When Wedding Season Ends, Life Goes On at Domaine de Valbonne

In mid-October, we hosted the final wedding of our 2026 season. After months filled with celebrations, wonderful encounters, laughter, emotions and unforgettable moments, peace and quiet have returned to Domaine de Valbonne.

Well… relatively speaking!

While some might imagine that we're now enjoying six months of holiday, we're actually on our fortieth load of laundry, washing bed throws and decorative textiles from our guest rooms!

Because behind the beautiful wedding photographs, the tables set beneath the stars and the blooming gardens lies a side of Domaine de Valbonne that few people get to see: the year-round care of a historic 35-hectare estate, with 23 bedrooms, reception spaces, gardens, facilities and hundreds of little details that all need attention.

Behind the magic of a wedding venue in Provence, there is a tremendous amount of work that continues long after the last guests have gone home.

A Project Close to Our Hearts

When we took over Domaine de Valbonne in 2020, we knew we were embarking on a slightly crazy adventure. What we didn't realise was just how much this place would come to mean to us.

Over the years, and after hosting more than 150 weddings, we've shared countless unforgettable moments, welcomed families from all over the world, witnessed tears of joy, bursts of laughter and even a few memorable surprises along the way!

We approach every wedding with the same wish: for each couple and their loved ones to feel completely at home, as though they were celebrating in a beautiful family home of their own.

Perhaps that's why we set such high standards for ourselves. We prepare the Domaine with the same care and attention we would give if we were welcoming our own children or dearest friends.

And when the wedding season comes to an end, that dedication doesn't fade. It simply takes a different form.

Taking Care of Every Little Detail

After several months of weddings and celebrations, every corner of the Domaine deserves a little extra attention.

The furniture we provide for our couples, the tables, benches, reception equipment, outdoor games, lighting and decorations… Everything is carefully checked, cleaned, repaired, repainted or replaced whenever necessary.

Then there are the bedrooms, the bedding, the decorative textiles and all those little touches that make our guests feel comfortable and welcome.

With 23 bedrooms and accommodation for 56 guests, there's certainly no shortage of laundry! And when we say we have dozens of loads to get through at the end of the season, we're really not exaggerating.

It's hundreds of small tasks, often carried out behind the scenes, that ensure every new couple arrives to find the Domaine just as beautiful, welcoming and well cared for as those who came before them.

Autumn Is Olive Harvest Season

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At Domaine de Valbonne, nature dictates our calendar as much as weddings.

As soon as the season ends, we return to our olive trees for the annual harvest. With hundreds of trees spread across the property, it's a true autumn tradition!

And this is just part of the maintenance of our 35 hectares: lavender, gardens, trees, paths, wooded areas… Each season brings its share of work.

Maintaining a Provençal estate also means learning to respect the rhythm of nature, which never really stops.

An Exciting New Chapter for Our Old Barn

This winter, one of our biggest projects will be the transformation of our Old Barn.

We're planning to redesign and enhance this beautiful space, creating an additional covered reception area while carefully preserving its original charm and character.

Our aim has never been to change the soul of Domaine de Valbonne, but rather to bring out even more of what makes it so special.

Centuries-old stone walls, Provençal charm and the beauty of historic buildings… We want every improvement to feel like a natural continuation of Domaine de Valbonne's story.

We can't wait to show you the result!

Modernising a 16th-Century Estate Without Losing Its Soul

Much of the work we do during the winter will never appear in photographs.

Electrical systems, internet connectivity, automation, technical upgrades and improvements to our facilities… These are all essential projects when looking after a wedding venue of this size.

Bringing a 16th-century estate up to modern standards while respecting its heritage is an ongoing challenge.

And that's exactly what we love about it: preserving the charm and authenticity of the past while providing the comfort, safety and reliability that our couples and their guests expect today.

Because a truly wonderful wedding day also depends on all those little things working seamlessly behind the scenes, without anyone ever having to think about them.

Caring for Our Estate and the Environment

Over the years, we've also been working towards making Domaine de Valbonne more sustainable.

For us, this isn't simply about following a trend. Living and working in such an exceptional natural setting, on the edge of the Valbonne Forest, makes us all the more determined to protect and preserve it.

From water management and access to drinking water to more efficient equipment, reducing our consumption of resources and continuously improving our facilities, we try to make a little more progress every year.

Some of these changes may go unnoticed, but they're an essential part of how we see the future of Domaine de Valbonne.

We have also dedicated an article to our environmental commitments, for those who wish to discover in more detail the initiatives already put in place .

Why Don't We Host Weddings All Year Round?

It's a perfectly reasonable question!

Of course, Provence is beautiful in every season.

But creating the best possible experience for our couples and their guests also means setting aside time for maintenance, renovations and preparing for the seasons ahead.

The winter months give us the opportunity to carry out work that simply wouldn't be possible while weddings are taking place and guests are staying at the Domaine.

It's a conscious choice we make to ensure that every couple enjoys the same warm welcome, beautiful surroundings and level of comfort.

And of course, even during the quieter months, we're still busy helping our future couples plan their celebrations, welcoming visitors, coordinating with wedding suppliers and preparing for the wonderful moments to come.

Much more than just a wedding venue in Provence

Of course, Domaine de Valbonne is also our business. But after all these years, it has become so much more than that.

We know every corner of the estate, its little imperfections, its trees, its centuries-old stone walls and all the projects we still dream of bringing to life.

Once again, we have nearly five months of work ahead of us, filled with maintenance, improvements and exciting new projects.

Some changes will be immediately noticeable. Others will remain behind the scenes. But they all share the same purpose: to make Domaine de Valbonne an even more beautiful, welcoming and special place to celebrate life's most meaningful moments.

Every winter, we pour our time, energy and a great deal of love into this place, always with the same thought in mind: that the next couples to arrive at the Domaine will feel truly at home.

And our greatest reward is really quite simple: seeing our couples leave happy, surrounded by their families and friends, with memories they'll treasure for a lifetime.

It's moments like these that remind us why we love what we do.

So no, winter isn't exactly a holiday for us!

But it's a season we love too, because it gives us the time to care for a place that means so much to us.

We can't wait to welcome you back in spring 2027 and share all the exciting changes with you!

"All this work for these moments of happiness at Domaine de Valbonne."

Estelle & Julien

Domaine de Valbonne — Saint-Paulet-de-Caisson, Provence, France