“I dream of getting married in Italy: Lake Como, Tuscany…. These landscapes transport me … but I want to stay in France!”

I get more and more requests like this. Instagram, Pinterest… are the sources of inspiration and make you dream. They provide beautiful images of bespoke weddings with gorgeous, breathtaking landscapes. In Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, we can have this type of landscape. Thanks to the mountains: Massif Central, Alps, it is possible to take altitude and dominate a beautiful valley, a lake… you see what I mean?

Here are my three favourite lakes that offer both a mountain landscape and a beautiful stretch of water for your wedding in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes. 

First of all, let’s stop in Auvergne, at the edge of Lake Chambon: in the heart of the Puy mountain range, classified as a Unesco World Heritage site… It is a volcanic lake (like many in the region) which gives it its particular colour. With the Sancy massif as a backdrop, your ceremony on the beach takes on an air of nature.

Let’s continue with the Lac du Bourget. Located in Savoie, near Chambery, it is bordered by the Mont du Chat and the Massif des Bauges. On its shores, the best known town is Aix-les-Bains, a spa town with Belle Époque architecture. Imagine welcoming your guests and then continuing the party with a magnificent view of this lake and its particular turquoise colour, dominated by the Dent du chat or the Mont Revard.

Let’s finish our journey with Lake Annecy. Located in Haute Savoie, this lake is surrounded by many small towns. It is very easy to cross it by boat and thus go from your ceremony to your reception place on an original boat. Castles, starred restaurants, palaces, abbeys… Many possibilities are available to you and welcome you for your wedding with a view between Lakes and Mountains.

If you ask me my preference, I will give it to you. What is certain is that the magnificent landscapes of Lakes and Mountains are not reserved for Italy, but also for your wedding in Lyon and its surroundings.