By Amie Henderson
Morzine, Les Gets & Avoriaz have inspired many a new coupling over the years. From holidaymakers who first clap eyes on each other over a crowded Cavern Bar to season workers bonding over the weekly chalet shop, romance is always in the air.
It’s therefore no surprise that the area continues to grow in popularity as a venue for a stunning mountain wedding, both in the summer and during the winter season. From the stunning shores of Lake Montriond as the snowflakes fall to the glorious summer garden of The Farmhouse Hotel, there’s a wedding venue for celebrations of all shapes and sizes. Allow us to introduce three couples who’ve made it happen…
Lisa & Simon
When: 6th April 2015
Where: Ceremony on Lake Montriond, reception at La Grande Ourse
Lisa brought Simon to Morzine for one of their first weekends away together as a new couple. He’d never been before and it was here that he realised he’d met the perfect girl. When they decided they wanted to do something extraordinary to celebrate their marriage, Morzine and Les Gets became their only choice.
“We attempted to arrange the marriage ourselves, but struggled as we weren’t on location. Luckily we found Kay Evans through her website (alwaysnumberone.co.uk) and she introduced us to Lake Montriond and La Grande Ourse on Mont Chery and helped us to coordinate several elements along the way. We couldn’t stop smiling!”
“We have two stand-out memories from our wedding day. Seeing the reactions of our guests when they arrived at the lake for our ceremony. They were blown away! And when we took them via piste basher to the summit of Mont Chery, they just couldn’t believe the view. We then shared a moment between us, standing at the top of an empty mountain watching the sun turn the sky pink and slowly set on our beautiful day.”
We asked Lisa and Simon for one tip for future couples:
“Be prepared to make at least two or three visits to the area prior to your wedding, and prepare for all eventualities, especially if you’re getting married outdoors! We were lucky with the weather, but Kay had contingency plans in place, just in case!”
Vicki & Andy
When: 2nd August 2016
Where: Domaine du Baron, Lake Montriond
Vicki’s auntie owns Chillout Mountain, a chalet company in Morzine. The couple had visited the area several times, always commenting on how gorgeous it would be to get married with the beautiful lake as a backdrop. They’re both very into their mountain sports and wanted to plan something a little different to the generic weddings in the UK.
“Around 60 people travelled from the UK for our wedding, they were all amazed by how stunning the venue was. Some came for a few days; others made it into a week’s holiday. Many of our guests plan to visit the area again they loved it so much! We also had great weather, which made the week even more perfect!”
“When it came to logistics, we used locally based companies, all of which had English-speaking owners which helped with communication. Everyone we came into contact with was really helpful and made everything very easy. From our photographer Jacquie Cutler to Claude, the manager of our venue on the lake, everyone was so helpful.”
We asked Vicki & Andy for one tip for future couples:
“We started our wedding at 2pm, it passed so quickly that we wish we’d started earlier! Also, it’s worth booking a local cleaning company to tidy up the venue – cleaning is the last thing you want to do after your wedding day! We used Trust & Dust, they made sure everything was spotless.”
Kirsty & Dom
When: 25th July 2014
Where: The Farmhouse Hotel, Morzine
Having spent 10 years enjoying all Morzine has to offer during the summer and winter seasons, Dom introduced Kirsty to the area during their first holiday together. They loved the idea of arranging a destination wedding so they could introduce their nearest and dearest to the mountains and after a road trip across the country exploring alternative venues, they met Dorian and James at The Farmhouse. There the search ended.
“It took many calls, emails and Skype conversations to plan our wedding, but the team at The Farmhouse were massively helpful with our planning and gave us loads of great local contacts and options so we could really personalise our day. Our truly wonderful celebrant Kay made the whole experience seem easy. We can’t recommend her enough.”
“It’s really difficult for us to single out one favourite memory from our big day as the whole weekend was just fabulous. I think we both agree that Kirsty walking down the aisle with her Dad to The Proclaimers ‘500 Miles’ was a particular highlight! An appearance by The Farmhouse’s hen during our vows and dancing to Oasis at 1am completed a truly memorable experience.”
We asked Kirsty & Dom for one tip for future couples:
“Do it, do it, do it! It’s all about making it the type of experience that you will enjoy – the before, the during and the after. And make sure you connect with those that are hosting your wedding. You’re placing a phenomenal amount of trust in them to make it a wonderful experience.”
Hopefully we’ve inspired you to plan your own alpine wedding and to help you with your planning, we’ve created a useful resource to help you find local suppliers for every element of your big day. Head to weddingsinmorzine.com.
