Every now and then, life at Château de la Boutinière brings us a story we could never have planned.
This one began with a visit from Zion’s childhood friend, Louren, who came to stay with her daughter Doreen and Doreen’s boyfriend, Ryan.
Louren is a photographer, so while they were here for a Château Stay she took the opportunity to capture some beautiful photographs of Doreen around the château grounds.
The setting could hardly have suited it better. The gardens were looking especially lovely, with the soft green of early summer all around us. With the château in the background, the old stone steps, the lawns and the trees, the photographs had all the softness and charm of French countryside romance.
Doreen wore a beautiful pale pink dress, which looked wonderful against the stonework and greenery, and the whole scene felt very much as though it belonged in a fairytale wedding setting.
It is always lovely to see the grounds used in this way, and it is one of the things we love most about the château. There are so many little corners that lend themselves naturally to photographs. We spend so much time here looking at what still needs doing that it is easy to forget how striking the château can look through someone else’s eyes.
A photographer notices different corners, different angles and different little details. The front steps become a setting, the trees become a frame, and even a quiet patch of lawn can suddenly look rather magical.
What none of us expected was that this visit would become even more special. During their visit, Ryan proposed to Doreen.
It was such a lovely surprise, and it gave their stay a completely different meaning. What began as a visit with friends, and a beautiful photoshoot in the grounds, became the beginning of their own wedding story.
Even more wonderfully, Doreen and Ryan have now booked their wedding at Château de la Boutinière for 2027.
That feels very special to us. They have already made happy memories here, and now they will return to celebrate one of the most important days of their lives. The château has been many things over the years, and now it is slowly becoming a place where new stories begin too.
We feel very lucky that Doreen and Ryan have chosen Château de la Boutinière for their château wedding in France, and we cannot wait to welcome them back in 2027, this time as bride and groom.
For now, we have these beautiful photographs from their visit, and a lovely reminder that sometimes the most special château stories begin quite unexpectedly.
