Chateau DIY Season 10 Episode 25
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00:00Across France are thousands of magnificent chateaux.
00:06Many are in a state of disrepair.
00:10Terry, where's the water in here?
00:14Now they're being given a new lease of life by courageous owners.
00:19I'm giving you a hug.
00:21Who are taking on the challenge...
00:24It was better I would first start it, it just got worse and worse.
00:27...to transform these unloved buildings...
00:31Where do we start?
00:33...into glamorous new homes...
00:35What a transformation, loving it.
00:38...and event venues.
00:40I will announce you, husband and wife.
00:43One, two, three.
00:44...there'll be ups...
00:45It looks nice, doesn't it?
00:48...and downs.
00:49Having some real issues.
00:51It's the same rock that the house is made out of.
00:53But however tough it gets...
00:55It needs to come much forward.
00:57Yeah, I know.
00:59...those who decide to move here...
01:02Cheers to a new life in a new shuttle.
01:05...get to live the dream...
01:08Oh, look at that.
01:09Quite a staircase.
01:10...as custodians of their very own castle.
01:13Today, this pair are pushing the boat out to host their 400th wedding.
01:22We're really excited that there's a double celebration, a double ceremony.
01:26An epic suite restoration hangs in the balance.
01:30Go up, are you?
01:32The cups are on.
01:33Oh, my God.
01:34And one chateau owner...
01:36That, that...
01:37...reaches breaking point.
01:39If I do it too quickly, it will...
01:42There.
01:49Nestled amongst the stunning vineyards of southwest France
01:53is the breathtaking 15th century Chateau Lagos.
01:59With a fairytale turret, it stands within 71 acres
02:03and boasts a luxurious pool and a stunning, picturesque lake.
02:11While inside, there are 22 sumptuous bedrooms.
02:16It was bought in 2003 for £890,000
02:23and is home to Anna and Edward
02:27and their children, Charles and Emma.
02:31The best thing about living in the chateau
02:33is the quality of life.
02:35You can go for a walk around the lake,
02:37you can sit on the terrace, enjoy that glass of wine,
02:39take in the view, have the kids playing in the background.
02:42It's just a dream.
02:43It's really great to walk down to the bottom of the steps
02:47and just look back at the monumental building.
02:54Located just over half an hour from Bordeaux,
02:57the couple have run the place as a thriving wedding venue
03:00for over 20 years.
03:04But last time we saw them...
03:06Oh!
03:07Welcome, guys!
03:08Cheers!
03:08They were hosting their first ever
03:12wine-tasting and antique-shopping weekend.
03:16He's doing them for the price he bought them for you.
03:20Overall, knowing it was our first one,
03:23we think it went really well.
03:29Today, they're back doing what they know best.
03:32We're preparing for a wedding this weekend.
03:35This one is really important for us.
03:37It's our 400th wedding at the chateau.
03:40We still get nervous every wedding, but it's good.
03:43It means we're actually bothered about the couple
03:45rather than just kind of a conveyor belt
03:47of weddings coming through.
03:49With 71 acres of grass
03:52to make picture perfect,
03:54it can take Edward a whole day
03:56to mow all the lawns.
03:58This is the area that everyone photographs.
04:03And if it's not correct,
04:05then it's not a very good publicity.
04:08Florist Anna is also hard at work
04:11in the chateau grounds.
04:13Today, I can only do the bridal bouquet
04:15because the rest of the flowers
04:17is arriving tomorrow.
04:20They're coming all the way from Holland.
04:24We're going to hit 400 weddings.
04:25I think I must have done over 1,000 bouquets.
04:29It's ready.
04:31I can't wait to show it to the bride tomorrow.
04:35With the ceremony lawn looking fit for a bride,
04:40Edward moves on to his next job,
04:43replacing worn parasols on the terrace.
04:48And son Charles is lending a hand.
04:52That's the white.
04:53Keep going.
04:57Are you going to help, Emma?
04:58No.
05:00Most people go to the beach
05:01for a family day help.
05:02No, no.
05:03We put 10 parasols together
05:05for a family day.
05:07It's nice to be outside
05:08because we get to do fun stuff outside.
