TRAVEL Escapes

This idyllic location serves as the ultimate venue for intimate weddings in the countryside, a quaint barn that lies at the centre of the Perche Regional National Park. Surrounded by a moat, pond and century-old trees, this venue offers tailor-made ceremonies. Previously a fortified farm dating back to the 15th century, its old-fashioned architecture and personalised design, with two pepper towers guarding its gates, will give you the feeling of returning to simpler times. Restorations done in the 20th century lent the main hall its current form, topped with a roof shaped like an upturned ship’s hull. The 180sq/m ballroom, named ‘La Grange sur l’Eau’ or The Barn on the Water, offers a capacity of 180 seated guests and has a glass roof, letting the light pour in.

Dracula’s castle might be the most unusual wedding venue globally. Infamous for its eerie tales of Count Dracula in the 1897 gothic horror novel by Bram Stocker, it holds great historical symbolism. It is part of Transylvanian history, Romanian culture and Victorian gothic literature and is perfect for those looking for a touch of mystery and thrill along with elegance for their special day. Built on a towering rock, the castle commands a feeling of awe, with labyrinthine structures and thick stone walls elevating its mightiness. In terms of wedding décor, picture exquisite flower arrangements, old-fashioned candles, elegant glassware and silverware, embroidered napkins and the trill of sopranos in the background.