Château de Fleury-la-Forêt hosts weddings and family celebrations with up to 150 guests seated for dinner, a dance floor kept free in the same room, and two gîtes on site for 15 people each. The château stands at Fleury-la-Forêt, in the Pays de Lyons in the Eure, between Paris and Rouen.
Weddings and receptions
The reception room is let mainly for weddings, and it also suits communions, christenings, birthdays and other family events. It is hired as a weekend, from Friday at 2 p.m. to Sunday at noon, which leaves time to set up, celebrate and gather again the next morning. A Sunday brunch can be added, and the owners can arrange services to measure. Hélène, the owner, receives couples for a visit on site before they book and helps them through the preparation.
Drinks are served outdoors in the French formal garden, framed by lime-tree avenues about two centuries old. When the weather does not allow it, a separate cocktail room next to the reception room takes the drinks instead, so there is always a covered option. Guests can also tour the château during the reception.
Rooms and capacities
The reception room has stone walls and exposed beams. It seats up to 150 guests for dinner while leaving a large dance floor clear. The adjoining cocktail room serves as the indoor alternative for the drinks reception. Outside, the French garden and its lime-tree avenues give the setting for drinks and photographs.
Accommodation
Two gîtes on the estate sleep 15 people each: the Gîte du Château and the gîte in the former gatekeeper's house. That gives room for about 30 guests on site, which suits the wedding party and close family. The château also runs guest rooms, presented on the official site.
Catering
The official site does not name an in-house caterer for receptions. Couples work with their own caterer and should confirm the practical conditions with the owners. The Sunday brunch is offered as an optional extra.
History and setting
Construction began in 1595, when Pierre de Courcol started building on land acquired from François-Georges de Bricqueville. Through marriage the estate passed to the Caumont family in the 17th century. A fire in 1643 destroyed most of the furnishings, and Charles de Caumont restored the house and added a chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame. Around 1700, Chevalier Jacques Dauger led a major renovation that added two wings to the original building, using the same materials to keep its unity, and the works ended in 1789 with the wrought-iron gate of honor. The château later passed to the Combault d'Auteuil family, then to other owners, and was occupied by the German army during the Second World War. The Caffin family bought it in 1978 and restored it, and it was listed as a historic monument in 1993.
The approach runs through the wrought-iron gate and along an avenue of old lime trees to a house of flint and red brick.
Getting there
Fleury-la-Forêt lies in the Pays de Lyons, in Normandy, between Paris and Rouen. The Abbaye de Mortemer, a partner of the château, is close by.
