Manoir de la Foulquetiere wedding in the loire valley.
Are you looking for a French wedding venue with the traditional pastel tones, old oak doors, beautiful Loire Valley country side but don’t need a French chateau?
In this post I will show you why a Manoir de la Foulquetiere wedding could be your dream wedding venue. I will explore some of the best places for wedding photography and give you some tips on having your wedding in France.
Manoir de la Foulquetiere, Lucay-le-Male
Built in the 15th century this French wedding venue has been very appropriately decorated and filed with antique cool stuff! The owner used to be an antiques dealer and it really shows in the unique décor.
What struck me about Manoir de la Foulquetiere is how laid back it feels. It is full of rustic charm and big enough to feel like you have plenty of space but not so big that you would need 100’s of guests to fill it.
Loire Valley wedding
It was just after the peak of a heat wave when I arrived at Manoir de la Foulquetiere. The bright stonework and parched fields were creating a wash of subtle colour accented by the lavender around the house. I can still recall the smell of the lavender and dry air when I look back at these wedding pictures.
A french DIY wedding
Katie and Matt have a lot of useful skills. Having a food business and a bell tent hire company comes in quite handy when planning a wedding! Their friends all pitched in and the morning was a hive of activity as Manoir de la Foulquetiere was dressed for the wedding.
Destination Weddings in France
Weddings in any warm country happen much later than in the UK. It would simply be too warm to get married at Manoir de la Foulquetiere before the mid day sun had subsided. This can be tricky as you and your helpers can end up working hard in the mid day sun and at around 37oC this was tough!
Your wedding ceremony at Manoir de la Foulquetiere
Katie and Matt had THE best wedding ceremony. Made up of guests making speeches and Matt’s brother being a minister was well placed to lead the celebration. I had actually photographed their legal wedding ceremony a few weeks before back in the UK. This gave the Manoir de la Foulquetiere ceremony and photography a very laid back feel.
Ceremonies at Manoir de la Foulquetiere are usually held around the back of the main house alongside the lake. It’s cooler by the water and the shape of the lawn lends itself to an aisle well.
Sunny Loire Valley
Lucay-le-Male has over 50% sunshine in summer and we definitely had our fair share. In such harsh lighting conditions I was concentrating on keeping Katie and Matt cool and in the more shaded areas. This can seem strange but your pictures will be much better if you are cool and not squinting in to each others eyes!
The Manoir de la Foulquetiere dance floor
As the sky fell dark you could see the milky way (Which was mid blowing!) A simple outdoor dance floor with festoon lighting was a perfect end to an amazing wedding in France.
Take me back!
My Favourite wedding picture spots at Manoir de la Foulquetiere
Honestly Manoir de la Foulquetiere wedding has a years worth of lovely photo spots. On the sunniest of days these were my favourites:
• The main arched gateway
Those blue doors! I need say no more
• Under the weeping willow
We got right inside the tree, cool and full of beautiful soft light.
• The front of the main house.
There are beautiful doorways, lavender and beautiful light – perfect for wedding pictures.
• By the lake
You have to have a shot by the lake!
• The last light – TOP TIP
As the sun goes down there is no great spot for the last sun setting light. You can either venture in to the field at the back of Manoir de la Foulquetiere or wander down to the farm land acroos the main road. We found big skies and golden light.
I would love to hear what you are planning and if you have any questions you can contact me here