Category Archives: Non classé

Looking for a venue for a chic wedding in Provence? Have you considered Château la Beaumetane?

Elements of a chic wedding in Provence

What makes a chic wedding in Provence? I suppose we all have our own definition. So let’s take a closer look….

According to the Larousse dictionary, a chic wedding is an elegant wedding. You might say that, here too, it’s all a question of taste and what we define as elegant.

However, it will certainly have beautiful decorations, whether floral or otherwise. What’s more, the meal will be refined, with impeccable service. The crockery and cutlery may also be well looked after.

Another important element is the stationery. First impressions are always important. That’s why the wedding invitation card is so important. If it can be coordinated with the menus and place cards, as well as the colours of the floral decoration, we achieve an aesthetic coherence that can only raise the level of elegance of the wedding.

It is also very likely that for a wedding of this type, you will expect to find special attention for the wedding guests. This may be the case with the type of guest gifts, the presence of small handkerchiefs for the secular ceremony…

That said, you can’t have a chic wedding in Provence without an exceptional venue….

Bridal preparations… it’s a moment I love at the château. In this article, I give you some tips based on the preparations we see at Château la Beaumetane.

Bridal preparations – a once-in-a-lifetime moment

Let’s set the scene very clearly. First of all, it’s not every day that someone gets married. It’s an important act of commitment, with certain consequences for the life of that person and others. It’s also an important and unique moment in a person’s life, which can lead to a state of considerable emotion and stress. This is perfectly normal! So it’s very important that this moment takes place in the most relaxed atmosphere possible, if it’s to be appreciated. If this happens, it can have a real influence on the rest of this unique day.

What’s more, very few of us will be the center of attention of such a large group of people as you might find at a wedding. What’s more, it’s not every day that someone feels they have to look their best in hair and make-up. Nor is it every day that we’ll be photographed hundreds, and more often thousands, of times in the course of a single day.

For all these reasons, bridal preparations remain a unique moment in a person’s life.

Getting married in June in Provence… we can tell you all about it. In fact, we’re just finishing up our June weddings. And we’ve been seeing couples at Château la Beaumetane who’ve decided to get married in June in Provence. We tell you more in this article

Getting married in June in Provence – what are the advantages?

The first reason why couples generally decide to get married in June in Provence is first and foremost Mother Nature 😊

First of all, of course, June 21 marks the start of summer in our part of the world. As a result, the nights here are the shortest. As a result, brides and grooms think they can enjoy a longer, more beautiful day if they decide to get married in June in Provence.

Secondly, although June marks the start of summer in Provence, temperatures are not generally very high either. We’re sticking to days of between 23 and 27 degrees. So the weather’s nice enough for light outfits. However, it’s not too hot either for the heat-sensitive.

Finally, some brides and grooms decide to get married in June in Provence, because they feel that since the school vacations haven’t started yet, they’ll have an easier time getting positive responses from their nearest and dearest.

Château la Beaumetane is a wedding venue near Aix en Provence. We tell you more in this article.

Aix en Provence – a superb city with the heritage of Provence

The city of Aix en Provence is the stuff of dreams. Its beautiful buildings, shady streets, fountains of course… and the famous Cours Mirabeau! As a native of this wonderful corner of Provence, I have to admit that when I was younger, I took it all for granted.

Even when I was studying in Aix en Provence, I still found a way to complain about studying there! So, I admit I’m not very proud of it, but it’s a youthful mistake. In fact, after living abroad, particularly in Ireland and England, and returning to my beautiful region, I was finally able to appreciate the charm of this extraordinary city with fresh eyes.

Not only did I relearn how beautiful this city is. But also how good it is to stroll through its streets, stroll through the market in the center of town. See the marvelous Place Albertas lit up at night with all the charm of a theatrical set. And of course, have a coffee on one of the terraces lining the Cours Mirabeau.

Plus there are all these wonderful things to do in this city. Extraordinary museums like the Musée Granet, splendid exhibitions at the Hotel de Caumont, the festiva d’Art Lyrique in summer. And I’m only mentioning a few here!

Château la Beaumetane – a unique setting for a wedding venue near Aix en Provence

One of the advantages of Château la Beaumetane is that it’s a perfect location for a wedding near Aix en Provence. In fact, we’re located just twenty minutes from the magnificent city of Aix en Provence.

The advantage of finding a wedding venue near Aix-en-Provence is that you can enjoy the setting of this wonderful city for your ceremony, or even for a before or after wedding.

However, you’ll enjoy all the advantages of the beautiful Provencal countryside if you stray a little from the city center. All around Château la Beaumetane are vineyards and olive groves…. the calm and charm of Provencal life.

So if you’re looking for a wedding venue near Aix en Provence, take a stroll through our site and discover the sweet life we can have at Château la Beaumetane.

Wondering what the trendy colours are for a wedding near Aix en Provence this year? We tell you all about it in this article!

Trendy colours for weddings near Aix en Provence in recent years

We’ve been back in France for 11 years now. In July we’ll be celebrating 10 years of weddings at Château la Beaumetane! So, let’s just say that we’ve seen quite a few wedding decorations!

There are, of course, the country-style decorations that have dominated most of the weddings we’ve been able to celebrate in our beautiful home. Furthermore, it’s true that some of our brides still prefer them. And for good reason: reproducing the most beautiful things nature has to offer in a setting as natural as the grounds of Château la Beaumetane is always appropriate.

