For Your Next Birthday, Why Not Stay in an Exquisite French Chateau?

Chef delights, Exclusive Stay, NewsApril 2018

It’s one thing to mark many happy returns with a well-chosen glass (OK, perhaps make that bottle) of the finest of fine wine, surrounded by your loved ones… and it’s quite another thing to truly go the extra mile with your celebration.

Have you, for instance, considered celebrating your next birthday in the resplendent surroundings of your very own chateau in France?

What makes the French chateau experience different?

While Cambridge Dictionary simply defines a chateau as “a large house or castle in France“, there’s no doubt that many of us have much richer and more in-depth associations with the term than this definition implies. The faintest mention of chateau rentals in France tends to conjure up images of spectacular verdant grounds on the outside and the most refined and tasteful decor on the inside.

In other words, we tend to picture a stone-built property like Château Bouffémont, which certainly has impeccable credentials as a French chateau in which to toast your birthday in considerable style.

From its five grand reception halls and nine magical suites, right through to its whole equipped guest kitchen and the full-service team consisting of a chef, butler, housemaid, security guard and concierge, every element of Château Bouffémont exudes sophistication for a suitably sophisticated clientele.

Such elements all befit the building’s extraordinary heritage as an erstwhile residence of the Marquise of Preignes and Baron Empain.

Delight in a setting that is all about fun, refinement and elegance

From its earliest days, Château Bouffémont has lent itself beautifully to all manner of prestigious events, such as the ceremonies hosted by its noble former residents. Today, it continues to cement its reputation as a unique and luxurious private venue for almost every kind of special occasion – not only birthdays.

Whether it is your 20th birthday, your 30th, 50th or literally any other key milestone, you could not hope to choose a backdrop that is more guaranteed to impress your friends and family than Château Bouffémont.

Our chateau rentals in Paris entail you and your guests gaining access to the entire 2,000 square metres of the splendid historic property; for a brief time only, you will be lord of the manor and the chateau will be yours.

But it is not only the height of utter opulence that practically defines the Château Bouffémont experience; it is also a definite sense of fun. This is shown by the variety of recreational, leisure and sporting activities that guests of all ages can partake in, encompassing golf, tennis, horse riding, arts and crafts workshops, cooking classes and many more irresistible possibilities.

A party never to forget, just a drive away from the City of Lights

Nor have we even touched on the small matter of our property being situated just 30 kilometres from central Paris. That is the perfect proximity, we’re sure you’ll agree when you wish to incorporate the many attractions of the endlessly delightful French capital into the kind of action-packed birthday you are sure to remember for decades to come.

Indeed, the Everyday Parisian website has more than a few excellent ideas for ways to while away the hours in Paris when making a birthday visit.

When it comes to birthday chateau rentals in Paris, there can simply be no equal to the infinitely rewarding Château Bouffémont – so why not enquire today about how we can help you to make the noble property your base for your upcoming big bash?

How to have an Intimate Destination Wedding in France

WeddingsMarch 2018

Intimate Wedding

It is unsurprising that so many couples wish to tie the knot in France, which is, after all, perhaps the country on earth to be most indelibly associated with romance. However, whatever your own preferences or plans for your special day may be, it is vital to be well-informed with regard to the legalities and other practical aspects of formalising your union overseas.

 

What kind of venue do you desire for your big day? 

France is such a frequently dreamed-of wedding destination in part due to its abundance of highly distinguished and enchanting venues.

A French chateau wedding is surely the archetypal romantic occasion, as we have good reason to appreciate here at Château Bouffémont, on account of the many enquiries received in relation to hiring the magnificent heritage property for ceremonies and receptions.

While France is blessed with a variety of wedding venues to cater to different aesthetic tastes, it is also crucial to consider the logistics of your special day, including travel connections and the ease, or otherwise, with which your intended guests will be able to reach your chosen venue.

This is another factor that often heightens the appeal of such a well-situated venue as Château Bouffémont, which can be found in the heart of Montmorency Forest, a mere 40-minute journey from central Paris, and 20 minutes from Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Le Bourget airports.

 

The legal dimension of getting married on French shores

As explained by such online sources as TransferWise, there are many elements and rules that one must follow if they wish to hold a marriage ceremony and/or reception in France.

