The trenches have been dug and the lines have been drawn, in something a little bit different – the Blog Battle: French vs English Weddings! Okay that all sounded very dramatic, but for something fabulously different on the blog today, French Wedding Style is being taken over by fellow blogger Claire from English Wedding Blog.
A lover of all things wedding wonderful, I thought it would be fun to look at the differences between French style weddings and English style weddings, so Claire and I have swopped blogs for the day to convince you of our individual love for wedding style. In the first battle we are looking at French Chateaux vs English Stately Homes, before I hand over to Claire be sure to head to English Wedding Blog to check out my take on this.
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Hi there everyone, I’m Claire from English Wedding Blog. Our lovely mutual friend Monique had the brilliant idea of mixing up a little French wedding style with something quintessentially English – and I loved the idea! So today we’re talking English wedding inspiration, ideas and style… with a twist. In true French / English style we’re taking each other on in what could turn out to be a historic battle (if only for our wedding blogs!) a Big Debate:
French Chateaux vs English Stately Homes!
Photographer: Dottie Photography
Naturellement (yes, I speak French! un peu…), I’m on the side of English stately homes in this one. I don’t think you can beat the grandeur and sophistication of a historic mansion house in the English country side. Feel free to see what Monique has to say about your little French chateaux over on the English Wedding Blog, but I’m quite convinced you’ll fall in love with stately homes when you read today’s blog feature! Here’s why English stately homes beat your chateaux in the wedding venue stakes, hands down!
1. You can be Lord and Lady of the manor for a day – for real! Stately homes are the ancestral seats of English Lords, who would welcome royalty to their palatial country residences in times gone by. Stately homes are big, fancy houses designed to impress kings and queens… so you expect a certain level of quality as far as the decor and landscaping goes! Hiring a stately home for your wedding day means you and your guests are treading in the footsteps of royalty and aristocracy.
Photographer: Vickerstaff Photography
2. Stately homes have their fair share of English eccentricity when it comes to atmosphere and styling. We’re not mad (despite the mad cow stuff from a few years back – oh how we chuckled back then, hey?) – in fact we’re so ‘not mad’ that we have our very own word for not being mad. We call it eccentricity. It’s one of those quintessential things, and English stately homes practically drip character and eccentricity from every orifice. If you want to stamp your wedding day with a distinctive character and style, then you can’t go wrong with an English stately home!
2a. “Drip” in no way refers to the weather. I’m not going to fulfil that particular stereotype for you today. The weather’s jolly lovely, thank you very much!
Photographer: Weddings by Nicola and Glenn
3. Stately homes provide the most elegant of landscaped gardens for your wedding photos. I don’t know what your chateaux have in terms of trees and flowers, but I’m guessing our rose beds and acres of perfectly manicured lawns are in a class of their own when it comes to romantic backdrops for your photographer to enjoy. Just bring a brolly in case… y’know.
4. We’re not so set in our ways – extend your stately home of choice with a marquee or better yet, a tipi! It’s well known that the English can be a tad quirky at times. So if your stately home is a little cosy, or the owners won’t let you step inside the actual house, then many will let you pitch up with a big tent of sorts. What could be more splendid than a tipi wedding in the rolling English hills, with loos fit for royalty just a few steps away?
Photography: Martin Hambleton
5. Speaking of countryside, we also have the blessing of living in a country which is somewhat reminiscent of Teletubby land – with rolling hills and pastures, soft green landscapes and winding paths over rivers and streams… delightful, what?! So your wedding guests can stay overnight in your stately home of choice with you, then take a Sunday drive back to the airport at their leisure, still basking in a happy glow the day after your wedding.
6. Last but not least, you can be a part of the latest English invasion by marrying in a stately home. Why? Well – have you heard of Downton Abbey? Ah yes… pretty much the biggest TV series in the world right now, Downton is a fictional stately home but was filmed on location at various places. This isn’t uncommon, and many stately homes have been used as film sets or for classic BBC dramas. Highclere Castle (not a real castle) is the ‘real’ Downton while Eltham Palace was used for episodes of Poirot (he wasn’t French, by the way: he was Belgian).
So there’s my argument for getting married in an English stately home. I think they’re unbeatable wedding venues, with more class and style than you can shake a stick at – but I also know the lovely Monique will have plenty to say in favour of French chateaux as wedding venues as well. She’s arguing her case on the English Wedding Blog today so come with me now and have a read! I can’t wait to see who comes out on top… let’s just not mention the weather, hey?
by Claire from English-Wedding.com
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Before you fall in love with Claire (isn’t she lovely) and let that sway your decision let me just say this – French wedding venues are fabulous! View more French wedding venues and spotlights in our wedding venues in France category.
Do be sure to leave your comment below on your thoughts and as Claire said, look forward to seeing who comes out on top!
Monique xx
Great piece Claire – you didn’t even need to draw on historic barns and the like!
OOh Kelly! I almost thought I’d lost you 🙂
As a fellow ex resident of France I love it too… but being English and a little mad – sorry, eccentric – myself I do love our stately homes.
If only we could have English stately home venues with French cuisine… and I’m talking proper baguettes, rustic casseroles and pastries for dessert… we’d have the perfect combination, n’est-ce pas?
Nathan – I think historic barns are a whole other blog piece… but I fear Monique could come back with outdoor weddings in the south of France and let’s face it, she’d win!
Claire xx
Kelly, Kelly come on over to the other side. There is plenty of eccentricity and character in the French venues, PLUS think of the food, the wine and the weather!
Monique xx
Hmm, I’m torn ladies. As a lover of all things French (studied and worked there some years back and am technically fluent in French – don’t test me!) I was tempted to come out on this side of the argument, however I’m a true Brit and just can’t help being charmed by the wonderful array of historic Stately Homes we have here in the UK. You just can’t beat the English character and eccentricity – let’s just not mention the weather!
Great blog idea ladies!
I am English through and through and I got married in Sussex by the sea with a very traditional wedding! Having said that, I now live and plan weddings in France and of course can see why so many couples like to combine their wedding and holiday staying in a beautiful chateau or manoir set in stunning scenery. From May to October, the outdoor ceremony under a tree or in a courtyard is indeed possible if the weather is willing and is followed by the vin d’honneur around the swimming pool and often the meal outside too. I particularly love it when couples embrace the French theme by selecting French Jazz and accordian music, a French menu and French cake, wedding car etc so for their guests it really is something unique and memorable. I think if a couple are madly in love and surrounded by those that care for them, the venue will usually just enhance that, whether it be in the UK or in France!