Samantha & Daniel

Welcome Message

Since We Tied The Knot!

Bienvenue

Samantha & Daniel are delighted to invite you to celebrate their wedding weekend in Lamotte-du-Rhône, Provence, France from 6-8 October 2023.

On this website you will find all the important details about the wedding, including: the weekend's schedule of events, travel information, guest accommodation, dress code and much more!

Looking forward to seeing you in Provence!

Lots of Love,
Samantha & Daniel x

Wedding Registry

With the wedding fast approaching quite a few of you (our lovely guests) have got in touch to ask if we have any ideas about what we would like by way of a wedding present.

It should go without saying but we genuinely appreciate the extraordinary efforts of all those that will be joining us in France for our wedding weekend and feel so genuinely lucky to be able to share the magical moments with such a uniquely incredible group of family and friends.

Celebrating with you is truly the best gift we could ever ask for. And for those that are unable to make it, we hope that you can be there vicariously through all the photos and videos we will share.

However, for friends and family who are more insistent on gift giving we have opted to skip the tradition of a formal department store led registry and instead would love for you to help us create new memories by making contribution to our honeymoon fund.

Wedding Registry

Schedule of Events

The festivities begin on the afternoon of Friday 6th October and keep going through to early evening of Sunday 8th. You will find a full rundown in the order of play on the website.

October 6, 2023

We will be hosting arrival drinks along with cheese and wine tasting from resident châteauneuf-du-pape sommelier on the grounds of Château des Barrenques from 4pm on Friday.

N.B. those staying on-site, you will be able to check in from midday.

Location - La Magnanerie

We will be hosting a welcome dinner from 7pm on main courtyard of the Château. Food will be served from 7.30pm.

This in the form of a cocktail banquet complete with drinks and live entertainment. If you are running a bit late do not stress, it's not a formally seated dinner.

Location - Central Courtyard of le Château des Barrenques

October 7, 2023

Breakfast will be available from 8am - 10am on The Main Courtyard. The Château will be providing a selection of pastries, fresh fruit, coffees and juices to set you up for the big day.

Location - Central Courtyard of le Château des Barrenques

The Groom and his Groomsmen will be hosting a champagne departure outside the main château before the ceremony for those who wish to join.

Location - Central Courtyard of le Château des Barrenques

The wedding ceremony starts at 2pm at church, Eglise Saint-Saturnin de Pont-Saint-Esprit, a short 5 minute drive from The Château. Full address and map below.

We are asking everyone to make their own way to the church. Most people have hired cars so there should be enough for everyone to jump in. We will pre-order some taxi's as a back up.

There is car parking immediate next to the church.

Location: Saint-Pierre, 30130 Pont-Saint-Esprit, France

Reception drinks will be hosted on La Magnanerie at Château des Barrenques. Starting immediately upon your return from the church.

Location - La Magnanerie

Guests will be seated for the dinner at 6pm. This will be held in the fairy light lit courtyard of La Magnanerie at The Château.

Location - La Magnanerie

The party will start with our first dance at 8.45pm. Afterwhich we look forward to seeing you busting your moves on the dance floor!

There will be live music on the outdoor dance floor until midnight. The party will then move inside to La Magnanerie where our DJ will take the helm for the rest of the night.

Location - La Magnanerie

October 8, 2023

What better way to nurse a sore head than a dip in the pool under the Provençal sun! There will be a pool party with music, (more) drinks and wood fired pizza to blow the cobwebs away.

Whilst we wish the weekend could go on forever, we will toasting you off and wishing you safe travels back home.

Accommodation

We have secured exclusive use of Château des Barrenques from 12pm on Friday 6th October through to Sunday 8th October at 5pm.

There will be a rooming board outside the main chateau, which you will note on arrival. There will also be help on hand to direct you to your chosen accommodation.

Getting There

There are several airports in the Provence region within 1 to 2 hours drive that are serviced by BA, EasyJet and Ryanair from the UK and plenty of others for those from elsewhere in Europe or further afield.

Driving Time from Airports to the Château

MPL - Montpelier - 1hr
MRS - Marseille - 1hr
NCE - Nice - 2hrs 30mins

Airport to Venue Options

Hire Car / Taxi
We would recommend renting a car to drive to the Château from the airports as it will be cheaper than a taxi. If booked in advance it is roughly €100 Friday through to Sunday for a 5-seater car.

Train
There is an regular service from both Montpellier and Marseille airport, to Bollene La Croisiere, which is a 5 minute taxi to the venue. It is ~€25 for a return journey takes 1-2 hours, depending on which airport you are travelling from.

For those of you that prefer a leisurely locomote through the French countryside, taking the train could be a fabulous option. The nearby city of Avignon is serviced by the TGV, the high-speed trainline in France, non-stop from Paris Gare-de-Lyon.

Train Journey Times

London St Pancras to Paris GdN - 2hrs 20mins
Paris GdL to Avignon TGV - 2hrs 40mins

Assuming you are travelling from London on the Eurostar, you can tee this up for a quick change over from Gare du Nord.

Train to Venue Options
Taxi / Hire Car
Avignon TGV station is only a 40 minute drive to the Château, there should be plenty of taxis and the station has several car hire places on-site if you would rather rather do the driving yourself.

