Château de la Bretonnière hosts wedding receptions and private celebrations for up to 200 seated guests, with the whole estate let to one party at a time. The château stands in Vigneux-de-Bretagne, in Loire-Atlantique, about 25 minutes by car from Nantes, and its reception rooms occupy the outbuildings facing the main house.
Weddings and receptions
The estate is rented exclusively for the reception, and couples choose all their own suppliers, from caterer to DJ. Cars can arrive along the central alley, and the cocktail can be served in the front courtyard or at a spot of the couple's choice in the park, where a marquee can also be set up. A secular ceremony can be held on the grounds, and the park is used for photographs. The hire includes free access on the Friday to set up. Options extend the event: guests arriving before 4 p.m. on Saturday, extra hours until 4 a.m., and a return on Sunday for a brunch or a quieter second day with family.
Rooms and capacities
The main reception room seats up to 190 guests in one space, and the head table can take about twenty. A large glass bay faces the château. Arcades separate the dance floor from the dining area, and a raised platform is set aside for the DJ. The room can be decorated freely. The stables, kept in their original state and modeled on those of the Château de Chantilly, seat 60 and serve as a fallback for the cocktail in bad weather. Outside, a second courtyard looks across the rooftops of the château. The site gives an overall capacity of 200 seated guests.
Catering
There is no in-house caterer: the couple brings the caterer of their choice. The caterer works from a kitchen area equipped with ovens, warming cabinets, hot-plate warmers and a cold room. The hire also includes tables, chairs, standing cocktail tables, garden furniture, heating, the setting of tables in the main room according to the seating plan, and cleaning after the event. This leaves the menu, the wines and the service style entirely to the couple and their caterer.
History and setting
In the 15th century, the château served as a hunting lodge for the dukes of Rohan, one of the great families of Brittany. Its park covers about 50 hectares of woodland crossed by wide alleys, and a pond of more than 15,000 m² lies among meadows and old trees. The grounds were laid out by a noted landscape designer, and the alleys, the water and the courtyards give several settings for the cocktail and the photographs within walking distance of the reception rooms.
Getting there
The château sits on Allée des Cèdres, beside the RN 165 expressway that links Nantes to Vannes. Nantes is about 25 minutes away by car and La Baule about 35 minutes. Nantes Atlantique airport is about 20 minutes away by the Cheviré bridge. Guests coming by train arrive at Nantes station and continue by road. The site does not mention accommodation on the estate, so guests should plan rooms in the Nantes area.
