As someone who delights in the details and logistics of travel, I loved every minute of the roughly 16 months we spent planning our wedding in France. Well, every minute up until we got to Amsterdam for a pre-Paris bachelor/ette party, and I had decision fatigue. After a mini menty b and Bill taking my phone and becoming the point person for all wedding-related decisions a week out, I was back, baby.
One of my favorite parts of planning was creating a wedding website. I poured my heart, soul & sanity into a website chock full of information for our guests. From a historical background on the region to multiple transportation options (including suggested side trips!), this website was encyclopedic. Did anyone actually spend the time to read it? Hard to say. Maybe one or two people. Regardless, I enjoyed creating it and it probably sparked my desire to revive this blog after the wedding.
One of the best parts of the site was a section dedicated to how to spend time in Bordeaux before or after the wedding. Since most of our family & friends had never been to the region, I wanted to provide a host of things to do, see and eat in Bordeaux so they’d love it as much as we do.
Below are my picks for a weekend in Bordeaux, taken straight from our wedding website:
If you’ve never been to southwest France, we hope you will use our wedding weekend as an excuse to explore the area. From days wandering medieval towns and the best vineyards in the world, to strolling the sophisticated streets of Bordeaux proper, we know you’ll have a great time.
And if you’re not feeling Bordeaux, fear not. You can high tail it back to Paris, road trip south to Biarritz and San Sebastian, or even take a cheap flight to Porto, Marrakesh, Mallorca, Berlin, Athens, Barcelona, Ibiza, Sardinia, Corsica or Rome (all under $100). The world is your oyster!
We hope you have time to see more of Bordeaux than just the airport or the train station! This beautiful city has amazing Gothic architecture and a ton of great food.
A highly picturesque medieval village teeming with wine shops and Michelin-starred restaurants, surrounded by vineyards and chateaux. Only 15 minutes from Chateau Rigaud, this is a great spot to explore Saturday before the wedding.
If you’re spending a night or two in Bordeaux, this is a great boutique guesthouse that’s within walking distance of the Chartrons neighborhood with a lot of our favorite bars and restaurants. Located on a quiet residential street bordering the Jardin Public, La Course offers free bikes for exploring the city and an over the top breakfast that you can’t miss. If it’s available, try to book the room on the top floor, which includes a private terrace and your very own pool!
This Argentinian steakhouse (with a sister location in Buenos Aires) is where we had dinner the night we got engaged.
In the same popular Chartrons courtyard as El Nacional and Man Mo, this seafood-centric restaurant is our new favorite, after a staff member at La Course made the recommendation during our stay in February 2023. Grab a seat on the line and watch the chefs prepare whole fish and other amazing raw bar items. The incredibly friendly owner summered in Rhode Island when he was younger so we had lots to talk about.
The vineyard where we got engaged way back in 2018. If you plan on sticking around the Bordeaux area, take a day trip up to the Medoc region (aka the Left Bank) and visit Ormes de Pez and their sister vineyard and hotel, Chateau Lynch-Bages and Chateau Cordeillan-Bages.
Missing the dunes of the Cape? You’ll feel right at home at La Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe. The beaches of SW France are beautiful this time of year.
A beautifully restored chateau and vineyard with tours and picnic lunches. We visited here for a tour and wine tasting in the courtyard.
La Salamandre
If you want to have the most insane shellfish tower (whelks, periwinkles, 5 different kinds of shrimp), visit La Salamandre on the river in Pauillac. We came here before getting engaged at Chateau Ormes de Pez.
When you need a break from escargots and steak frites, hit up this Italian trattoria for truffle pasta and burrata pizza in downtown Bordeaux from the famous Big Mamma Group of Paris.
