How much does a wedding venue cost in the Var?

It is often the first question couples ask, and the hardest to answer: how much does a wedding venue cost in the Var? The answer depends less on how prestigious the venue is than on what the price includes. Here is how to read the rates, based on the prices published by the venues in our selection.

Three ways venues charge

Venue hire only

The venue rents you its spaces for a day or a weekend. Depending on the venue, you get an empty room or one equipped with tables and chairs. The caterer, drinks, decoration and sometimes furniture come on top. It is the most flexible option, but the advertised price is only part of the reception budget.

The wedding package

The venue offers a package combining hire, the meal, drinks and often service, charged per guest. It is easier to compare and budget for, but less customisable.

Exclusive use with a stay

The venue is yours exclusively for several days, with accommodation for some of your guests. The price is higher, but it includes nights that would have been paid for at a hotel anyway.

Prices in our selection

Here are the starting prices published by the venues, from the most affordable to the highest. They are a guide only and should be confirmed with each venue.

• Château Sainte Roseline: room hire from €1,000 to €1,800, wedding package from €7,000
• Bastide Saint Julien: hire estimated from €3,000
• Domaine Souviou: hire estimated from €3,000
• Château de Font du Broc: from €3,960 to hire an empty room
• Château Mentone: venue hire only from €4,000, packages from €365 to €465 per person
• Château Maravenne: hire of the spaces from €4,300
• Château de Nans: exclusive use from €4,760 to €6,800 depending on the day
• Château de Robernier: from €10,500
• Domaine de la Rotonde: hire estimated from €12,500
• Château Pimõ: from €15,000 for three days' exclusive use
• Château de Berne: packages from €19,500, full exclusive use from €95,500
• Domaine Rocabella: from €37,440, including a two-night stay for 32 people

Three venues share their rates on request only: Château Saint Ange, La Bastide de Montferrat and Les Pins Penchés, which lists menus from €70 per person.

A word of caution: comparing these prices only makes sense for like-for-like services. An empty room hired for €4,000 can end up costing more than an all-inclusive package.

Extra costs to plan for

Beyond the advertised price, several costs often come up:

• the caterer, charged per guest, often the biggest single expense of the reception;
• drinks, and the corkage fee if you bring your own wines or champagne;
• furniture and tableware, when the room is hired empty;
• cleaning and electricity, sometimes charged separately;
• the security deposit, returned after the event;
• extra nights if the venue requires a two-night minimum;
• a marquee for the plan B, if the indoor fallback space is not big enough;
• staff overtime beyond the agreed schedule.

What makes the price vary

The season and the day

A Saturday in June or September almost always costs more than a Friday in April or a Sunday in October. Many venues have a price grid by season and day of the week: Château de Nans, for example, has different rates depending on the day.

The number of guests

With a per-person package, the price follows the number of guests directly. With venue hire, it depends mainly on the spaces booked: a large room for 300 people costs more than a salon for 80.

The length of hire

Hiring for a single day is cheaper than a full weekend, but a weekend lets you spread out the set-up, welcome guests the day before and hold a brunch the day after.

Our tips for paying less

• Aim for less popular dates: Fridays, Sundays, April, October.
• Compare like for like by asking each venue for a detailed quote for your number of guests.
• Combine venue and accommodation: exclusive use with beds can work out cheaper than venue hire plus hotels.
• Negotiate what matters to you, such as the brunch the next day or the corkage fee, rather than an overall discount.
• Check the cancellation terms and the deposit payment schedule before signing.

On our directory, you can enter a minimum and maximum budget to filter venues by their starting price. To compare large capacities, see also our selection of venues for 200 guests or more.