05:12Get screwing.
05:13Come on.
05:14You know, it's just such a perfect environment
05:16for kids to grow up here.
05:19Almost there, Charles.
05:20You can see it's almost thin.
05:21Is it going hard?
05:23Oh.
05:24There we are.
05:25High five.
05:29It's another job ticked off their very long list.
05:33But with the bride and groom
05:35and 80 guests arriving tomorrow,
05:38Anna and Edward will have their work cut out,
05:41making their 400th wedding the best yet.
05:45Amidst the lush countryside of Normandy
05:54in northern France
05:56lies the beautiful 18th-century Chateau de la Lasselle.
06:03Set in 21 acres
06:05with 25 rooms.
06:08It had been left abandoned and unloved
06:13for four decades
06:14before Francophiles Terry and Ashley
06:18decided to make it their home.
06:22The French are the most amazing, wonderful people
06:25and the place is such an amazing, wonderful place.
06:28You have to experience how wonderful life can be here.
06:32It is.
06:32It's not for everyone,
06:34but it's definitely for us.
06:36Definitely.
06:36Located an hour's drive from Le Mans,
06:44Terry and Ashley snapped up the Chateau
06:46for £250,000 in 2021
06:50and set about building
06:53a high-end holiday lets business.
06:56Good at school.
06:59Keeping them company here
07:00are Terry's mum, Tracy,
07:02and 10-year-old nephew, Jonathan.
07:05Last time we saw them...
07:09Drop it ever so slightly, Pete.
07:11..the whole family were lending a hand
07:14with a transformation of the salon
07:16in their newest guest suite.
07:18And bricklaying and gardening and everything now.
07:21And Terry was creating handmade mouldings for the bedroom.
07:26Absolutely fantastic.
07:28Come out all in one piece,
07:29which is how it's good.
07:30Today, they're starting work on the bedroom
07:37where the mouldings will be used.
07:40So the colour that we've picked out
07:41is going to be a really deep, dark red
07:45with a hint of brown in it.
07:47A ruby red room.
07:49It won't be called that.
07:51But, yeah, we're going to be highlighting
07:54a lot of the gold detailing in this room.
07:57We're going to be creating a lot of mouldings as well.
07:59So it's going to be really, really elaborate
08:01and over the top.
08:03And then we're going to look at pairing it
08:04with a nice embroidered floral tapestry fabric.
08:10So it's going to be really over the top.
08:12Really in your face.
08:13Yeah.
08:14Wow.
08:14Yeah.
08:15And painting walls white is just not going to work.
08:17No.
08:17To put their grand plans into action,
08:23first Ashley prepares the panelling.
08:31Whilst Terry focuses on the finer details.
08:35This is my little treasure trove of finds
08:38that I've found throughout France.
08:39One of the things that we've got in here
08:40is this beautiful wardrobe that I picked up.
08:43These mouldings on the wardrobe
08:45and on the matching bed are absolutely identical
08:48to the ones that we've got on the upright
08:50on the fireplace in the 401 red bedroom.
08:53So they're going to match perfectly in
08:55and it's just going to create that sort of
08:57perfect cohesive sort of style that we're wanting, really.
09:02And cohesion is something the bedroom desperately needs.
09:06For me, this suite is the Frankenstein suite
09:09because the panellings literally come from
09:11all the other places in the chateau.
09:13You can see here where we've joined the panels together,
09:16where we've doweled them all and stabilised them.
09:18We've filled them, but now we need to paint it
09:21because we just can't see with the state of the paint
09:23and the way that it's all coming off in places.
09:26We need to paint it, give it a good coat of solid colour
09:29so that we can see any of the imperfections
09:31and do any further work.
09:32Although Terry is impatient to get the final red colour on...
09:39Do you just want to do this?
09:40..for now, it's just primer
09:43and the couple have opted to use brushes instead of rollers.
09:48It's taken so long.
09:50We want the brush strokes.
09:52We want to see that this has been done by hand
09:54because this is the way that all the old panellin was done
09:57and we can see the old brush strokes from hundreds of years ago in the paint
10:01and we want to bring it back to that.
10:05Next door in the salon,
10:07Terry's mum, Tracey, is taking on the same labour of love.