There was also a trend towards decorating with succulents and eucalyptus. However, for a few years, we also had a significant number of decorations with beautiful pampas, all beautiful and all high up.  For these, the trendy colours for a wedding near Aix-en-Provence were ruby, beige and dark green.

The Chateau is now a destination wedding venue in the South of France. We tell you more in this article about why we decided to become one.

La Beaumetane – a Château in Provence

Château la Beaumetane is a late 19th century estate in the heart of Provence. We told you about the person who decided to build la Beaumetane in this article.

Château la Beaumetane was first owned by Nathalie’s family in the 1970s. When Nathalie was a child, it was empty. So she had plenty of time to play princess in this magnificent building, for which she had fallen head over heels in love. Life then took her on other adventures in other parts of the world. But there was always something that brought her back to La Beaumetane. So, 11 years ago, Nathalie and Mike returned to France to look after this beautiful house and open it up for events.

The Architectural Inspiration Behind Château la Beaumetane

Château la Beaumetane was built by Edmond Théry, a well-known French economist and statistician. Born in 1854 near the château, Théry was also a prolific journalist. Interestingly, the real story behind the château is that Théry fell in love with a red-bricked mansion while on holiday in Italy. When he returned home, he decided to build a replica as his residence!

Notably, Mr. Théry contributed to famous newspapers like Le Figaro and founded L’Economiste Européen in 1892. Consequently, his work in economic policy, especially on tariffs and bimetallism, left a lasting impact.

Edmond Théry: A Prolific Economist and Journalist from Provence

Furthermore, Théry was deeply involved in the French economic landscape, contributing to major newspapers and founding influential economic organizations. For example, he was a founding member of the Société d’économie politique nationale (S.E.P.N.), which advocated for protective and compensatory tariffs, diverging from the free-trade stance of other economic societies. Additionally, his expertise extended to financial journalism, where he managed financial bulletins for several papers, including L’Humanité.

Portrait of Edmond Théry

During World War I, Théry served as a lieutenant-colonel and contributed to economic warfare strategies. He was a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour and maintained strong political connections, evidenced by notable attendees at his events.

The Legacy left by the story of Château la Beaumetane

Today, Château la Beaumetane stands as a testament to Théry’s legacy. Its elegant design and serene environment continue to captivate visitors. The château is surrounded by the beauty of the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence vineyards. That remains a symbol of Théry’s contributions to both economics and architecture.

Finally, visiting Château la Beaumetane offers a unique glimpse into the story of Edmond Théry and the rich history of Provence. Whether attending a special event or simply touring the grounds, Château la Beaumetane provides a memorable and enriching experience, steeped in the legacy of a distinguished economist.

Feel free to read some other blog articles. This one is about Provence in general, or this one about where your wedding guests can sleep. You can also listen to this podcast with Nathalie, the Château’s owner.

Getting married on a Domain the South of France… many people dream about it, but what does it actually mean? We tell you more in this article

What is a Domain in the South of France?

First of all, what do we mean by a domain? It’s true that it’s a word that’s used a lot, but what’s really behind it? According to the Larousse dictionary, an estate is “landed property; property, land”. So we can understand Domaine as a property that contains a building and/or land.

So it’s true that in the south of France, we have a huge variety of “domaines” Some will have a large building. Its style may be different, whether it’s a farmhouse, a mas or a château, for example. Of course, some estates will be associated with agricultural land, particularly vineyards. For example, our family’s wine-producing estate and associated vineyard is called Domaine des Oullières. The homes remain private, but that doesn’t stop us from being a winegrowing estate on the hillsides of Aix-en-Provence.

What’s it like getting married in March in Provence? We tell you more in this article

Getting married in March in Provence

When D called me, he explained that 18 March was in fact the birthday of his partner of 27 years. More than two decades later, after raising two beautiful adult daughters together, they had decided to surprise their friends. Under the guise of an invitation to his sweetheart’s half-century celebrations, the guests would discover on arrival that they were actually there to witness the union of their friends. So somewhere along the line, the date was set by the beautiful S’s birthday. As for the year, well, their wedding will be in 2024! I loved the concept and went along to help them prepare for their wedding. This was the first of our 2024 wedding season, which began on 17 March in the heart of Provence.

Provence wedding venues …. That makes people dream… but what is Provence? We tell you more here.

Wedding venues in Provence? Where are they?

A lot of people talk about Provence, but where is Provence really? Indeed, this name has become so emblematic of beauty, incredible nature, joie de vivre and quality of life that many claim it as their own. But what is it really?

Provence corresponds more or less to the south-east of France. It covers the land between the Mediterranean and the Alps on the south/north axis. Furthermore, it is also bounded to the east by the border with Italy and to the east by the Rhône River. It is therefore a relatively large area. As you can imagine, even if there are characteristics common to the whole area, there are also some specific features.

If you’re not familiar with it, you should also know that there is a region of Provence called Provence Alpes Cotes d’Azur (the PACA region). There are 13 regions in mainland France. There are also 6 French departments in the PACA region, in alphabetical order:

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04)

Hautes-Alpes (05)

Alpes-Maritimes (06)

Bouches-du-Rhône (13)

Var (83)

Vaucluse (84)

What’s more, I can promise you that you’ll find plenty of Provence wedding venues in each of these departments.