Weddings at Moulin Rabier South Charente, France
"Thank you so much for making our wedding so special xx" Joanne & Simon August 2014
Moulin Rabier is a stunning venue for a wedding celebration, offering various locations for different aspects of the day, creating a journey as those spaces, and your personalization of them, is revealed to your guests as the wedding day progresses.
You are free to pick a location within the grounds for your ceremony; a popular choice is our tree lined venue. On arrival, guests can sip a glass of the local Pineau before being seated for the ceremony. The bride might choose a long aisle from the front doors of the Manor house, or arrive by car at the entrance gates and walk down the avenue. Our local church in Montboyer or the stunning subterranean church in Aubeterre offer popular offsite ceremony options.
After the ceremony guests can adjourn to our beautiful gardens and enjoy a champagne reception with delicious canapés. Games can be played, music enjoyed and the gardens, buildings and landscape serve as the perfect backdrop for wedding photography. Dinner can be served alfresco in our courtyard or undercover in our fabulous wedding barn.
"We couldn’t have wished for a more beautiful place to have our special day" Louise & Tony July 2013
As darkness falls, specialist lighting and our big starry sky create a magical mood for the evening party. The atmospheric wedding barn becomes a bar and dance floor, there is a lovely outdoor terrace (with W/C) and a stage for live music. Musicians love to perform here as the acoustics are fantastic.
Moulin Rabier is a great value wedding venue when combined with a weeklong stay for up to 21 guests. Combining the wedding with a holiday enables celebrations to continue and families and friends to spend quality time together in an idyllic and relaxing environment. The wedding guests not staying at the venue can choose from a variety of local B&Bs, hotels and other self catering holiday homes, depending on their budget and length of stay.
"You guys made mine and Nat’s dream come true and for that we cannot thank you enough" Dom & Nat May 2015
The climate in the South Charente includes an early Spring (usually beginning in March) and late breaking Autumn (often well into October), with a delightful Summer in between (July and August temperatures are typically 28°C to 30°C). The Charente is said to have the second highest amount of sunshine in France, after the pricey Mediterranean coastal area. Summer certainly arrives here in May when the garden fills with the scent of wisteria, followed by the scents of rose, honeysuckle, jasmine, magnolia and lavender as May progresses into June. The swallows return from their winter in Africa, the lizards come out of hibernation, the tree frogs start their mating calls and bird song fills the air.
The South Charente with its open farmland and abundance of wildlife, offers the ultimate in peace and tranquility. Its rich history makes it an interesting area to explore. To the North is the lovely walled city of Angouleme; to the North West the vineyards of Cognac; to the West the Atlantic Ocean and its wide sandy beaches; to the South East the ancient Perigord (the cradle of civilization) and to the South West, Bordeaux (historic and cosmopolitan) and its fabulous wine regions, including the Saint-Emilion, Pomerol and Fronsac wine estates, all less than an hour’s drive from Moulin Rabier.
Couples planning a wedding in the Charente can provide an interesting schedule of events and excursions for their guests to enjoy around the big day. They can also incorporate the fabulous local wines and produce into their menu for the big day itself. The area around Moulin Rabier is renowned for duck (including magret de canard and fois gras); goats cheese; Chalais charolais beef and veal; Oysters from ile d’Oleron and fabulous produit du terroir (including Melon). To drink the local aperitif is Pineau, a delicious combination of Cognac and grape juice, red and white Bordeaux wines and Cognac.
Beth and her team at ‘Marry Me in France’ have over 10 years experience and specialize in creating bespoke events in this area. They have supported 400 happy couples with a personal, efficient and imaginative service which is certain to reduce the stress of planning your big day, ensure it runs like clockwork and add extra touches of magic. When appointed as planners, ‘Marry Me in France’ provide sourcing and liaison with wedding services - crucial assistance when planning an event abroad. Their extensive experience means they know who to use, who not to use, who works well with whom and which suppliers will provide a good and reliable service at a competitive price. Marry Me in France’s appointment as wedding planner is obligatory for Moulin Rabier customers.