10:12It's just all coming back to life
10:13and seeing it coming back to life is just fantastic.
10:16It really is.
10:18This is all we're concentrating on,
10:20is spending our time here as a family,
10:23just being together and just love being together as well.
10:26It's not just a building to us.
10:29We have fell in love with it.
10:31You have to love the building to do what we're doing
10:33and I think in itself it's loving us back
10:36and that's why we get on so well and we're all so happy.
10:41The love and dedication this family is pouring into their home is remarkable.
10:48But there is still a long way to go
10:50and their next challenge will be Terry's elaborate bedroom design.
10:56Coming up,
11:00one chateau owner is bamboozled by bamboo.
11:03This back piece is probably the most tricky and frustrating part.
11:10And the bride and groom prepare for an extraordinary celebration.
11:14It is quite an unusual wedding.
11:16I think it might be the first of its kind for this chateau.
11:19In the heart of the Languedoc region in southern France
11:30stands the beautiful 19th century Chateau du Puy-et-Prin.
11:37Surrounded by seven acres
11:39and set within a central courtyard,
11:43inside it boasts 39 attractive rooms.
11:47Look, they are coming out.
11:52Oh, yeah.
11:53It's home to Tim, a photographer,
11:56and Sasha, a former fashion designer,
11:59who bought the place in 2003 for £390,000.
12:05As a team, I think we work very well.
12:10As with many couples, we bicker.
12:14But we have more joy than we do argument,
12:19which is the important thing.
12:21We recognise the talents of each of us.
12:25Located 30 minutes from the Mediterranean coast,
12:32Tim and Sasha run the place as a thriving wedding venue
12:36with daughter Lily and son-in-law Luke.
12:39Natalie, this one's yours.
12:44Last time we saw them,
12:46Tim and Sasha had created a new stump garden
12:50along their horse and carriage bridal pathway.
12:54Perfect, perfect.
12:56Through the stump garden.
12:58I'm so pleased.
13:00Today, Tim wants to create a special seating space
13:04within the stump garden
13:06where bridal couples and even Tim and Sasha themselves
13:10can indulge in a romantic moment away from it all.
13:15I called it a love bench.
13:17Sasha doesn't like to call it a love bench.
13:19Anyway, my bamboo bench will be a place
13:23where we can go and sit and listen to the birds
13:25and have a bit of peace and quiet.
13:27And who knows, maybe a drink.
13:33Inspired by an image Sasha found online,
13:36Tim's plan is to construct the romantic bench
13:40using the abundance of bamboo the couple have
13:43growing in the grounds.
13:45But he started by repurposing sidebars from an old bed.
13:51I've built a metal framework
13:53to support anyone who sits on this bench.
13:57Because if I just rely on bamboo alone,
13:59within a year or two it gets very brittle and dry
14:02and I don't want it collapsing.
14:03The posts I'm putting in now,
14:07there will be five of them,
14:09I will then use thin bamboo to weave between the posts
14:14to create, in this case, the back of the bench.
14:18Tim is a master at bamboo construction,
14:22having previously made an impressive 50-foot-long flower tunnel
14:26and a stunning water feature for the grounds.
14:31But he knows getting the canes to curve is tricky.
14:35What I've found using this material over a number of years
14:38is I have to pick the youngest bamboo
14:41and while it's still green, within a day, bend it.
14:44So it is pre-formed, let's say,
14:47hopefully ready to weave between the posts.
14:50Here we go.
14:53And this is where I find out whether it's been worthwhile
14:56or whether we...
14:58It's back to choosing young, fresh, green stuff.
15:02If I do it too quickly, it will...
15:07There.
15:08You hear that crack?
15:12There.
15:13There.
15:17There.
15:20This is all too familiar.
15:22Ooh-hoo.
15:30Ooh-hoo.
15:32No.
15:38No.
15:39Right.
15:43Plan B is to go and cut fresh bamboo.
15:52Using a scythe to strip the leaves from the fresh canes...
15:58So far, it's looking promising.
16:02Good.
16:02That's good.
16:03Tim is starting to make progress.