Some of the legal requirements for a wedding in France – such as for both parties to consent and be at least 18 years of age – may seem easy enough to meet. However, one frequent barrier to those wishing to officially marry in the country is the need to provide proof of residency in France for a minimum of 30 days prior to the application being made, for at least one of the parties.

It is for this reason that many couples ultimately elect to have a legal wedding in their home country, followed by a religious or symbolic ceremony at a French venue of their choice.

This was the approach taken by Natalie of the Weddings Abroad Guide website, who explained: “My husband and I ‘secretly’ got married in the United Kingdom prior to our wedding in France and had a Humanist wedding ceremony on our wedding day in France.

“Our civil ceremony in the United Kingdom was purely to take care of the legalities and our wedding day in France is when we considered ourselves married.”

 

All of the intricate touches required for a very special wedding

When you are interested in holding a destination wedding that will warm the hearts of everyone present and leave positive memories to last a lifetime, you can scarcely hope to select a more suitable venue than Château Bouffémont.

The noble stone-built property offers an extraordinary setting of manicured French gardens that lends itself beautifully to the most endearing photography. On the inside, meanwhile, you will find the opulent furnishings and crystal chandeliers that practically define the most intimate and charming of wedding venues.

Combine these elements with the exacting service characterised by the highest level of attention to detail, and you may have the ideal venue for your own intimate French chateau wedding.

The Ultimate Romantic Plan for a Long Weekend

Exclusive Stay, NewsFebruary 2018

Table in Chateau

France has long provided the perfect stage for the quintessential romantic break. But when you are planning such a holiday with your beloved, whether the two of you have been an item for several weeks or several decades, what are the elements that will help to make your trip especially memorable?

It’s all about the perfect venue

When you make the best choice of venue for your long weekend away in France, so much else will naturally fall into place. After all, one cannot help but get a little loved up in such extraordinary surroundings as those presented by the Domaine du Château Bouffémont.

This fairytale venue ticks so many of the obvious boxes for a magical romantic break, and many others less obvious.

The Château Bouffémont is situated in the heart of the Montmorency Forest, for instance, which may mean much time during your break is whiled away walking hand-in-hand with your sweetheart, admiring the chestnut, beech and oak trees that grace these 2,200 hectares of hilly forest.

Plenty more delights lie in wait within 

While the rural location certainly lends itself to an outdoorsy romantic break, the aristocratic charm and modern comforts of the Château itself also demand appreciation.

This is the ultimate enchanting setting for a long weekend in France, whether you wish to enjoy an in-suite breakfast, tuck into a candlelit dinner, relax with a massage for two or gaze at the captivating sunset view from the terrace.

Château Bouffémont was, after all, built in the 19th century for such demanding residents as the Marquise of Preignes and Baron Empain. With its five grand reception halls, nine delectable suites and sumptuously manicured French gardens, it is a noble residence that was conceived from the ground up to exude romance.

Don’t forget, too, the separate additional guest kitchen that we provide for your use on a 24-hours-a-day basis and the dedicated full-service team – including a private butler and housekeepers – that will help to take every last ounce of stress out of your romantic stay.

Alternatively, if you fancy exploring further afield…

If simply observing the refined furnishings and extensive gardens of Château Bouffémont didn’t give enough of a sense of being in a different world, that impression is only maximised when one makes the most of our proximity to the City of Lights.

After all, no French romantic break is arguably complete without a trip to Paris, a mere 40-minute drive away from our chateau. The capital presents you with a host of romantic sights, ranging from the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre to such occasionally overlooked delights as the covered shopping arcades of the Right Bank and the Musée de Montmartre, the latter set in the 17th-century manor formerly home to the studio of Impressionist painter Renoir.

Throw in such other idyllic and intriguing attractions nearby as the 13th-century Royaumont Abbey, the Musée National de la Renaissance and the village of Auvers-sur-Oise that inspired such artists as Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne, and a weekend stay at Château Bouffémont really does offer all of the ingredients that epitomise holiday romance.

Why not speak to us now about what a wonderful break at this prestigious venue could involve for you and your one-and-only in 2018?