Train
Alternatively there is an hourly train service that runs from Avignon Centre Station, a short hop by car or train across town, to Bollene La Croisiere that is €20 and takes 30mins.

For those of you that wish to make a road trip of it, which we highly recommend as it is a lovely drive through France - maybe with a few vineyard tours and city stop offs on the way.

The best way to get over to mainland Europe from the UK by car is the Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais. This is approximately £60 return, if you book in advance, and takes 45 minutes.

Stop Off Recommendations

Champagne - obviously!
Dijon - a very pretty historic city
Lyon - the "Gastronomic capital of the world"
Châteauneuf-du-Pape - only 20mins from the venue
Arle - a Roman city that has its own not-so-mini colosseum

Dress Code

It is a casual affair, you have the opportunity to dress up later, so the below is just a guide based on what people may be wearing to help when it comes to packing.

Ladies: Summer dresses

Gentlemen: Chinos, t-shirts / linen shirts

Friday is themed as a black-tie cocktail, an opportunity for you all to dress up and mingle with a glass in hand.

Ladies: Party dresses, get fabulous

Gentlemen: Black tie, optional. There will be a prize for the best bow tie, for those that wish to get creative.

The wedding dress code is formal for both the church ceremony and the reception.

Ladies: Dresses, for those with uncovered shoulders a shawl is recommended for the church ceremony

Gentlemen: Morning suits, preferred

Get in there like swimwear, literally. There is no beach but beachwear will do. We do recommend ladies bring a cover-up and gentlemen a t-shirt or shirt.

FAQ

We will be periodically adding the important answers to the FAQs we receive between now and the big day for the benefit of all.

If you have any specific questions, that you cannot find an answer to below, please email us at: sam.dan.wedding@outlook.com

Where is the wedding taking place?
All events with exception of the wedding ceremony will be held on the grounds of Le Château des Barrenques. The ceremony itself will be held at the church Église Saint-Saturnin de Pont-Saint-Esprit.

Will the wedding be indoors or outdoors?
The wedding weekend will be predominantly outdoors on the various courtyards, lawns and pool area. This is with exception of evenings after midnight and the ceremony which will take place at the local church.

What weather should I expect?
It will be early Autumn in Provence, typically this is sunny mid-20's during the day and in the late teens at night (to be clear that's Celsius for those coming from the US).

What is the easiest way to get to and from your wedding venue once in France?
We recommend either hiring a car from the airport and car-sharing (we imagine a lot of you will be on the same flights) or getting the train from both Marseille or Montpellier that will drop you off at Bollene La Croisiere, which is a 5 minute taxi ride from the venue. From Nice we recommend driving.

Will transportation be provided?
We are not providing any formal transportation for the events with the potential exception of our ceremony, which is ~5 minute drive from the venue), all events are on the grounds of The Château.

What meals will be provided over the weekend?
We will be catering dinner on Friday in a cocktail format with informal seating. Saturday we will be providing breakfast, ample canopes post ceremony and of course the wedding dinner. Sunday brunch will also not be a small affair.

Is there an open bar?
There will be plenty of champagne, wines, beer as well as soft drinks provided - plus the local water is drinkable and apparently lovely! For anything else, we recommend picking it up in duty free.

What is the best way to communicate my dietary restrictions with you?
We definitely want to make sure you enjoy your time and meals on our wedding weekend, please let us know when you RSVP about your dietary needs.

Where do you recommend I stay?
There is accommodation for 90 people on-site. We envisage that most guests will opt to stay on-site. There are of course other options in the nearby town and we will look to provide recommendations.

Is there easy parking at the venue(s)?
There is ample parking for those who feel comfortable driving at both the venue and the church. Uber / local taxi services are a great option for those that don’t.

What time can I arrive?
We have secured the Château exclusively Friday through Sunday, with check-in from noon on the 6th and check-out at 4pm on the 8th.

How do we RSVP and when is the RSVP deadline?
We hope you’ll be able to join us! There is an RSVP section on the website that you can fill out and let us know your plans right here.
Please get us your RSVP by 14th April 2023 to aide with our planning.

Can I bring a +1?
We unfortunately are unable to offer +1s but for those communicated with at the point of invitation.

Can I bring my babies, children or teenagers?
By-and-large this is a wedding for adults, with exception of the flower girls, so unfortunately we cannot accommodate attendees bringing their children.

Can I take and post photos to social media?
Yes of course we would love for you to take plenty of pictures to remember the wedding by! We do ask that you tag them on Instagram with: @sam.dan.wedding

What are the Glamping Pods like?
The pods are stunning, in fact Samantha was petitioning to stay in one. They have wooden floors, real beds, electricity, heating / cooling and doused in fairy lights, lamps and mirrors.

If I am in a Glamping Pod where do I shower etc.?
There is a brand new indoor shower hut with over 10 showers and the same for bathroom facilities. There are also some Bali-style outdoors plumbed into trees for the more adventurous bathers.

Where do I find everything on the grounds of the estate?
Everything is fairly close to one another an nothing is more than s 5 minute walk from the main château. Handily, there is a useful map linked below.

Grounds Map