bridal gown hanging in the arbour of the chateau

Your wedding retroplanning at D-330

first document in the retroplanning: the invitation

Are you looking for a well-conserved, authentic and romantic spot away from the hustle and bustle of the city?
If you want to get married in a chateau, do the quality and quantity of suites, on-site rooms and nearby accommodation meet your requirements?
Have the owners suggested an ideal date for the big day, or the best season if your wedding venue is near Paris?
Are you free to choose your caterer and other service providers, such as wedding planners, florists, orchestras, DJs, etc.?
Does the place have enough capacity to bring all your guests together in a single room that also offers space for a dance floor and a live band?
Is it possible to change the indoor or outdoor space for dessert or the ball opening?
Is the furniture (tables, chairs, buffet, etc.) sufficient and included in the cost or the offer?
Can the French venue for your wedding accommodate the spiritual heart of your event, whatever the weather: church, chuppah, ceremony celebrated by an officiant or a witness in a green theatre or a large hall?
Is this location dedicated solely to your reception with no strangers? This retroplanning at D-300 still allows you to change venue...
Is there a perfect spot on the estate if your plans include: gathering your guests the day before, organizing an itinerant cocktail party, going from discovery to discovery, from room to room, offering a brunch somewhere else the day after the big day?
Are the fun activities to entertain your guests enough? Swimming pool, tennis, wine tasting in vaulted cellars, rose garden, forest walk, historical tour, etc.
Does the establishment impose a time limit during the night?
Is it possible to dance or chat and stroll around a bonfire until dawn?
If you are planning to hold your event outdoors or in a ceremony tent, do you have a fallback solution in case of bad weather or strong winds?
Are the facilities satisfactory? For example: large room or lounge for children, wifi, checkroom, toilets, spacious and discreet parking lot equipped with terminals for electric vehicles, catering office, cold rooms, dedicated cellar for storing your wines, heating of rooms, swimming pool, etc.
When you visited the site, did you receive a warm welcome that lived up to your expectations? Were you given plans of the estate and rooms, and a list of furniture and equipment?
Is the website properly documented? Does it include a guest book with testimonials from former brides and grooms? Do the prices or packages include the entire estate, its furniture, suites and rooms, lighting and a timetable with no deadline at night?
A final objective that's hard to quantify: do you see yourself in this place? Does it reflect your dreams? Does it bring you that little bit of extra soul you've been waiting for as the setting for the happiest day of your life?...

the couple set out their schedule at the estate

D-250
The key date in your retroplanning

Consult service providers such as caterers (for cocktails, make your entertainment more festive than simple buffets), DJs, photographers, orchestras, videographers, fireworks specialists, hairdressers, make-up artists, and so on.

Imagine and book the estate for your marriage ceremonies: civil (your local Town Hall) then religious or secular (ideally at the reception venue). Ask for the children of honor and take options for additional accommodation in the vicinity.

hairdressing and preparation in a bedroom

- 6 months before your event -

D-200
A stage in the organisation of your wedding

Drawing up your guest list, communicating the Save the Date. Choose your bridal gown in secret. Dream up your floral decoration, including the bridal bouquet, buttonholes and petals.

invitation, calligraphy drawer: Jean-Jacques Grand

D-100
Rehearsals and logistics

Three months before your event, rehearse your ball opening with or without a dance teacher. Inform your guests of the dress code, nominative accommodation, itinerary and contact details for the reception venue, as well as the deadline for responses. Choose stamps in your colors!

Finalize your marriage contract with your notary. Order the rings, engraved with your first names and a possible motto. Then book your honeymoon, open your bridal registry and order the sugared almonds. And if you've chosen a historic location, why not book a vintage vehicle or a carriage? And what about a magician?

large room decorated with flowers for an event

D-60
Two months before the event

If you're not working with a wedding planner, can you count on the experience and expert advice of the venue's staff? You can also call on the goodwill and talent of those close to you: one of your witnesses can settle the final details with the suppliers, another can take charge of the table plan, another of the bedroom plan, etc.

Final fitting of the bridal gown with accessories and groom's outfit. The future bride can help her groom make a matching choice, as she alone knows what she'll be wearing! The retro-planning invites you to the hair and make-up stage for try-outs. You can also order disposable cameras or Polaroids to place on each table.

Vallery's medieval and Renaissance buildings

D-25
Finalising your organisation

The bedroom layout plan, the table plan and the menus. Ideally, you should have a table plan with movable names to accommodate last-minute changes. If you don't have a wedding list, ask for a ballot box. Finally, the last points of the schedule: draft speech, personalised welcome in each room. Order the wines and champagnes, which can be delivered directly to the Vallery cellars to rest.

Distribute your roadmap widely, using a colour code for each service provider, so that everyone involved knows not only their own schedule but also that of everyone else. If there is no walkie-talkie, include everyone's mobile phone on the schedule: caterer, florist, photographer, videographer, sommelier, orchestra, stage manager, fireworks expert, etc. Contact the Town Hall to check that the banns have been published.