Wedding Venue South of France: Chateau de Brametourte

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Today we are venturing to the Midi Pyrenees, for the next in our wedding venue spotlight series and looking at a wedding venue South of France - the historic Chateau de Brametourte! Located five minutes from one of France's recognised 'Most Beautiful Villages', Chateau de Brametourte is located between the UNESCO world heritage sites of Carcassonne and Albi with the multi-cultural 'Ville en Rose' of Toulouse only an hour's drive away.

I first fell in love with Chateau de Brametourte through a stunning real wedding set at the Chateau that displayed its breath-taking views and wonderfully romantic interior and enchanting exterior. Founded in the 11th century, the Chateau surveys a stunning panorama across 20 hectares of park land, woods & sun-flowered fields, towards the Pyrenean peaks.

The tranquil beauty of this ancient home of Lautrec's Viscounts, belies its turbulent past. If you are interested in history and books on the Cathars, the castle was immersed in the medieval religious fervour of Cathars, Knights of the Templar & the Wars of Religion and it was sieged during the 16th century. Following this it fell into disrepair and lay undiscovered - frozen in time.

That is until Paul and Alison found the Chateau buried in undergrowth and on the verge of ruin in 2006, virtually untouched for 500 years. Today the Chateau has been traditionally and ecologically restored, Chateau de Brametourte has become a symbol of sociability, healthy living and wildlife within an ancient setting - pioneering one of France's first, self-sustainable castles.

Paul and Alison say: " Our values of friendliness, flexibility and customer service and our accessibility to Albi, Castres, Toulouse and Carcassonne, make Chateau de Brametourte the perfect location for a unique wedding event."

Chateau de Brametourte provides a range of location and pricing options for weddings. The Chateau offers luxury suites for the honeymoon couple and their bridal party. Overnight chalet accommodation is also available for the wider party of wedding guests.

However it is the choice of wedding locations and romantic settings in the Chateau that pull at my heart strings. The 'Grand Pavilion / Marquee' is situated on the Chateau's south-facing garden terrace, providing guests with breath-taking views across the sun-flowered fields and woods to the Montagne Noir and the Pyrenees. The Chateau provides seated dining for up to 180 people and in summer the roof provides shade, while in cooler months the view remains visible through transparent walls.

The 'Summer Terrace' is situated at the front of the Chateau with views across the formal gardens and valleys. It provides a raised, open-air dining area for up to 50 people or space for up to 400 guests if incorporating the lawn areas. This location is also ideal for the wedding toast/ drinks reception and the wedding breakfast/ main meal for close family and friends. Its position in front of the Chateau provides an ideal backdrop for group photographs.

Complete with its own 12 ^th century 'Gothic Courtyard' set within the Chateau walls, this provides covered seating for up to 50 guests. This location provides excellent acoustics and is ideal for the wedding ceremony itself and the wedding toast/ reception.

If you are planning a small and intimate wedding the 16 ^th century 'Renaissance Room' can be candlelit and provides an atmospheric location for the wedding breakfast/ main meal with seated dining for up to 18 guests.

If you need a quiet place and can tear yourself away from those stunning views, the spacious 12 ^th Century 'Salle de Seigneur', with its gothic fireplace and 18 ^th century furnishings, is a perfect location for the bridal party to relax together and to have 'informal' photographs taken as they prepare for the special day together.

The beautiful surroundings at Chateau de Brametourte are not restricted to the exterior of the Chateau and there is an exclusive 'honeymoon suite" the first floor Viscount Suite for the bride and groom. Combining gold and rich, silky red shades within warm, yellow painted walls and oak floors and an ancient oak beamed ceiling painted in the famous 'pastel' or 'wode' grown in the region, the suite provides the ultimate in romantic luxury to start your married life.

The room contains a romantic king-sized, mahogany, four poster bed [1.83 m × 1.98 m] with orthopaedic mattress for exceptional comfort. It is decorated with ornaments and antiques from the 18th century and it has windows on two sides over- looking the gardens and the sun-flowered hills beyond.

Exclusivity

A popular option, for weddings, is to hire out all the suites in the Chateau as a group booking. Bookings for long weekends, weeks or fortnights allow friends and family to benefit from the exclusive use of the Chateau at highly competitive prices.

Need somewhere to relax the day after the wedding? The exclusive solar-heated swimming pool [10m by 5m] is available from May through to October, subject to climatic conditions, with pool temperatures reaching 30 degrees during July and August. The Pool BBQ Facility Area provides the perfect way for the wedding party's family and friends to dine informally together idea for a wedding brunch the day after the wedding.

Making it a wedding weekend? The surrounding 20 hectares of fields, woods and parkland provide an exceptional environment for rambling - including the popular 'Three Chateau' ramble. In addition within the immediate vicinity of Brametourte there are many group activities such as pony trekking at Brametourte Farm, kayaking along the river Agout, cycling along the local cycle paths [former rail way lines linking the region's villages and towns], tennis, paint balling in the neighbouring town and wine tasting in the local wine growing region of Gaillac.