Château Lagorce hosts weddings of up to about 150 guests on an exclusive-use basis, with 22 en-suite bedrooms that sleep up to 50 people on site. The 17th-century château stands in Haux, in the Bordeaux wine country, about 40 minutes by car from Bordeaux Airport.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the core of the business: the owners have hosted more than 300 of them at Château Lagorce. Couples and their guests have the whole château to themselves for the length of their stay, and celebrations often run over several days. A typical weekend can open with a wine tasting and a grazing table in the underground caves the evening before, and close with a pool party and barbecue the day after. Ceremonies can be held in a rotunda by the lake, in a candlelit medieval chapel, on the terraces, in the wine caves or in the formal reception rooms. A local officiant or an English-speaking minister can lead the ceremony. After dinner, the Orangery on the second terrace takes a band or a DJ, and a bar can be set up on the middle terrace so the party can go on late without disturbing guests who have gone to bed.
Rooms and capacities
The reception room covers about 150 m² and seats up to 150 guests for a formal dinner. The Louis XIV dining room, panelled in blue and gold, seats 40 and suits a rehearsal dinner or a smaller gathering. Outdoors, the terraces host banquets under the open sky, and the 300 meters of underground caves are used for drinks and regional wine tastings. The grounds include a large lake, a heated swimming pool and spots for picnics. A pre-bridal suite is available for getting ready on the day.
Accommodation
The château has 22 en-suite, air-conditioned bedrooms for up to 50 overnight guests, with views over the terraces or the vineyards. For larger weddings, local gîtes and guest houses nearby can take the remaining guests. Outside weddings, the château also sells wine experiences that combine stays, tastings and dinners.
Catering
Food and wine are central to a celebration here. The château's team can prepare and serve the meal, from a banquet on the terraces to a dinner in the Louis XIV room, and caters for dietary requirements. Couples who prefer can bring their own chef and use the kitchens. The team also sources local wines, wine bottles as favors and the wedding cake, often a croquembouche.
History and setting
The name refers to the "great gorce", a type of vegetation recorded on the site in the early 16th century. The Faugeres family held the lordship from at least 1516. Menard de Montandon and Marguerite de Cursol settled here in 1636 and rebuilt the house: the date 1643 and their joint coat of arms are still visible, and the standing buildings date from that period. The oldest tower has walls 1.2 meters thick. In the 19th century the Faux family expanded the vineyards. The Holmes family has run the estate since 2002, and Anna, who lives on the grounds, has planned the weddings here since 2007.
Getting there
Bordeaux Airport is about 40 minutes away by car. The château lies in Haux, southeast of Bordeaux, among the vineyards above the Garonne.
