Before i talk about our wedding experience at Rigaud, i must first explain that in choosing this place for our wedding venue we have enjoyed 2 seperate and unbelievable experiences at his magical place. The first time as potential bookers and the second as the happy couple.

It is genuinely hard to describe both our and our families reaction on arrival at Rigaud. I guess firstly your entrance into the Bergerac Airport Arrival Lounge sets the tone for the type of place you have chosen to visit and can only be described as circa 1947 and i say this wth absolute fondness.
We were picked up by the very dashing though man of few words Matthieu (not confident about the spelling) in his equally 'Cliff Richard in Summer Holiday' canoe bus - tremendous.

The journey from the airport to Rigaud is about 30-40 mins but we hardly noticed with the traditional sense of holiday excitement and moreover the beautiful scenery.

On arrival at Rigaud we were met by the serene yet awesome Fiona. I really cannot pay anyone any higher regard than Fiona who's organisation and frankly saint-like patience deserves a nobel peace prize. At which point the corks were popped and the alcohol flowed for the next 4 days.

The chateau and grounds are spectacular but at the same time warm, friendly and homely. It is hard to describe the atmosphere this building creates and i know that all our guests, both friends and family who stayed and visited us have contributed to making our time here unique but the building with its huge and dramatic rooms, dark colours and lavendar scent is simply out of this world.

Our first evening was spent in the garden with all 21 chateau guests sat around a fabulous table with only candle and moonlight to help us see. It is genuinely hard to imagine a better scene or atmosphere surrounded by your nearest and dearest.

The morning of day 2 was predictably fuzzy all of which self inflicted and we began to herd the rabble into the busses and down to the river for our canoeing. Now i must stress that the river trip is no walk in the park though this may be down to the level of fitness within our camp. If your gym mates with Steve Redgrave then you'll be fine, however if like me you get out of breath running a bath then you'll need to carb up with good dose of paracetemol.

The following day was 'the big day'... I had the serious jitters but 15 minutes with Father Stephen our priest sorted me out. A big thank you to Hayley for the wonderful job you did with the flowers they were stunning and really added to the look for the day. My memory of the day overall is still overwhleming but i'm told that everyone had a wonderful time. I must at this point reference a couple of things for those thinking of selecting Rigaud - 1) starting the ceremony at 4pm ish is a really good idea. It gives everyone a chance to get in the pool first and relax ever so slightly before the tension builds. 2) The food - Laurent did an awesome job with both the canopies and main meal itself. Despite catering for a large number of people the quality was perfect. 3) and finally, get the fireworks - they are definately worth that extra bit of cash.

The day after the night before was the 'hog roast' where i must again pay tribute to another key player of the week - The chef Steve (who is possibly the coolest man i have ever met) treated us to a fabulous meal on the first night but the pork on day 4 was off the map... Thanks Steve!!!
The final day was topped off by the mother of the grooms single biggest contribution to the wedding - organising a family game of rounders and naturally the game finished a draw with a number of 'you've been framed' moments along the way...

So, to sum up the bride and groom had the best time that way exceeded their expctations. You simply cannot describe Rigaud accurately enough and the only way to really understand is by going, so go!!!! The groom's 40th will be in 8 years and with a bit of luck well be returning.

Thank you to all the staff at Rigaud including Hayley the florist and Hayley the babysitter, Steve, Debra, Teresa, and of course our wonderful wedding planner Fiona. Thank you to Anna and Abe for allowing us to use their beautiful and magical home (anna, please keep the brides wedding shoes). And of course thank you to all our friends and family who made our wedding such a memorable experience - see you all again in 8 years if not sooner...

Love Mr and Mrs Green