5 Reasons to Choose our Chateau for your next Corporate Retreat

CorporateFebruary 2018

 

 

Organising corporate retreats can be invaluable for enabling your employees to bond in a face-to-face setting. The benefits can be especially strong if these employees usually work in segmented teams based in disparate locations. However, the venue that you choose can prove crucial to your retreat’s success.

It is imperative that the venue you select ticks an array of particular boxes – and an unorthodox choice of venue can do so especially well. Here are several reasons why CHÂTEAU BOUFFÉMONT has strong merit.

 

Your workers can relieve stress resulting from day-to-day tasks

Sometimes, employees can become so preoccupied with their daily routines that they don’t give themselves sufficient time to step back and take in the bigger picture of their firm’s future.

However, allowing your workers to retreat to the Château can afford them the time to do exactly this. With the building set amid Montmorency Forest and spectacular manicured gardens, the members of your team can be spared irritating distractions while they put together their new game plan.

 

There’s the opportunity to explore somewhere new

Often, we travel for leisure purposes because it lets us explore exciting new places. A corporate retreat at a significant distance from a familiar setting can also psychologically benefit your workers, as Inc. reveals – but where can you find interesting but unchartered territory?

The answer: right here at Château Bouffémont. Your staff can spend time admiring the refined decor and beautiful fabrics of the stone-built residence, which includes five grand reception halls and nine suites.

 

Château Bouffémont is easy to reach

Despite what we have urged about choosing a venue that will enable a fresh and unexpected experience, settling for a venue in an overly obscure location can prove counterproductive. You have to consider, for example, how easily your employees will be able to make the journey.

Fortunately, you can enjoy the best of both worlds at the chateau – as, despite its secluded setting, it remains just 30 kilometres from central Paris and 20 minutes from Charles de Gaulle Airport.

 

You can escape the office in more ways than one

While it is standard practice to hold retreats in staid conference rooms, you are not obliged to follow this practice yourself. In fact, it could hinder your team’s attempts to think creatively, Inc. implies.

You wouldn’t reap maximum returns from a retreat if you took your workers away from an office, to merely somewhere else that feels like an office. Fortunately, the chateau, with its aristocratic charm and magnificent heritage features, can spare you a ‘work from work’ feeling.

 

There’s a pleasing scope for spontaneity

In a Fox News article, Janet Fallon of the Washington, D.C.-based public relations company PR Options advises that those organising a corporate retreat forgo a bland space in favour of a “visually busier, interesting space to get the creative juices flowing”. Your staff could be easily kept busy themselves at the chateau.

Opportunities here for playing golf and tennis and trying dancing or cooking help to explain why Château Bouffémont is perfect for a corporate retreat – and our own chateau, especially so. For more information on how Château Bouffémont can help organise your corporate retreat or to download a brochure, click here.

Tips to Make Your Summer Chateau Wedding an Iconic Event

WeddingsJanuary 2018

If you have often seen friends and relatives enjoying chateau weddings, you could be understandably attracted to the idea of having a similar ceremony for your own big day. The Château Bouffémont could be the perfect location for your nuptials.

However, if you intend your wedding to happen during the summer, you might wonder how you could make it stand out from such weddings your guests have previously attended. Here are some ideas…

Keep the engagement period short

One way of leaving a positive lasting impression on your guests is making the wedding a surprise. You could do this by renting Château Bouffémont for your intended wedding day and then sending out the invites – except omitting the detail that the event will be a wedding.

If you indeed go down this route, you could hold the wedding shortly after announcing the engagement. Otherwise, someone could let slip the big secret before time, as Vogue cautions.

Give your guests good reasons to travel

This can be imperative if you are seeking to keep the wedding under wraps for now, as even well-meaning friends and relatives could be reluctant to make long journeys for anything other than significant milestones. Therefore, you should try strongly incentivising them to travel.

If you book Château Bouffémont, you could draw attention to its proximity to Paris. The stunning refined building is just 30 kilometres from the centre of the French capital and its many attractions.

Offer drinks with a difference

At a summer wedding, it can be standard practice to hand glasses of champagne to guests as they arrive. However, as recommended in another Vogue piece, you could instead place decorative pitchers of fruit-infused ice water at the entrance to the venue.

This can have the dual benefit of not only giving your guests another unique little detail to fondly remember but also helping to keep them cool – a purpose that some fruits are especially effective at serving.

