An Escape to a Chateau for a wedding – Domaine Du Beyssac, France

Katie and Nick choose to escape the English tradition and fly their guests to the stunning Domaine du Beyssac, an impressive old abbey in the South of France for their wedding. The chateau is hidden amongst the countryside of France on the site of an old abbey 30km south of Toulouse and to put it simply was just most stunning of locations for anyone wanting the chateau dream.

When we first spoke to Kate and Nick, we were blown away with their vision, an outdoor ceremony with a floral arch facing the abbey..did they even need to say anymore…we were beyond excited. Katie and Nick were childhood sweethearts as are Kane and I so we really felt we could relate to this lovely couple and had a great connection with them from the start. Nick proposed to Katie on a sunset walk at the seafront of the town they live and from there, the dream of a French chateau wedding begun.

Due to covid restrictions at the time the couple only had google to go on… as visiting venues was not allowed however on their first glance at Domaine Du Beyssac just outside of Toulouse, their hearts were there. Thankfully after all restrictions were lifted they managed to fly out and the dream was set.

The moment we were waiting for, the wedding day.

Several months later we were there in the glorious sunshine heading to meet Katie and Nick for their wedding day. On arrival at the venue we were blown away, not only did we get to capture a wedding in a French chateau but stood on the grounds was the most amazing abbey.

A relaxed morning with bubbles and beers

The couple were laid back, approachable and fun from the beginning. With both having several bridesmaids and groomsmen alongside them to help them get ready. As the couple opted for a celebrant led wedding, the morning was very relaxed, with no real time stress..the atmosphere was calm. Each party had a different section of the chateau for morning preparations..the girls popping the bubbles while the boys said cheers with some beers.

Katie wore a stunning dress from the Enzoani collection, her dress choice could not have been more perfect for the setting…modern and classic. As none of her bridesmaids had seen the dress ahead of the day we decided to do a big reveal.

An Intimate Outdoor Ceremony with Brother as the celebrant

Celebrant led weddings are becoming increasingly popular, if you are new to the word celebrant..I’ll explain. A celebrant is a person who performs the ceremonial part of a wedding although not legal it allows couples to have freedom to this part of their day, the wording can be more reflective of who they are as a couple, allowing them to add their own personalities into the ceremony. Not only that it allows the couple to have freedom over who performs their ceremony.

For Katie and Nick they did their legal ceremony back in the UK however for their France wedding, Nicks brother wed them. Having a family member perform the ceremony made it so special, both for Katie and Nick but for the guests and us…we got to hear their whole love story from the very beginning. I must admit Nicks brother was the perfect person for the job. He told their story truly perfectly.

Katie and Nicks ceremony was held outside with the abbey as a backdrop..they had flowers aligning the aisle and a circular floral structure at the front..all styled by the lovely Fleur Design By Faustine it was absolutely breathtaking.

A Drinks Reception in the Abbey and A Toast to Tim

One thing to note about this venue is it’s completely dry hire…some would see this as a challenge however for Katie and Nick they loved the fact that they had complete freedom for their day. Friends and family chipped in and helped pour drinks…the guests were able to enjoy the grounds of the chateau and honestly at points it felt like we were all relaxing at the couples own home. I think that’s what I particularly loved about the day..we felt part of the family, the couple and the guests were all so lovely and welcoming.

Something I personally had never seen before a wedding was Katies dedicated area for her dad who sadly had passed away. ‘A toast to Tim’ they called it..a table set with his favourite tipple, some glasses and the opportunity to have a toast in his memory. It was such a beautiful gesture and lovely to see so many guests get involved.

The bridal party and the all important couple portraits

Some of my favourites from the day have to be..the photos we took of the bridal party all together, the pink bridesmaid dresses alongside the guys in tux with the abbey and chateau as a backdrop..and not forgetting Katie and Nick..to finish the drinks reception we ended with some couple portraits..the couple were engaging but laid back and had fun..which makes for beautiful images.

I’ll let the images speak for themselves..

A Rustic Reception

Set alongside the abbey is an old converted barn fit for the reception..hanging festoons, simple floral designs complimented the barn. And when Katie and Nick made their entrance their guests cheered with their napkins in air to celebrate the new Mr and Mrs Carpenter-Brooks.

The surprise factor? An evening dress and a very well rehearsed first dance!

Katie stepped onto the dance floor in a floaty evening dress perfect for their first dance…a total surprise to all her guests and us included! Katies second dress was a Rosa Clara and was lightweight, perfect for dancing! Of course we had to take them off for a few couple portraits with the new look! And what kicked off their party the couple had carefully choreographed their first dance..which left everyone well not wanting to leave the dancefloor!

If you like what you see and want you own escape to the chateau for a wedding? Get in touch.