Planning a wedding abroad can be difficult and the hardest part yet might be to find your venue. So as a destination wedding photographer who shoots lots of small, luxury weddings in France, I thought I'd help you by making a blogpost with 5 of my favourite luxurious venues for a wedding in France:

5 luxurious wedding venues in France

1. The Ritz, Paris

The Ritz Paris is a grand venue in the middle of possibly the most romantic city in the world. So this might not be the first place you think of when you're planning an intimate gathering for your small wedding or elopement. But the walled gardens and beautiful salons make for a great backdrop for a ceremony with only your favourite people. The old world charm combined with it's creamy coloured walls and stellar service makes it a perfect location for your small, luxurious wedding.

top luxury for weddings at the ritz in paris

 

2.Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Côte d'Azur

This stunning pastel pink villa on the French Riviera is a dream for lovers of romantic, historical venues that offer a hint of eccentricity and the tropics. With it's soft pink walls, floor length windows, 9 separately themed gardens, stunning arches, a pink Venetian patio and views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Côte d'azure this is a picture perfect venue for an amazing wedding. Oh, and did I mention this is in the south of France, which means very good odds of heavenly warm weather on your wedding day. FYI Villa Ephrussi is my personal favorite on this list ;)

3. Shangri La, Paris 

After The Ritz, The Shangri-La Hotel is a very close second when it comes to being the most sought after luxury wedding venue in Paris. As the former residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte, it is nothing short of grand. With it's magnificent historical ballroom, terraces with spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower, beautiful courtyard gardens, pretty salons, a grand staircase and Michelin starred cuisine The Shangri-La Paris is hard to beat! 

4. Chateau de Villette, near Paris

Château de Villette is only a 40 minute drive away from the bustling city centre of Paris. The gardens and castle will not only provide you with the most breathtaking backdrop for your wedding, as it's part of the Heritage Collection (which includes world-famous venues like Villa Astor and Villa Balbiano in it's portfolio), you can be sure you will receive only the highest standard of service. The garden was designed by André le Nôtre, the very same who was responsible for the gardens of the palace at Versailles, earning Chateau de Villette the nickname 'Little Versailles'.

5. Château de Champlâtreux

I'll be working at this 18th century château in June 2023. With it's location just outside of Paris, the well-kept formal gardens, sandstone walls and the pastel coloured interiors, it complements my photography style like no other.

A bride and groom in front of the Eiffel Tower during their elopement in Paris

Venues for a luxury elopement in France

I couldn't help myself and stick to just 5 venues so here are some alternative venues for you to check out too. Although all luxurious venues for a wedding in France that I named above can cater to an elopement, you might consider a more intimate place to stay at if you are planning on an elopement. So if you are planning an elopement in France and would like to hire a venue exclusively for your party of guests, the following venues might also be interesting to check out:

Hattonchatel Château, Lorraine Valley 

Hattonchatel Château this castle in the Lorraine Valley is set in the north of France. Apart from a beautiful castle in a charming village, it's the spectacular view over the valley that will take your guests breath away as soon as they walk through the castle's gate. 

Chateau Bouthonvilliers, in between Paris and Le Mans

With it's Art Deco charm and the amazing views from the terrace, the Chateau Bouthonvilliers is the perfect place for your guests to stay in as well as a wonderful place to hold your reception at. The food is great and you get to dance your first dance underneath the stars (or even at sunset, if you're lucky)! 

Domaine La Villatade, French Pyrenees

Set in the beautiful south of France you can find Château La Villatade, near Carcassonne. This setting is less grand and offers a more laid-back vibe. The food and wine certainly aren't anything less than outstanding though. It was here that I had the most delicious dessert I think I ever ate (it was sorbet ice cream with a red fruit coulis centre, covered with white (or rather pink) chocolate, served with red fruit, a cube of frozen yoghurt and a spot of basil sauce), and I'm kind of a dessert snob. 

 

The Maison des Polytechniciens in Paris

If you love the vibe of The Ritz and the Shangri-La, but would prefer to exclusively hire a venue for your guests, this city villa might be just what you are looking for.

Château de Lisse, Gascony

Château de Lisse is the perfect pastel coloured castle for a high-end wedding. With it's superb food, gorgeous gardens, it's own private 14th century chapel in which you can hold your ceremony, vineyards and amazing (super friendly and English speaking!) staff this stunning 14th century castle is a fairytale come true for your castle wedding abroad. Set in the rolling hills of the Lot-et-Garonne region, it's situated between Bordeaux and Toulouse. 

Chateau de Lisse light and airy castle venue in France

Bonus for the ones who favour fun above all: Disneyland Paris

For the first 25 years of it's existence it wasn't possible but recently Disneyland Paris has become available for fairytale weddings, elopements, vow renewals and engagements too! The Disneyland Resort Paris bursts with gorgeous romantic spots and as a mega fan of the first hour (when I was a kid my family would go twice a year, yes really) I know all the best corners, views, nooks and backdrops in the parks, Disneyland Hotels and all the areas in between! 

 

luxury venues for weddings and elopements in Paris, the French Riviera, the cote d'azur and other places in France

If you're also looking for an English speaking France wedding photographer or Paris wedding photographer to photograph your small luxury wedding or elopement in France, you might want to check out my portfolio. Or if you'd like a free consult, you can schedule one here.

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Amazing wedding venues for an intimate wedding or luxury elopement in France

 

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