16:07This back piece is probably the most tricky
16:12and frustrating part of the whole project,
16:15just because of the nature of bamboo
16:17and it doesn't like being bent.
16:18The structure is finally coming together.
16:23But there's still one element of the project up for discussion.
16:27We're calling it a love bench.
16:29I really think it should be renamed the bird bench
16:33because that's where Tim and I are going to be sitting
16:37and watching and listening to the birds.
16:40So, no, it's a bird bench.
16:42How about love bird bench?
16:43No.
16:44Or bird love bench?
16:45No.
16:47She doesn't like love bench.
16:49And while the official name of Tim's creation is being debated,
16:54there's a lot more work still to do.
16:58With a challenge of a seat cover
17:00and a tricky curved canopy to tackle.
17:04550 miles north in Normandy,
17:13with the suite's red bedroom now undercoated blue,
17:18Terry and mum, Tracy,
17:20are preparing to add an intricate panelled design to the ceiling.
17:26I thought you were just going to draw a line across now.
17:28Yeah.
17:28With Terry's vision all mapped out, the pair get down to business.
17:39This is just a contact adhesive.
17:48Terry uses it all the time.
17:50If it was a lot heavier, then we'd have to put tacks in it,
17:52but because the wood's so light,
17:55just putting a bit of contact adhesive on,
17:57just hold it up there.
18:00Spot on.
18:01Doing the panelling, to be honest,
18:06it's so simple.
18:08Anyone can do it.
18:09And once you've got it on and it's all painted in,
18:11the results are just fantastic.
18:13And probably not that much,
18:16but maybe 100 to 200 euro,
18:18and you can get the whole room done and completely transformed.
18:24The whole restoration is being done on a shoestring budget.
18:30God, look at all that glue on there.
18:33Costing me a fortune.
18:35Sure.
18:39You ready?
18:40Yeah.
18:41Can't be that much glue on it,
18:43because it hasn't squeezed out.
18:48You need that to wipe all the excess off?
18:54You're a cheeky bit.
18:56Have you got one more long one, did you say?
18:58Yes.
18:58Yeah.
18:59Right, I'll go and put some more glue in the tube.
19:02There should be enough in there, shouldn't there?
19:04No, it's on the end.
19:05Have a look.
19:06God, you're so tired.
19:07Working as a team, the mother and son duo make swift progress.
19:16We've got, what, three and a half of the panels up in no time at all.
19:22But, unfortunately, we've run out of wood,
19:24because we've brought it out of the DIY store,
19:26so we'll have to wait until we get some more back in.
19:29The pair have to call it a day for now.
19:31But once the ceiling is finished,
19:34there's still the intricate wall mouldings to install
19:37and a second bedroom to tackle.
19:45Near Bordeaux, at Edward and Anna's,
19:48it's two days before they host their 400th chateau wedding.
19:55We are having rain.
19:57It's just the last bit of stress.
20:00It will be one thing that I can control, which is the weather.
20:09The main flower delivery has just come in from Holland,
20:13so Anna needs to prep all the wedding flowers.
20:17But there are 80 guests to greet, too.
20:23Everything arrives at the same time and just throws you off.
20:28And, to top it all off,
20:30the most important guests of all,
20:32bride and groom, Danielle and Alistair, are now here.
20:37Just come and tell us whenever you really need to go through any of the details.
20:40Yes!
20:41It is quite an unusual wedding.
20:43I think it might be the first of its kind for this chateau as well,
20:46which is quite exciting, I think, for Anna and Ed.
20:50We are having quite a fusion wedding,
20:53so it's going to be a very...
20:54a big mixture of sort of English, French and Indian traditions.
21:00And it'll be very, very colourful, very musical.
21:02Long time.
21:03That's what we see!
21:05Praying for the weather to hold out adds a bit more stress,
21:08but we'll see how we go.
21:10The following day, bursts of heavy rain
21:25are making Edward and Anna nervous
21:27about holding tomorrow's wedding feast outside.
21:32So today, the day before the wedding,
21:34we're setting up the back-up plan,
21:36the function room, just in case,
21:39and we're also getting ready for wine tasting in the caves.
