectly at one with the environment.

The best way to find out more is to contact the staff at Domaine des Etangs. They will be very happy to advise you and help you to plan the perfect wedding.

Contact:

16310 Massignac

Tel +33(5)545618500

info@domainedesetangs.fr

Need help with French?

The staff at the Domaine des Etangs speak excellent English, so you will be able to make all arrangements directly with them but if you need help with other aspects of your wedding, then you might like to contact Richard Ware, an expert on both the languages and the rules and regulations in France. You might even persuade him to play the organ for you if you have a church wedding here.

Needless to say, we are also here to help if we can.

Perfect for parties and business

You may not have large numbers of guests, and the Domaine can host your birthday parties and smaller celebrations in the Mill or some of the other buildings. there are also spaces that are ideal for seminares, meeting and conventions.

Restaurant closed Christmas day

If your guests need more accommodation, there is plenty of choice at very reasonable prices in the area. You can reserve rooms for your guests at Les Trois Chenes Bed and Breakfast from 40 euros, or La Roseraie Bed and Breakfast in Rochechouart if your guests prefer to be in a town. There are also many gites that you can book for larger numbers of people, or for longer stays. Our gite sleeps seven people and can be booked for a week-end (low season only) from 175 euros.

I am a qualified, professional artist and an experienced teacher and love to meet other artists at Les Trois Chenes. Come and join our painting classes. The small groups ensure individual attention and are suitable for absolute beginners and improvers. The aim is to learn and to enjoy! I'm happy to run a class especially for you. Just phone to arrange a half-day or more and we'll spend time together assessing how you can best improve your drawing or painting.

You can see my work on display in the guest house and they are all for sale. An original work of art would make a superb wedding present, and I also take commissions for portraits. Your wedding in oils?

Discover the culture, the heritage and the everyday life of rural France. Visit the historic cities of Limoges and Angouleme, the towns of Saint Junien and Rochechouart or the many picturesque villages and hamlets. There are so many wonderful restaurants to suite every taste and pocket and markets and faires are held all the year round. Have a look at some of these articles to get a taste of Limousin:

The Medieval festival of Rochechouart

Where to eat in the Lakes of the Haute Charente

Limousin, land of Wolves and Witches

Where to buy Limoges Porcelain in Limousin

The White Plates of Limoges

The route of Richard the Lion Heart

Family holidays in Limousin

Activty holidays in Limousin

The Pilgrim Route of St Jacques and the Church of St Eutrope