About Us

Lauren

Founder and Director

Lauren has worked in the wedding industry for 11 years both in the UK and France. In the UK Lauren had a wedding cake company, but in 2017 she moved to France with her husband and young son for a change in lifestyle and to enjoy all that France has to offer, however she still very much wanted to work in the wedding industry!

It wasn’t until the summer of 2018 after much planning that French Wedding Venues was born! It has rapidly grown into the largest wedding venue directory in France for the English speaking market. Lauren has always had a love of France and is passionate about helping couples find their dream wedding venue in this beautiful country!

When not talking about weddings in France Lauren loves spending time with her family, travelling and running. 

INFO@FRENCHWEDDINGVENUES.CO.UK

Oliver

Director

Oliver moved to France in 2017, something which he had dreamed of doing for a long while whilst working in the city for many years. After setting up their first business in France, Luxury Loos France in 2015 and working in the wedding industry Oliver and Lauren started French Wedding Venues (FWV) in 2018. Since then FWV has grown to be the largest English speaking wedding venues directory in France. Oliver is primarily focussed on developing new relationships within the industry and promoting FWV to new partners. 

When not working Oliver loves spending time with his family, motor racing and rugby.

OLIVER@FRENCHWEDDINGVENUES.CO.UK

Josie

Wedding Consultant

Josie got married in the Dordogne after she and her now-husband decided they wanted a romantic wedding abroad which could be combined with a wonderful holiday with their friends and family. Finding a venue was a real challenge and this is partly why she was interested to start working with FWV! Josie's role with FWV is to market the platform to venues looking for more exposure and to help them with any queries they may have. 

Josie also currently manages a Chateau in the Dordogne, meaning that she is able to view things from the venue owners/managers perspective, meaning she knows what they are looking for in terms of marketing.

She also has a lot of experience in marketing in the wedding industry, having worked at two premium wedding destinations in the UK over the past six years to promote the venues and all that they can offer.

She loves travel and languages - having studied Spanish at university in the UK and French while studying at la Universidad de Granada in Spain. She has lived in South America (Argentina) and is currently based n the UK with her young family.

JOSIE@FRENCHWEDDINGVENUES.CO.UK

Karen

Wedding Consultant

Having fallen in love with France during summer holidays there as a child, Karen moved to Paris after graduating in French from Lancaster University.

She spent 8 years working as an English teacher both in schools and with adults before moving to the South West to work for a group of international estate agencies.

Karen is passionate about all things weddings and loves helping couples to find their perfect wedding venue in France.

Having worked as a translator and handholder for people making the move to France it has given her a good insight into understanding people's needs and trying to find the best possible outcome for them. This in turn now enables her to understand exactly what people are looking for in a venue and tailor her suggestions accordingly!

Karen also organised her own wedding to her French husband in the Dordogne so has experienced first-hand the magical moments our clients are looking for.

Karen loves spending time with her two young sons and making every effort to bring them up to be bilingual.

Karen also loves walking, cooking (and eating!), football and VW Beetles!

KAREN@FRENCHWEDDINGVENUES.CO.UK

Sabrina

Wedding Consultant

People often tell me that the sense of service for the well-being of everyone is innate in us. However, it was especially after spending 7 years serving major fashion brands in the world of luxury in Paris that I really learned what a high quality service means. Once I understood how I could do much more for our clients I created my own business. I have been a wedding planner for almost 10 years. I offer my service to clients who, like you, are looking for an exceptional location and a memorable special day. By combining my experiences of customer service and wedding planning, it was quite natural that I became a wedding consultant for French Wedding Venues.

I am French, born in France but my whole family is Spanish. I love languages, discovering new cultures and going on great trips. As a good french woman, my favorite drink is wine and I have a passion for cheese & french bakery. When possible I take care of small animals in distress in shelters and I volunteer my time to sporting associations. I am the happy mother of two children and two cats living in a beautiful house in the suburbs of Paris.

I believe that love is stronger than anything else but the planning process can be a hard task. The enormous advantage that French Wedding Venues can offer you, will help you a lot in your search. That's why I'm proud to be a part of the team and to be able to assist you. 

SABRINA@FRENCHWEDDINGVENUES.CO.UK

Katie

Sales Executive

Katie moved to South West France from the UK in 2019 after her former career working as a purchasing manager for a large UK luxury automotive group.

After selling up in the UK,12 months were then spent exploring all that France had to offer in a Motorhome. Top to bottom and side to side. After seeing so much of France she fell in love with the people, the food, the culture and a little slice of heaven in the lot and Garonne department. Roots established she renovated an old tobacco barn and now runs a successful gite and property management business with her husband Dan in addition to a couple of other wedding focussed businesses. 

Since changing careers Katie has gained much experience in the hospitality and customer service sector. Three years spent working as the resort manager for a premium chalet company in the French Alps over the winter months and then working alongside multiple venues and wedding suppliers to deliver flawless events in the summer months has honed her skill set. 

Communication, attention to detail and delivering on-time professional results are part of her DNA. Her debut into the world of weddings came at an early age working for her mum's floristry and event business and alongside her hotelier/ chef father. After a pause to go to university followed by a 20-year career in project management and procurement, she came home to weddings and after being involved in literally hundreds of weddings over the years she brings with her a wealth of experience.

All things wedding related bring her joy, and helping couples find their perfect venue is a pleasure.

In her spare time, she can mostly be found in the garden tending to the allotment and beehives or if it's the winter season sliding around on her snowboard.

KATIE@FRENCHWEDDINGVENUES.COM

Renche

Sales Executive

Having graduated from hotel and business management school in South Africa several summers ago, my professional journey led me from the hospitality industry to the dynamic realm of aviation in Geneva, Switzerland, commencing in 2003. Over the years, I have been fortunate to experience a diverse career path not only as Flight Attendant but also as a Manager with major airlines, navigating through civil aviation, low-cost carriers, and private aviation.

In 2017, I tied the knot in Burgundy. It was during this time that I fell head over heels for the enchanting beauty of this region and all it has to offer. As I delved into the world of weddings, I encountered numerous challenges in securing the perfect venue and finding suitable vendors. 

My lifelong aspiration has been to establish my own business one day, leveraging the wealth of experience I've gained in the hospitality and aviation industry. This dream materialized in 2019 when my journey led me to acquire a castle. Inspired by my passion for hospitality, we transformed it into a venue specializing in international weddings and events. The journey over the last four years has granted me a comprehensive understanding of the various facets of this thrilling and passionate world of weddings, as well as the challenges to confront when living abroad.

When I have a moment for myself, I love to play the piano, go horseback riding with friends, deepen my knowledge of therapeutic massages, help out in animal shelters, watch rugby and netball and read everything I can about weddings.

Driven by my passion for people and the art of crafting unforgettable moments, I am delighted to be a part of the exquisite world of French Wedding Venues.

RENCHE@FRENCHWEDDINGVEUNES.COM

Harriet

Social Media Manager

Harriet lives and works in London and is our resident social media guru!

Harriet graduated from Loughborough University with a 2:1 in Business and Marketing and has worked for the past three years in the social media industry specialising in the entertainment sector.

When she is not at work she loves travelling, good food and an accompanying G&T (or two). 

Rafferty

Office Dog

Rafferty is our minature wired haired daschund and has been part of the team since the very beginning! Having attended numerous weddings himself he is somewhat of an expert when it comes to sniffing out the perfect venue for our clients. When he is not busy venue hunting he likes nothing more than to sunbathe in the summer or lie in front of the fire during the colder months.