21:44We're really excited that it's our 400th wedding,
21:47especially this one,
21:49because there's double celebration, a double ceremony.
21:51While Anna assures Danielle that all will be well tomorrow,
21:57whatever the weather.
21:59We'll have a quick walk around, and then don't worry,
22:01we're going to get straight on to the wine tasting.
22:04Edward keeps the guests happy and dry
22:07with a wine tasting session.
22:09The caves, or should I say the tunnels here at Lagos,
22:12because they were mined,
22:13are a really exceptional place to be tasting wine.
22:17It's almost cosy, but it's a huge area.
22:21We're talking 350 metres squared,
22:22so it's really special.
22:25OK, we're going to move on to red now,
22:28so anybody that can't keep up, there's a bucket.
22:33No matter what the weather is outside,
22:43people can still have a great time down there.
22:46It's where I'm happy, it's my happy place down there.
22:51Anna and Ed have been making sure
22:53that we're being well looked after,
22:54and obviously the wine tasting at the moment
22:56that Ed is running is going down very well.
22:59I mean, the biggest feature of the chateau
23:01is obviously the steps leading down to the ceremony area,
23:04which is all outdoors,
23:05so I am praying that we can make sure
23:08that that all happens tomorrow,
23:10but it's comforting to know
23:12that Anna has got it all in hand.
23:17The guests have lapped up the wine tasting session.
23:21Cheers!
23:22One, three, say wine!
23:23Yeah.
23:23One, two, three!
23:25How did it go?
23:28Oh, it went well.
23:29We have the last wine outside.
23:32Because everyone was like,
23:33oh, the sun's out, let's get out of the equation.
23:34Oh, I could hear the noise.
23:36Fingers crossed.
23:38The sun stays with us.
23:39That's all we can say.
23:42But with both a traditional European ceremony
23:45and an Indian one due to take place outside tomorrow,
23:50they're desperately hoping the sun shines
23:53on the happy couple.
24:00Still to come, Terry's keeping an eye on the purse strings.
24:04Doing them ourselves.
24:05We're getting them for like a quarter of the cost.
24:08And will it rain on Anna and Edward's parade?
24:12Come on, rain.
24:13In Normandy...
24:22Let's look up these.
24:25Ashley, Terry and Terry's mum, Tracy,
24:28are in the throes of creating their new two-bedroom guest suite.
24:33Today, they have the tricky task
24:38of taking down a huge crystal chandelier
24:41in the suite's second bedroom.
24:44We could have a...
24:45..a catastrophe.
24:48It is a very delicate chandelier,
24:49so we have to be quite careful with it.
24:53A fuse can just put a lot of the pressure underneath.
24:57After testing out the chandelier in the space...
25:00Just lift it a bit.
25:01There you go.
25:01It's loose.
25:04It now needs to be returned safely to storage
25:08so that work on the bedroom can begin.
25:13It's a lot easier than getting it in.
25:15Yeah.
25:15But manoeuvring the several-thousand-pound chandelier
25:20down the chateau's steep spiral staircase is a challenge.
25:25I've talked about the cups.
25:27The cups aren't on, I don't know.
25:29You all right?
25:31I can't think I'm old, is it?
25:32Right.
25:33You all right, ma'am?
25:33Yep.
25:39God, this is stressful.
25:40Mm-hmm.
25:42Just watch that plank behind you, Terry.
25:44You're on the hall.
25:45Be careful.
25:46Watch your hands coming in, Ash, because it's dead tight.
25:48Yeah.
25:50Watch the hole in the floor as well, Ash.
25:54There you go.
25:57It's all back in storage, ready for when the room's done,
26:01which is a relief.
26:03I'll do some more work.
26:05Yep, let's crack on.
26:06Come on, then.
26:06Whilst Ash and Tracy install the last of the panelling...
26:13I'm holding a thought.
26:16Terry's working on his design for the red bedroom.
26:20So, the styling for the room is taken from the RMS Titanic,
26:24and we're using that as sort of like our design inspiration, really.
26:29This room, we're wanting to be one of the most elaborate rooms that we've got,
26:33which is based on the Strauss suite,
26:36which was the most extravagant suite on the Titanic.
