Château de Crazannes hosts weddings over a full weekend or midweek, with a chapel, an Orangerie, a wrought-iron glass pavilion and an 8-hectare park for the ceremony, the cocktail and the dinner. The estate sleeps close to 60 guests on site. This listed castle, known as the Château du Chat Botté, stands in Crazannes, in the Charente-Maritime, near the river Charente.
Seminars and company events
The quote form accepts seminar and birthday requests as well as weddings, but the site publishes no meeting room, equipment list or business package. Ask the team what can be arranged for a company group before you plan around the venue.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the estate's main event business, with about 40 a year. Two formats are offered. The weekend format runs from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, with accommodation open from Friday afternoon so that family and friends can arrive early. The weekday format runs from Tuesday morning to Thursday afternoon, with the same spaces and gardens, for smaller weddings and on more accessible terms.
Intimate or symbolic ceremonies take place in the chapel. Secular ceremonies can be held in the park under an arch or a nomad tent, or on the terrace. The cocktail follows outdoors or in one of the reception spaces, and dinner can be indoors or out. Indoor and outdoor furniture is provided.
A site manager is present from the couple's arrival to the departure of the last guests, evening included. He receives suppliers, guides guests and follows each key moment. The team also helps choose photographers, florists, musicians, set designers and entertainment.
Rooms and capacities
The event spaces are the Orangerie, a reception room with a dedicated caterer's area; the Verrière, a wrought-iron and glass structure for an outdoor dinner or a sheltered cocktail in rain; the terrace of the château, with a view over the estate; the chapel; and the gardens and park for ceremonies. A former sheepfold near the esplanade is being converted. The estate does not publish seated capacities, so confirm numbers when you ask for a quote. A south-facing pool and a pétanque ground are available for guests.
Accommodation
The château has five restored bedrooms and suites. The keep, beside the water-filled moat, sleeps six and can also be rented on its own for a weekend, a midweek stay or a week, with use of the park and the pool. The former outbuildings are fitted out as independent cottages. The wedding page gives a total of close to 60 people sleeping on site; the home page gives 42.
Catering
The Orangerie has a dedicated area for the caterer. The estate helps couples choose their suppliers; the site does not name a required caterer.
History and setting
The château was built in the 14th century on the foundations of an older feudal castle and is listed as a historic monument. Its nickname dates from the 17th century, when it belonged to Jules Gouffier, whose figure is said to have inspired Charles Perrault's Marquis of Carabas, master of Puss in Boots. The 8-hectare park holds a Romanesque chapel, the keep, the moat, a dovecote and a museum of old rural tools. Crazannes was long known for its limestone quarries, whose stone was shipped down the Charente by barge; Cologne Cathedral was built with it. The château also opens to the public and receives about 22,000 visitors a year.
Getting there
The address is 22 rue du Château, 17350 Crazannes. A free car park of 3,000 square meters is on site.
