When we say small wedding venues, we mean venues for small weddings – not that the venues themselves are small! As you can see here some venues are very large châteaux set in hectares of rolling estates. And you won’t need to settle for a downmarket venue either. Most wedding venues these days are refurbished to a fine standard. In fact one of ours was the preferred summer retreat of a President during his time in office. He loved it, as did his entourage – including his labradors.
So, what should you look for when you’re choosing small wedding venues?
Small, maybe, but make sure it’s big enough!
You should always check that the venue can accommodate your guests. It sounds obvious, but many venue owners and managers will quote the overall number of people they can sleep, but that may differ from the makeup of your group. For example, a couple of the venues that we visited have a single bed and a large double bed in the room that they allocate as the Bridal Suite. We pointed out that this might be, er, slightly unusual, so we reduced their bed-count!
Do you want to stay on site for the whole stay…?
If so, check that there will be plenty to keep everyone occupied come rain or shine. Most wedding venues in France will have at least one swimming-pool, but ask if there are plenty of activity areas in the grounds. And if there are indoor games and covered areas if it rains.
…Or will you want to explore the region?
Most groups of people often have many varied interests, so not everyone will want to do the same thing during their stay. We’re lucky that here in southwest France we are spoiled for choice. And it’s not just the food, wine and beautiful scenery. You’ll find a lot more detail in the regional tourism site.
But wherever you choose to have your small wedding, do check out the local area.
Know what is included in the price
Details are just as important for a small wedding as they are for larger events. So you will want to make sure that you have matching chairs for the ceremony and for your meal. And will there be enough plates, knives, forks and spoons to go around? Some venues have invested in everything required for weddings to be celebrated in style – others may not have. Those that have may charge extra, but many include them with your rental.
At Perfect Little Wedding, we ensure that the venues on this site have all you will need and that there are no hidden charges.