26:38After painstakingly crafting them all in resin,
26:44the time has finally come for Terry to put his handmade wool mouldings to the test.
26:51Doing this with the mouldings,
26:54obviously creating them all ourself,
26:56it's just the more cost-effective way of doing it.
26:59Buying these, like, the larger ones,
27:02these are €100 just for the large ones on their own,
27:07and we're going to need...
27:08I think we need about 30 of them,
27:11and that's just for that one.
27:12Then we've got four of these on every panel,
27:15and then we've got these straight bits as well.
27:18So you're well into the thousands buying them,
27:20so doing them ourselves,
27:22we're getting them for, like, a quarter of the cost.
27:43There we have it.
27:45Our first panel.
27:48Obviously, it still looks a bit mismatched,
27:50at the minute because they're not the actual colours that they're going to be,
27:54but it can sort of give you an idea of, like,
27:56the effect that we're trying to create for the room.
27:59And, yeah, I'm happy with it.
28:01Just a lot more to go.
28:04The new suite won't be ready to wow paying guests for a while yet,
28:09but Terry and Ashley are determined to do whatever it takes
28:14to complete its spectacular restoration.
28:27550 miles away in southern France...
28:30I don't think I'd make a very patient basket-maker.
28:34Tim has reached a crucial stage with his romantic bench.
28:42I'm going to start putting the horizontal pieces of bamboo down
28:45that don't need to be bent.
28:47They are going to form the seat.
28:49This is just to stop the metal frame,
29:06should it do so,
29:09changing level, going further into the ground.
29:12The moment of truth.
29:20It works.
29:23I can not quite see the end,
29:25but I can see the end result
29:27is going to work.
29:30That's good.
29:32Soon, Sasha arrives
29:34to lend a hand.
29:35Can't feel anything coming through yet.
29:37Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet.
29:42Some varieties grow as quickly as one metre per day.
29:46Here it comes.
29:47It's strong, light and sustainable,
29:50making it the perfect eco-friendly building material.
29:54Are you there?
29:55I'm there.
29:58I'm too old for this game.
29:59The final thing is to trim off all the excess bamboo.
30:13After a five-hour labour of love,
30:16Tim's romantic bench is coming together.
30:21That's looking neater.
30:24We've got the basic seat there.
30:25What I'm going to do now,
30:27start constructing the big bamboo hoops
30:30that go over the whole thing.
30:33But I've got the major,
30:35the main, the chair there.
30:38And I think it's time to
30:39stop and celebrate
30:41with an apparel.
30:44Wow, look at you.
30:45Welcome to my love bench.
30:47Your love bench?
30:49The bird bench.
30:50No, it's a romantic place
30:53for you and me.
30:56To have a prezzi.
30:57I've got a prezzi.
30:59Oh, I like the sound of that.
31:01This is a celebration
31:03with aperos.
31:05Yeah.
31:06I did not think I'd get this done.
31:08It's just such a relief.
31:10Here's to the job so far.
31:12We might need cushions on this.
31:14Oh, we're both super happy.
31:15We wanted a chair
31:17away from the madding crowd,
31:20if you like.
31:20Yeah, far from the madding crowd.
31:21A little bit of peace.
31:23And this is great.
31:25Well done, partner.
31:25Give me a kiss.
31:26Let me kiss.
31:29But Tim's work
31:30is far from over
31:32as he still has
31:34the complicated curved canopy
31:36to construct.
31:42Back at Chateau Lagos,
31:44Anna and Edward
31:45are hosting their
31:46400th wedding today.
31:48But the ominous weather
31:51is casting a cloud
31:52over plans
31:53for two outside ceremonies.
31:55We've set up outside
31:57where the ceremony is,
31:58down by the lake.
31:59If we're in real trouble,
32:00we've got the ceremony
32:01set up inside
32:02in their luxury.
32:04Whilst they're desperately
32:06trying to keep
32:07their options open,
32:08the bride and groom
32:09have made
32:10one important decision.
32:12We were so relieved
32:14when they came to us
32:15and said,
32:16we want to have
32:16the meal inside.
