Destination Weddings in Alençon

Celebrate your wedding in Alençon considered by many to be the gateway from Paris to Normandy. Alençon is a fascinating place for your marriage celebration in France.  Located at the meeting point of the Sarthe and Briante rivers, Alençon will charm you with its lively town center and breathtaking countryside that surrounds it.  This is a town that can trace its roots back to the 4th century.

Alençon is known, above all, for its lace.  Catherine de Medici was responsible for making lace fashionable in Europe and in the 17th century, Alençon lace was the most elegant, the most sought after in all of Europe.  Entirely made by hand using extremely fine linen, Alençon’s lace was a success from its creation in 1650.  Just five years after the lace’s appearance, Colbert created the Royal French Lace Workshops in Alençon.  At the time, Alençon’s lace was so successful that 8,000 people worked in the lace industry at the time; quite an impressive number for the 17th century!  The lace industry in Alençon continued at this pace for two-hundred years!  In 1851, at the World Exposition in London, Alençon lace was called ‘The Queen of All Laces’.  All that remains of this industry today is the  national workshop, L’Atelier National du Point d’Alençon.

There are many things to see in Alençon.  You should make a point of passing by the massive 14th century Château des Ducs with its elegant tower and of visiting the Maison d’Ozé whose orchards and gardens are open to the public.  You can visit the home where Saint Thérèse was born in 1873, the impressive 15th century Eglise de Notre Dame or the library housed in a 17th century Jesuit school.  What an interesting place to explore and what a splendid backdrop for your wedding photos!

The town offers many additional distractions, a fine arts museum and several restaurants.  Golf and horseback riding are available in the area as well.

The countryside surrounding Alençon is composed of gently rolling hills and open meadows.  This is horse country, home to the Haras du Pin, the national stud farm, known as the ‘Versailles of the Horse World’.

Alençon is easily accessible from Paris and the countryside surrounding the town is simply beautiful.  This very romantic setting is perfect for your wedding in Normandy.