It never ceases to amaze us that the view from the wedding terrace changes so much throughout the seasons.
The mature trees to the rear of the chateau have burst forth their leaves and wonderfully vivid shades of green are everywhere. The birds are enjoying the warmer weather and the explosion of greenery too judging by the birdsong we are hearing, particularly in the evenings.
We are very much looking forward to the time when wedding guests will be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and scents of this magical setting for themselves, and continue to work hard to make this a reality.
At the height of summer, the wedding terrace, situated to the rear of the chateau, will provide some shade during ceremonies which will take place on the rear chateau steps. Our vision is to plant a fabulous wildflower meadow in the ‘English Park’ at the rear of the chateau, which will form a beautiful back-drop to our guests’ weddings. The meadow will have a mown path cut through it which will invite guests to meander through the meadow and eventually down to a lake.
There will be beautiful photo opportunities everywhere! Guests can gather on the front steps of the chateau for photos in the sunshine, with the bride and groom above their guests on the ‘Juliet’ balcony and we have already started to create a magical ‘wedding garden’ opposite the front of the chateau. This garden will have a rose arch and fountain and its pathways will lead guests to the wedding barn with its stone terrace next to a natural pond and in the shade of a large willow tree over-looking the chateau as they make their way to the wedding barn for the wedding breakfast. There will be beautiful flowers and vistas along the pathway to the wedding barn creating some stunning, informal photo opportunities.
With this in mind, we are planting a flower border along the wall of the steps, echoing the wildflower meadow it overlooks, and inviting guests to wander around the side of the chateau to both the wedding garden and the barn.
Lining this path will be stepped flower beds, filled with cascading roses and lavender to fill the evening air with scent.
At the entrance to the garden itself, guests will pass beneath a wedding arch. We haven’t quite decided upon the exact design for this yet – all suggestions welcome! – but it will form the perfect garden gateway. The path will then meander past a pond and fountain to a terrace beneath an ancient willow, festooned with lights – a perfect place for guests to unwind with a drink in the evening, enjoying the company and the sounds and scents of the garden.
While this is still a little way off, we have made enormous progress, clearing the vegetation and most of the stones that needed moving so we can begin work on creating the terraces and paths that form the template for our garden dream.
That’s when the fun can begin, and I can’t wait to choose the planting schemes to fill our garden with a riot of colour and scent!