32:17Because, OK,
32:18we could be wrong,
32:19but you can't take a risk
32:20when you have
32:2170-odd guests
32:22sitting down
32:23and it's pouring rain.
32:26Bridegroom Alistair
32:28is looking on the bright side.
32:34Today's the day.
32:35We've got 80 people,
32:3675 to 80 people
32:37in attendance.
32:38We've got a three-hour dinner,
32:39so I don't think
32:40sitting in the rain
32:41or at least with grey skies
32:42would have been a good idea.
32:44But we're still going to
32:44try and get away
32:45with at least one
32:46of the ceremonies outside,
32:47which is the Indian ceremony,
32:49so the one where
32:50we're going to be dancing
32:50down the steps
32:51with drummers.
32:53It's in the hands
32:53of the gods now,
32:54but I'm hopeful
32:55that we'll be OK.
32:58The first ceremony
32:59of the day
33:00has been due to be held
33:01on the outside terrace.
33:03But just before it starts,
33:06the weather
33:06has other ideas.
33:09Change of plan.
33:10We're doing the first
33:11ceremony in the around tree.
33:13It's OK.
33:14I just had everything
33:15moved up here
33:16on this terrace up here
33:18and now it's all going down.
33:21It's OK.
33:21We can do it.
33:28The chairs are set up
33:29to bleed the congos
33:30and they're going to be
33:32able to stop.
33:32just in time.
33:40The guests relocate.
33:42Thank you, Anna.
33:43You're welcome, guys.
33:44Mwah.
33:44And Danielle's big moment
33:46has arrived.
33:47Three, two, one,
33:49and we go.
33:50Welcome and thank you
33:56for coming,
33:57family and friends,
33:58for being here today
33:59to witness this public
34:01celebration
34:02and declaration
34:04of two people's love
34:06for each other.
34:08It is my honour
34:08and delight
34:09to pronounce you
34:10married.
34:11With the first
34:20marriage ceremony over,
34:22a break in the clouds
34:23means the guests
34:24can celebrate
34:25out on the terrace
34:26before the Indian
34:28ceremony begins.
34:31About half an hour off,
34:33got the second ceremony
34:34to go
34:35and then straight away
34:36inside to eat
34:37so I've got to be ready.
34:41But as the guests
34:44take their seats
34:45down by the lake,
34:47the skies darken
34:48once again.
34:51Oh, lovely.
34:52Come on, Rain.
34:53Come on, Rain.
34:54Keep away.
34:55All everyone can do now
34:57is hope that the
34:58alfresco ceremony
35:00can still go ahead.
35:07Coming up,
35:09will Tim convince Sasha
35:10to call it
35:11the love bench.
35:12I just think it's
35:13a bit cheesy,
35:14you know?
35:14Very unromantic.
35:16And Anna and Edward
35:18pull out all the stops.
35:20There's nothing
35:21that I want more
35:21than for everyone
35:22to have a great time.
35:29Back in the Longuedoc.
35:31After you.
35:32It's looking pretty,
35:32isn't it?
35:32It's looking lovely.
35:34Yeah.
35:35Tim's romantic bench
35:37now has the beginnings
35:38of a majestic curved canopy.
35:41I'm using four pieces
35:43of bamboo
35:44to create the hoop.
35:47So if one splits,
35:49there's three others
35:50to look after.
35:52This is where you might
35:53hear a loud crack
35:56where one or more pieces
35:58doesn't want to bend.
35:59It's very satisfying
36:02using our homegrown product.
36:05Extremely frustrating
36:06because it snaps
36:08like I just heard
36:09a crack there.
36:11And the brittleness
36:12of the bamboo
36:13isn't Tim's only concern.
36:16If we get a breeze,
36:18I don't want these
36:19to act as sails.
36:20There has to be
36:21a bit of stability there.
36:22This is where
36:28you need three arms.
36:34That'll do for a moment.
36:36But the name
36:37of his construction
36:38is still an issue
36:40for Sasha.
36:41I just think
36:42it's a bit cheesy,
36:43you know?
36:44Love bench.
36:45Very unromantic.
36:48Not romantic,
36:49it's just cheesy.
36:51That's what
36:52being unromantic is.
36:55OK, we're nearly there.
