At Manoir Blackswan, a wedding lasts three days. It begins on Friday, when your family sets down their bags, and it ends on Sunday, after brunch.
What follows is an example, and nothing more. Nothing is set in stone: the estate is yours from Friday to Sunday, and you build the weekend as you wish. Here is what yours could look like.
Friday: your family settles in
You arrive in the afternoon with those who will be sleeping on site. The Manoir has 7 bedrooms and sleeps 14 people. Everyone chooses a room, carries up their bags and tours the estate: the grand salon, the gardens, the tent, the heated pool.
The evening is yours. You can plan a welcome supper, served on the Manoir's period tableware. You can also keep it simple: a meal cooked together in the chef's kitchen, a film in the private cinema, a drink by the pool.
This first evening has an advantage few weddings offer. By Saturday morning, your two families already know each other.
Saturday morning: getting ready without rushing
No one is on the road that morning. You wake up on site. Coffee is served in the period china, and you get ready in the bedrooms, in daylight. Your photographer can arrive early and follow you from room to room.
Most often, your vendors set up the reception that same morning. The florist finishes the tables and the caterer settles into the kitchen. The estate's team is on site to welcome them.
Saturday afternoon: the ceremony, in the garden or the grand salon
Your guests arrive. They have 75 parking spaces at Saint-Joachim church, close to the estate. Plan for a shuttle or a valet for the trip.
The ceremony takes place wherever you wish: in the garden, under an arch, when the weather allows, or in the grand salon, in front of the hand-carved fireplace, if you prefer to be indoors or if it rains. The time is decided with you, since no other event occupies the estate.
Cocktails follow, in the garden or by the pool.
Saturday evening: the reception under the tent
The reception is held under the Sperry tent, which stands on a stone terrace, seats up to 100 guests and glows at nightfall. You choose the form of the evening: round tables, long tables or a cocktail reception. Your caterer works a few steps away, in the chef's kitchen.
At the end of the night, your guests return to Châteauguay or Montreal, 30 minutes away. The 14 people staying at the Manoir only have to climb the stairs.
The same weekend, two ways
Two couples can live this weekend very differently. Here are two examples, and there are many more. Each of these options is planned with us, ahead of time.
| Criterion | A quiet weekend | A festive weekend |
|---|---|---|
| Friday evening | Supper for 14, on the period tableware | Welcome cocktails for all the guests |
| Saturday morning | A late breakfast and getting ready with family | A photo session in the garden, a swim if time allows |
| The ceremony | In the grand salon, by the fireplace | In the garden, under an arch |
| The reception | One long table and a meal in several courses | A cocktail reception and a dance floor |
| Sunday | Brunch for 14, departure in the afternoon | Brunch open to all the guests |
Sunday: brunch, then departure
Sunday morning is the quietest moment of the weekend. You come down when you like. Brunch is served in the kitchen or outside, people retell the night before, look at the photos the guests took, and no one watches the clock. Then everyone packs their bags.
What a weekend asks of you that an evening does not
A three-day wedding takes more preparation than an evening. Better to know before you choose.
There are more meals to plan: Friday supper, the breakfasts, the brunch. You also have to decide who sleeps on site, since the Manoir sleeps 14 people and your other guests will stay elsewhere. If all you want is a reception on Saturday night, a hall will suit you better.
You are not alone, though. The estate's team is with you from the planning stage, and we have select vendors to recommend.
A piece of advice to begin with. Choose first the 14 people who will sleep at the Manoir. They are the ones who will share Friday supper and Sunday brunch, and that list gives the whole weekend its shape.
Emmanuel HébertManoir Blackswan