Discover a Hidden Gem for Destination Weddings in the East Dordogne

Are you in the midst of hunting down the perfect place for a destination wedding in France? If you are, then we might have found the perfect château wedding venue that combines luxury with a relaxed, home-away-from-home feel. Tucked away near the charming village of Lanouaille in the East Dordogne is Château la Durantie, one of the hottest locations for destination weddings (especially English couples getting married in France) in our region at the moment.

The owners have already hosted over 400 weddings here and, having recently worked there ourselves, we can see why it's such a popular choice of venue. We had the pleasure of providing sound systems and DJ services here recently (more on that later), and what really struck us was how well this venue is laid out & why it works for destination weddings. 

With space for 44 guests to stay on-site across the château and coach house, plus a fantastic pool and tennis court for keeping everyone entertained between celebrations, it's got everything you need for an extended wedding stay in France.

So let’s go over the finer details and explain how we can you help you if you are planning on getting married or host an event at Château la Durantie

Special Château in the Dordogne Region is the Perfect Fit for Couples Marrying Abroad

First, let’s talk about the location. Château la Durantie is situated just outside the village of Lanouaille, which itself is roughly equidistant from Limoges and our base here in Périgueux. For UK couples, Limoges is well-served by flights from both Manchester and London, with just an hour’s transfer by car from the airport to the venue so getting you, friendly & family here shouldn't be too hard.

Moving on to the venue itself, there’s plenty to like. The main attraction, of course, is the beautiful château, which sits in beautifully manicured gardens and parkland. Inside, it retains all kinds of original features and décor and very much has a feeling of “old-school cool” about it. It’s huge, too, with over 15,000 square feet of living space.

As you’ll need to book the venue for at least three days, you’ll naturally focus on accommodating all of your travelling guests. The good news keeps on coming in that regard, with two luxurious suites and several bedrooms found on the first and second floors. There are eight more bedrooms in the Coach house (which is included in the rental). In total, there’s space for 34 guests in the main château complex and space for a further 10 in the optional cottage (there’s a venue rental uplift for this additional accommodation). 

There are plenty of activities available for you and your guests to bond over during your stay, too. As mentioned in the opening, there’s a lovely, modern heated swimming pool with a gorgeous traditional stone surround, a hard court tennis court, a five-a-side football pitch, and a table tennis table. That’s without even mentioning taking trips to Lanouaille to sample the local bakery or taking walks or bike rides through the delightful Dordogne countryside.  

But enough about the venue’s incredible facilities and charm, let’s help you start envisioning your perfect wedding day here! 

Destination Wedding at a Dreamy French Château in the Dordogne

There are plenty of options for each segment of your wedding here. For the ceremony, we recommend having it outside at one of the many potential locations within the grounds. You could use a wedding arch to bring a nice focal point to proceedings and we would also recommend keeping it relatively close to the château so you can capture it in the background for those crucial shots of you tying the knot! Of course, we can also supply wireless speakers and mics for the celebrant so everyone can hear proceedings without issue. 

We also recommend an outdoor cocktail reception (the venue is only available between May and September, so it should always be warm enough for guests). For this portion of the celebrations, we have a much stronger recommendation to use the gravel courtyard and rear steps area of the Château as they lend themselves so well for this type of occasion.  

You’ll notice in the wedding photos of most couples that this is where they’ve chosen to host theirs, and we would advise you to follow suit (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!). You could add a little more ambience by trailing festoon lights in and around the area and setting up sound equipment for either a pre-planned playlist played via the wireless speakers or having a few live performers entertain guests - You can also rent drum kit, keyboards to guitars & bass amps etc 

Lastly, for the dinner and dancing (wedding reception), you’ll have to decide whether you want to take things inside or keep the festivities going outdoors. The venue does offer in-house marquee rental services, but you could potentially choose to use our modern canvas stretch tents if you prefer that design. There’s also a dedicated event barn, which is where we focused our efforts when we worked here on behalf of Chatelaine Events.

For that event, we supplied and set up technical equipment, including a compact lighting system (that still packed plenty of punch) and a full d&b audiotechnik Q series sound system, and we even provided our very own English-speaking DJ! This was all in the wedding event barn and you can read a more in-depth write-up of our work at Château la Durantie here.

Hire Lighting, PA & Sound Equipment to Stretch Tents & More at Château La Durantie With Fête24

As you can see, Château la Durantie is one of the best locations for your destination wedding in France. Whether you’re coming from the United States or the United Kingdom, with a huge overnight accommodation and minimum booking of 3-4 nights, it’s the perfect place to bring your closest friends and family together for the celebration of a lifetime. 

Being based just down the road in Périgueux, we are perfectly placed as an English-speaking event production company in the Dordogne region to help bring all of your technical elements together. From small decor items like a DJ booth to more technical equipment such as backline and DJ equipment, we can supply everything from your cutlery to a gigantic wedding marquee. 

So give us a call to get the ball rolling and discuss dates/availability, etc. We are available at +33 (0)7 66 43 02 11, or you can send an email with your requirements to bonjour@fete24.com. We’re also very well-versed in working with wedding planners should you be offloading your planning duties to a professional. Feel free to give them our contact details, and we’ll handle the rest from there!