Our new series “Château Bouffémont Live” features interviews with guests from the world of events and weddings to provide you with expert advice and insider insight. With the wedding season already underway in the US and restrictions gradually lifting here in France, this week Château Bouffémont’s General Manager Sarp Gogebakan met with Rachael Ellen from Rachael Ellen Events to talk about organizing a post-lockdown wedding in 2022 and the future of weddings. 

SG: Thanks for being with us today Rachael, perhaps you could start by telling us how you got into the wedding business?

RE: I actually always thought I would work in interior design, but when I was at college I was introduced to events planning and I loved it. From there I started to get involved with planning destination weddings and really found my sweet spot because they are so romantic and offer such a great experience for the couple and their guests. That’s how I got started with organizing weddings in France, because it’s such a standout destination for a wedding.

SG: What’s the best thing about a destination wedding in France?

RE: With a destination wedding you automatically have a smaller guest count. When you come to France and bring all your close family and friends together at an exceptional location, like Château Bouffémont, they are guaranteed to have the most incredible experience. It’s also very intentional, you can’t just drop in on a destination wedding like you can at a local event!

SG: What are the biggest challenges in organizing a wedding in 2022? 

RE: Safety is of course the number one priority and there are lots of things you can do to make sure your guests feel comfortable and safe while attending your wedding. Each couple knows their wedding party and what specific requirements certain individual guests or groups might have. Some couples are asking people to be vaccinated before the wedding or at least to inform them if they’ve had their vaccination. In the US people don’t have to wear a mask once they’re vaccinated so there is less mask-wearing but that was something we saw a lot of this year. The general trend across the wedding industry is towards smaller weddings which automatically makes for a safer environment. Finally, the seating plan is a big factor, seating people by household and making sure they are properly spaced helps everyone feel more comfortable.

SG:  What should couples focus their attention and budget on while organizing a wedding in 2022?

RE: With smaller guest counts, couples often have more budget to channel into the wedding experience, so they can use it to add in some special personalised details like a welcome hamper for guests or an activity like a wine-tasting tour. It also means you can drill right down into the finest little details like getting just the right table decoration, tons of flowers, beautiful stationary, amazing entertainment, wonderful food and drink, it all adds up to making the day a real treat for guests. 

SG: How can we be creative and organize an entertaining wedding despite the potential restrictions?

RE: This is something I talk to my clients about a lot, sometimes they think that having a smaller wedding means they should skip things like a band for the evening event, or a change of outfit etc. But everyone is there to have a good time and just because there are less people doesn’t necessarily mean you need to change your plans, you can still have the wedding you dreamed of!

SG:  What are your tips and suggestions for brides & grooms organising a last-minute or express wedding in 2022?

RE:

· Firstly, familiarize yourself with your contracts and know what is and isn’t possible under the terms and conditions for your wedding venue and wedding vendors. It’ll save a lot of headaches if you do need to postpone or adjust your guest count etc.

· Communicate clearly and openly with your vendors, inform them of any changes as far ahead of time as possible so all the necessary arrangements can be made.

· Things will change: food and beverage regulations, seating arrangements, guest numbers etc. lots of things might have to be adjusted in the event of new restrictions so be as flexible as possible.

· If you do need to postpone your wedding for some reason create an availability table for all your key vendors and colour code it to find a date when everyone is available so you can push back your date without changing suppliers.

· People get discouraged if their plan A doesn’t work out but don’t worry your wedding planner will always have a plan B, C and D in mind! So, even if things have to change and adapt you can still have the wedding of your dreams! 

SG: What final message would you like to leave for couples watching us who are planning or thinking about planning their wedding?

RE: Everything is looking really positive going forwards. So, any brides and grooms out there who are thinking about getting married this year or next year and considering a destination wedding you should know that all the vendors and venues are here ready to make it happen for you.

Keep in touch at @chateaubouffemont

Planning an event to launch a new product? With our extensive experience of hosting corporate events at Château Bouffémont, we decided to share with you our five-point guide to making your product launch a resounding success:

1. Align to your target market

You know your product better than anyone, so when planning your launch remember to focus on your target market. The launch event is about showcasing your product not organizing a fun event for your staff so think about what will appeal to your future customers.

1. Choose an appropriate theme

Keeping your target market in mind choose a theme that is relevant to your product and reflects the key messages you want your clients to take away. This theme will then guide how you organize your event, the vendors you choose to work with, the entertainment and catering and so on. Here at the chateau we work with a range of top-quality vendors who can adapt their services to a wide variety of themes.

1. Get the right venue

Once you have your theme, choosing the right venue is an absolutely crucial phase in planning your corporate event. For a product launch the venue needs to be relevant to the product and the chosen theme – a luxury product for example requires a prestigious venue for a truly memorable launch. There are also practical considerations such as ease of access and flexibility in terms of the indoor and outdoor areas available to you in case the weather is changeable. Your venue should also provide a scenic backdrop to your event photos which will be used in your post-launch promotional materials and social media.

