As Ben, his sister Lucy and their parents drove into the courtyard of the Château de la Couronne, it was love at first sight. Dating back to the 12^th century, the château with its stunning architecture, impressive turrets and enchanting gardens simply took their breath away.

Château de la Couronne: The perfect fit

Searching for their next adventure and business project in France, Ben and Lucy knew that the Château de la Couronne provided the perfect opportunity. Their business experience of owning luxury lifestyle brands and boutiques in the UK gave them the ideal basis for establishing their own destination luxury wedding and event venue in France, as Lucy explained:

“My parents David and Andrea were looking to relocate from Portugal, and as a family we were exploring a number of properties in France – although we weren’t initially seeking a wedding venue. However, as soon as we saw the Château de la Couronne we realised its huge potential. It’s fair to say that the interiors needed a lot of TLC; but in many ways, this made the project all the more exciting as we were able to put our own stamp on it. Ben and I share a passion for interior design and renovations, so we couldn’t wait to start. Our goal was to transform the château into a premium destination for wedding couples from all over the world.”

The transformation of the château takes shape

Anyone who owns a property in France will know that it can take time as well as money to undertake renovations – often taking much longer than originally planned. Lucy though had further important considerations to factor into the timescale; her own wedding to Charlie was scheduled for July 2024, set in the exquisite grounds of the chateau. So, once the family successfully purchased the chateau from another English couple in September 2023, there were only nine months to get to the work done and complete the project before the big day…. as well as catering for wedding couples who had already booked the venue under the previous management, which delayed the start of the project.

The renovations of the chateau’s interiors were extensive, as Lucy revealed:

“The Château de la Couronne is known for its grandeur and its elegance, though the interiors were looking tired. Therefore our objective was to carry out a comprehensive renovation, with new bathrooms, windows and new tiled flooring on the ground floor. We added new bedrooms, increasing the property’s capacity from 26 to 39 guests. We’ve further plans to raise this to 47 in the future.

“Furthermore, we used luxury wallpaper, hung new chandeliers, installed air conditioning, extended the swimming pool and even added some fountains to add an undeniable sense of sophistication to the château and the estate. It was a huge challenge to get all this work done in only nine months, but we succeeded!”

Lucy and Ben’s vision: an inclusive destination wedding venue

Already established as a wedding venue for 20 years, Ben and Lucy have in a short time successfully rebranded the Château de la Couronne as a luxury wedding venue. Lucy shared their vision:

“When we did our research, we found that many wedding venues did not offer couples the opportunity to have an inclusive package. This meant that they had to buy in pretty well everything, from cutlery to chairs as well as waiting staff – all the things that make a wedding day special. We offer a different experience, a fully catered venue which is inclusive so that couples do not need to worry about anything. We provide all the catering and the waiting staff, for example. So, guests can arrive on the Friday for a relaxing soirée, enjoy the wedding on the Saturday and finish with a stylish, cool BBQ on the Sunday. This inclusivity particularly appeals to our international clients.”

AXA Marthon: an essential insurance partner for the Château de la Couronne

AXA Marthon knows the Château de la Couronne very well. The historic building is very close to the agency’s offices, with AXA Marthon insuring the property and the business for many years.

Ben said:  “Florent and his team handle all our insurance needs, from the château’s buildings to our professional insurance for the business such as public liability etc. They also insure all of the family cars.

“Florent and his team are always very professional and very friendly. They are also very helpful and happy to answer any questions as well as give guidance when needed, which has proved very useful given we are new to France and the local community. They have certainly helped with our transition tremendously. It’s very comforting knowing there is someone there to help you even if not specifically related to insurance, they are genuinely nice people.”

Thank you Lucy & Ben!

If you would like to find out more about the Château de la Couronne please visit their website. The venue is now taking bookings for 2027.

Insurance France is the trading name of AXA Marthon. We are an English and French speaking AXA agency, taking care of your insurance so you can enjoy your life in France.

To find out more please contact us below for a free, no-obligation quotation:

Phone: +33 (0)5 45 70 43 76

Email: agence.florentmorin@axa.fr

Website: insurancefrance.fr

Photo credits:

– @Alabreskaya_photographe

– @Shevstovy

– @theguendels