Wedding Day at Chateau La Durantie | Wallflower Weddings

Chateau La Durantie sits on a private hilltop near the village of Lanouaille in Dordogne, surrounded by manicured gardens and woodland. The property sleeps up to 40 guests on site, which meant Chanel and Alex's closest family and friends could settle in the night before and wake up together on the morning of the wedding. Inside, the rooms are all carved stone mantels, gilt-framed mirrors, and wide plank floors that creak just enough to feel lived-in. Outside, clipped hedges frame a central lawn with the chateau's symmetrical facade as a natural focal point — no additional decor needed. It is the kind of French wedding venue where the architecture does the heavy lifting, and every angle rewards a photographer.

Chanel got ready upstairs in one of the chateau's light-filled bedrooms, curtains pulled wide so the morning sun poured across the floorboards. Wallflower Weddings was there from the start, documenting the details — shoes lined up on the windowsill, the rustle of tissue paper around the gown, the moment Chanel's mother fastened the last button on a row of silk-covered closures down her back.

The ceremony unfolded on the main lawn, where rows of white wooden chairs faced the chateau's grand facade. Chanel walked down a petal-scattered aisle carrying a loose, hand-tied bouquet in blush, cream, and sage green, arranged by Jenny Fairbanks Flowers. Ensemble Obbligato's strings filled the air — not overpowering, just enough to make the space feel held. Alex's face when he turned to see her is one of those frames that tells you everything about the day in a single image.

After the ceremony, guests drifted to the terrace for cocktails while Chatelaine Events quietly managed the transition to dinner. Long farm tables were dressed with trailing greenery, tapered candles, and clusters of garden roses. Le Couturier du Gout served a seasonal French menu — the kind of meal where each course arrives at just the right pace and nobody wants to leave the table. As the sky darkened, strings of festoon lights switched on overhead, catching the glassware and turning the terrace into something that felt entirely private, like a world built just for the evening.

The colour palette stayed in the territory of blush, ivory, and muted greens — soft enough to complement the chateau's honey-coloured stone without competing with it. Fabulous Things handled the styling and accessories, layering vintage-inspired tableware with modern linens for a look that felt collected rather than contrived. Chanel's gown was clean-lined with a fitted bodice and long sleeves, finished with a cathedral-length veil that caught the breeze during the outdoor ceremony. Alexia Bigaud-Morin kept the beauty look natural — soft waves pinned loosely, a warm lip, dewy skin that photographed like it was lit from within. The overall effect: quietly pulled together, with nothing shouting for attention.

What gave this wedding its character was the pace. Nothing felt rushed. There was time to linger over cocktails on the terrace, time for long toasts that made everyone laugh, time for the couple to slip away with their photographer for golden-hour portraits along the chateau's tree-lined drive. Having everyone stay on site turned the celebration into a full weekend — breakfasts spilling out onto the terrace the next morning, bare feet on the lawn, coffee cups and leftover champagne. It was less an event and more a gathering, held together by a South of France setting that made every moment feel unhurried.

Planning your own chateau wedding in the Dordogne? Browse our full collection of French wedding venues or explore more real weddings for ideas that go beyond the expected.

Getting Ready

Behind the tall shuttered windows of Chateau La Durantie's upper rooms, the morning unfolded quietly — Chanel's gown hanging in the light, shoes arranged on the stone sill, and the careful work of Alexia Bigaud-Morin shaping a natural, luminous beauty look while friends gathered close.

The Ceremony

With the chateau's facade as their backdrop and Ensemble Obbligato's strings carrying across the lawn, Chanel and Alex exchanged vows surrounded by white chairs, petal-lined aisles, and a garden palette of blush, cream, and sage green arranged by Jenny Fairbanks Flowers.

The Reception

As evening settled over the Dordogne hills, the terrace came alive — long candlelit tables dressed with trailing greenery, seasonal French courses by Le Couturier du Gout, and festoon lights overhead turning dinner into something that felt both grand and entirely intimate.

Design & Details

From the hand-tied bouquet to the vintage-inspired place settings styled by Fabulous Things, every detail stayed within a quiet palette of blush, ivory, and muted green — letting the chateau's architecture and the natural beauty of the Dordogne countryside carry the visual weight.