1. Plan engaging entertainment

Every single detail of your event is important but if you want your product to truly shine, make sure your guests have a good time – it’s as simple as that! Offering a form of entertainment that genuinely appeals to your target market will make sure your product sticks in their minds and will also generate positive feedback on the event on your social media accounts, so whether it’s a DJ, a stand-up comic or a hip-hop dance troupe, make sure you put some thought into the entertainment on offer. 

1. Focus your budget

Gone are the days when companies had unlimited budgets for their events. Your return-on-investment is key to a successful product launch so when organizing your event think about where you will get the biggest returns: fabulous photos you can use for ongoing product promotion, top-class entertainment and a standout theme to generate social media interactions, a truly memorable venue to offer opinion leaders, influencers, future clients and the press a night (or day!) to remember!   

Of course, we think Château Bouffémont is a great fit for all kinds of product launches and here’s why:

– Easy access just 30 kilometers from the center of Paris and 20 minutes from Charles de Gaulle Airport

– A stunning location with magnificent views from the gardens and historic architectural features

– 5 conference rooms (300m2) with a capacity of up to 70 persons, 140 for seated dinners, 200 for cocktail dinners, 9 suites and sumptuous gardens and grounds

– A team of expert staff working behind the scenes to ensure your event goes smoothly

– A pool of first-class vendors the château can call on to meet your every need 

Our team is on hand to provide their expert advice and support right from the start of the planning stages. So why not get in touch today to find out more? Fill out our contact form here or call us on +33 (0) 1 39 91 20 94.

After our successful series of live interviews “Let’s Talk Weddings” launched during the first lockdown in France, Château Bouffémont’s General Manager Sarp Gogebakan is delighted to propose a new series: Château Bouffémont Live, over the course of which he will interview a whole host of interesting guests from the world of events and weddings to provide you with expert advice and insider insight.

To kick off this new series we are joined by a very special guest: one of the world’s top wedding planners, Laurie Arons, joining us live from the US. 

SG: For those tuning in who don’t know you, who is Laurie Arons?

LA: I started my wedding planning journey in 1994 when I founded Laurie Arons Special Events. Before that I was a marketing manager for a biotech firm, but when I was made redundant, I decided to follow my heart and set up my own business. 

SG: What services does Laurie Arons Special Events provide?

LA: We are a full-service wedding planning provider, which means we guide clients through the whole planning process from finding a venue right through to the last little details.

SG: I know your firm specialises in multi-day destination weddings, how do you plan a multi-day destination wedding and how long is the ideal duration?

LA: Yes, the majority of our clients now want destination weddings. In terms of the number of days I think 3 or 4 days is the ideal duration for a destination wedding. For example, the guests can arrive on the Thursday for a welcome party, devote Friday to activities, then have the wedding and reception on Saturday, before finishing things off on the Sunday with a lunch and farewell get-together. As regards the planning, we usually start with the choice of venue and the location which is the cornerstone of the whole event. We then work back to look at what is available in the local area in and tailor the activities to the interests and the composition of the group. Anything is possible in terms of activities, hiking, rafting, yoga… if you are coming to France for example you might want to put on a wine tasting or cookery class. The really great thing about a destination wedding is that it allows everyone time to relax, get away from everything, spend time with the couple, and bond as a group.

SG: What should you think about when planning a wedding in France?

LA: It’s much more complicated organising an international wedding than organising your wedding in your home area which you know really well. For a wedding in France or anywhere overseas I really do recommend that people use a full-service planner with experience of the chosen location. For the planner, this type of wedding will require a reconnaissance trip to identify the best local vendors, venues and activities. When we do these types of events we always use a maximum number of local suppliers to support the local community.

SG: What are your five top tips for planning a destination wedding in 2022?

LA: First and foremost, you need to really establish what kind of experience you want and that will form the basis for all the rest of the planning, the venue and location really are the key to a truly unique wedding. I suggest that couples think about their shared history and choose a place which has a personal connection for them. I also think it’s important to find somewhere that has capacity to accommodate all your guests, so they can spend time together over the duration of the vacation. In 2022 we will certainly be in a better place but I still strongly recommend that you carefully check all your contracts for cancellation terms, just in case new Covid restrictions are put into place. And of course, I really do recommend that you hire a wedding planner!

SG: Thank you so much Laurie, that’s great advice and we are very privileged to get these great tips from you. I believe that you also run wedding planning masterclasses?

LA: Yes, I have been running wedding planning masterclasses for 5 or 6 years now and our next event is coming up in December 2021. We’ll be getting together for a 4-day retreat with 12 participants, myself and some hand-picked speakers will share our expertise and I will explain how I have grown and developed my business over the years. The aim is to help less experienced planners take their businesses to the next level, I really love doing these classes and meeting people from all over the world! 

Keep in touch at @chateaubouffemont