Put together an inventive game plan

When you rent Château Bouffémont for use on your wedding day, you can tailor the on-site services that we provide to prevent boredom setting in among your guests.

For example, you could ask our fully dedicated staff to make refined cuisine that meets various guests’ specific culinary preferences. You could even book private fitness and dance classes or let guests try cookery or taste-test wine. It’s all possible at our chateau.

Encourage a quirky-but-practical dress code

If you have attended many weddings in the past, you might have understandably felt anguish about how you should dress for these occasions. After all, discerning how to dress in a way that makes you stand out but not show up the bride can seem like a delicate art.

To prevent your guests struggling to strike the right balance, you could show them these tips from Harper’s Bazaar. You can then start preparing for other aspects of the wedding; here at Château Bouffémont, we warmly welcome reservations for chateau weddings for dates during the summer.

Why Choose a Chateau in France for Your Next Getaway?

Exclusive Stay, MomentsJanuary 2018

 

 

 

If you are seeking the ideal setting for a luxurious getaway, France can be an obvious draw. The Gallic country is resplendent in breathtaking historical attractions, beautiful rural scenery and opportunities for succulent wining and dining.

Furthermore, you can enjoy it all the more when you choose a chateau as your base. Here are several good reasons to consider a chateau rental in France.

 

Paris and its cosmopolitan attractions can be within easy reach

 

It can often seem impossible to overestimate the breadth of attractions in Paris. The French capital can easily satisfy, whether it is cuisine, history or culture of which you are eager to sample the best.

The city’s ready accessibility also counts in its favour. Paris is served by Charles de Gaulle Airport, which is itself just a 20-minute trip away from the luxury venue, Château Bouffémont. You would have exclusive access to this heritage building for as long as you rent it.

 

Château Bouffémont can satisfy your architectural tastes

 

If you have a keen interest in history, you could find yourself in your element here at Château Bouffémont, which was built in the 19th century. The building exhibits refined interior decor; you could be especially enchanted by such elegant touches as the crystal chandeliers. However, don’t forget to also spend sufficient time outside the building to let yourself see the stone-built residence’s exterior in all of its magnificence.

 

You can accommodate peaceful moments for your getaway

 

There’s a good reason why your trip is called a “getaway” – after all, it entails literally getting away from the hustle and bustle of your usual day-to-day life. You could, therefore, delight in the opportunities to unwind in the quiet of the Chateau’s wonderfully manicured French gardens.

With this domaine situated in a secluded spot in Montmorency Forest, you would have no shortage of private settings from which to choose during your soothing stay in France.

 

You would have valuable opportunities to try new things

 

Even without leaving Château Bouffémont, you would be able to sample horse riding and such relaxing sports as tennis and golf. We can even give you access to fitness and dance lessons, allowing you to benefit from one-on-one intuition.

 

The experience can be tailored to your personal preferences

 

Key to the beauty of staying here at Château Bouffémont is that it does not offer a single, standardised experience for everyone. Instead, you can carefully tailor the offerings. For example, on-site, we have dedicated staff who can make refined cuisine to your specific liking.

Choosing the Château for your luxury escape in France offers further possibilities for a personalised getaway. Architectural Digest highlights how different Parisian neighbourhoods can cater to particular personalities – and the city can soon be near if you make a reservation with us.

Inspirational Places For Your Video Shooting

Events, VideoDecember 2017

video shoot

Photography by Graham Oakley

Selecting the perfect shooting location for your organisation’s corporate video can be a more challenging and complicated process than you may first anticipate. After all, there are many different competing parameters and priorities that you will need to consider for a shooting location, ranging from the sheer visual appeal of the site to the atmosphere and nearby transport links.

So with these factors in mind, here are some suggestions for what kinds of places you should consider when you wish to truly inspire with your choice of shooting location.

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5 ideas for an idyllic winter wedding

UncategorizedNovember 2017

5 ideas idyllic winter wedding

If there is a time of year when it is difficult to resist the opportunity to get married – certainly if for any reason, the summer months are not convenient or available – it is surely the height of the winter. With any luck, there will be snow on the trees in the grounds of a suitably enchanting fairytale venue that you have booked, such as Château Bouffémont.

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