Planning a wedding in the Var: the complete guide

Within a single département, the Var brings together almost every setting you could dream of for a wedding in Provence: winery châteaux surrounded by vines, bastides set among olive trees, hilltop villages, forests and more than 400 kilometres of coastline. That variety is a gift, but it also makes choosing harder. This guide takes you through the steps in order, with the questions to ask yourselves at each one.

Why get married in the Var

Three reasons come up again and again. First, the light: the Var is one of the sunniest départements in France, so the ceremony, drinks reception and dinner can all be held outdoors for much of the year. Second, the heritage: bastides, mas farmhouses, châteaux and wine estates are settings that already set the scene and need very little decoration. Finally, access: with railway stations at Toulon and Les Arcs-Draguignan, and airports at Toulon-Hyères, Marseille and Nice, your guests can travel in from all over France and from abroad.

Choose your area before you choose your venue

The Var is large: it takes more than an hour and a half to drive across it. Before comparing estates one by one, decide on the atmosphere you are after and the area that will work best for your guests.

The Dracénie, for winery châteaux

Around Draguignan, Lorgues and Les Arcs-sur-Argens, the Dracénie is home to many of the wine estates that host weddings. This is the area to favour if you dream of vineyards, vaulted wine cellars and wines served where they are made.

The Haut-Var, for a wedding in nature

Further north, the Haut-Var offers hilltop villages, oak forests and more secluded venues. Summer evenings there are often cooler, and estates are happy to put guests up for the whole weekend.

Provence Verte, between vines and rivers

Around Brignoles and the Argens valley, Provence Verte combines wooded hills, vineyards and bastides. You will find grand châteaux and family houses alike.

The coast and Toulon, for sea views

From the Toulon harbour to La Londe-les-Maures, venues on the Var coast and in the Toulon area make the most of the Mediterranean: terraces facing the sea, exotic gardens, Belle Époque villas.

West Var and the Sainte-Baume

In Bandol wine country, the West Var has the spirit of mas farmhouses and olive groves. At the foot of the Sainte-Baume massif, venues offer cool air and large wooded grounds, less than an hour from Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.

Set your guest numbers and budget

The number of guests is the first filter, even before the style of venue. Draw up a realistic list, then look for venues whose capacity covers your range, with some margin. A word of caution: a capacity advertised as "up to 250 guests" often refers to the outdoor space. Always check how many people the indoor fallback space can seat, in case of rain or wind.

When it comes to budget, there are three types of offer:

• venue hire only, sometimes of an empty room, to which you add the caterer, furniture and decoration;
• the wedding package, which combines venue, meal, drinks and sometimes furniture, charged per guest;
• exclusive use with a stay, which includes accommodation for your loved ones over several nights.

In our selection, published starting prices range from around €1,000 for hiring a room to over €37,000 for exclusive use with a stay. Our article on wedding venue prices in the Var explains what lies behind these figures.

What to compare between venues

Once you have shortlisted a few venues, compare them on concrete criteria rather than on the photos:

• capacity indoors and outdoors, and the set-up in bad weather;
• accommodation on site: number of beds, price, minimum number of nights;
• the caterer: compulsory, from an approved list or your own choice, and the corkage fee if you bring your own wines;
• timings: when amplified music must stop, sound limiter, time guests must leave;
• length of hire: the day only or the weekend, and the brunch the following day;
• access: parking, distance from stations and airports, whether a coach can use the access road;
• accessibility for elderly guests or guests with reduced mobility.

On our directory, you can filter venues by area, number of guests, budget and number of people to accommodate.

Guest accommodation, an underrated criterion

In the Var, many venues are tucked away among vineyards or forest, far from hotels. An estate that puts up some of your guests spares them night-time drives on winding roads and lets the celebrations carry on with a brunch the next day. We have gathered venues with on-site accommodation in a dedicated article.

If the venue does not accommodate anyone, prepare a list of nearby places to stay to share with your guests, and arrange shuttles at the end of the evening.

Town hall, symbolic ceremony and religious ceremony

In France, the civil marriage, the only legally binding one, is performed at the town hall (mairie) of the commune where one of the couple, or one of their parents, has their home or residence. The ceremony held at the reception venue therefore has no legal standing: it is a symbolic (non-religious) ceremony, and you are free to shape it as you wish. If you would like a religious wedding, it must take place after the civil marriage.

Many Var estates have a space designed for symbolic ceremonies: an open-air theatre, an olive grove, a cloister or a stage by the water. Our guide to the symbolic ceremony in Provence explains how to organise one.

Good to know: the town hall publishes the banns at least ten days before the wedding. Contact it several months ahead to find out which documents are required and which slots are available, especially for Saturdays in summer.

Book at the right time

For a Saturday between May and September, the most sought-after venues are often booked a year to eighteen months in advance. If your dates are flexible, a Friday, a Sunday or a wedding in April or October opens up far more options, often at a gentler price. Our planning timeline sets out the steps month by month, and our article on the best season will help you choose when.

The vendors to book next

The venue often shapes everything else. Ask for its list of recommended vendors: some estates require a particular caterer, others leave you free to choose. Then book the caterer, the photographer and videographer, the music, and then the florist. Our vendors page sums up what to ask each of them, and our photographers page helps you choose the one who will tell the story of your day.

Questions to ask when you visit

Always visit the venue before signing, ideally at the time planned for your ceremony, to see the light. During the visit, ask at least these questions:

• What exactly does the price include, and what extra costs are added (cleaning, deposit, electricity, furniture)?
• What is the plan B in case of rain or mistral wind, and for how many people?
• Is the caterer compulsory? Can we bring our own wines, and what is the corkage fee?
• Until what time is music allowed, and at what volume?
• How many people can stay on site, and for how many nights?
• Who will represent the venue on the day?
• What are the cancellation terms and the deposit payment schedule?