36:58With the bamboo
36:59canopy complete,
37:00Tim has one last
37:02romantic gesture
37:03in mind.
37:04We've got a host
37:06of different
37:06wedding day props
37:07that we've collected
37:08over the years.
37:10And one of them
37:11was this.
37:12And what I want to do
37:13is make a little
37:14drinks tray
37:14for a couple of glasses
37:15of champagne
37:16or whatever.
37:18Off to fix it
37:19to the seat.
37:23That's nice and firm.
37:25That's not going
37:25anywhere fast.
37:27That just leaves
37:29the set dressing.
37:31Yep, I think
37:32just in front
37:33of the structure,
37:34don't you?
37:36With Sasha's
37:37flowering vines
37:38taking pride
37:39of place.
37:41Oh, gosh,
37:41they look so small
37:42now, don't they?
37:43No, it'll be fine,
37:44darling.
37:45And a touch
37:45of trailing vines
37:47to decorate.
37:48Oh, look.
37:50It's a love seat.
37:51I could come down.
37:51Oh, God, no.
37:54I thought that
37:54would get you up
37:55quickly.
37:57Tim is almost ready
37:59to show it off
38:00to Lily and Luke.
38:01As they haven't seen
38:10the romantic bench
38:11or newly finished
38:12stump garden
38:13as yet...
38:14It's very smooth.
38:15It is very smooth,
38:16isn't it?
38:17..they've decided
38:18to arrive
38:19as a bride and groom
38:20might do
38:21by horse
38:22and carriage.
38:24Here they come.
38:25Do you need a hand?
38:26Lord and Lady Luke
38:30and Lily,
38:31please enjoy
38:32the love bench.
38:33So impressive.
38:34With pre-pare drinks.
38:36Oh, perfect.
38:37This looks so good.
38:41Cheers.
38:44He's done so well.
38:46Yeah, this is a nice
38:48extra touch
38:49for the weddings,
38:49isn't it?
38:50Yeah, I can see
38:50a lot of couples
38:51wanting to come
38:52and take advantage
38:52of this bench
38:53just for a few
38:54private moments,
38:55a few photos.
38:56and when everything
38:57is fully covered
38:59in the foliage,
38:59it's going to look
39:00so great.
39:05Tim has weaved
39:07his magic
39:07and created
39:08a unique,
39:10romantic attraction
39:11to offer up
39:12to future wedding parties.
39:16By using just
39:17natural canes
39:18of bamboo,
39:19which grow in abundance
39:21around the chateau,
39:23he's crafted
39:24a magnificent
39:25romantic bench
39:27creating an intimate,
39:30peaceful area
39:31which newlyweds
39:32and he and Sasha
39:34can enjoy.
39:35I think the bench
39:38and the stump garden
39:40look lovely
39:40and your seat
39:42looks brilliant.
39:43We will enjoy it.
39:44We'll have plenty
39:45of time to enjoy it.
39:46Yeah.
39:47And we are calling
39:48it a love bench.
39:49I'm not going
39:51to call it love bench.
39:53Dear, oh dear.
39:55Whether Tim's name
39:56for his latest creation
39:58sticks or not,
39:59they have a place
40:00in the newly
40:01finished stump garden
40:03to relax
40:04and catch their breath
40:05before the next
40:07chateau-sized project
40:08begins.
40:15230 miles northwest,
40:18near Bordeaux,
40:19Anna and Edward
40:20are hosting their first
40:22ever Indian wedding ceremony
40:24at their chateau.
40:26It's a little bit of rain.
40:27It's like a mist
40:29and it's due to stop soon.
40:32As the second ceremony
40:34of the day
40:34kicks off,
40:35spirits
40:36aren't dampened.
40:38And it's just dry enough
40:46to make bride and groom
40:48Danielle and Alistair's
40:50ultimate dream
40:50of an entrance
40:51via the chateau's
40:52grand steps
40:53come true.
40:56Not the best way back.
40:58But it's the first time
40:59I've had such a colourful wedding.
41:01It's amazing.
41:03And the difference
41:04in culture is amazing too.
41:06Nothing's stopping them.
41:07They're having a great time.
41:09I'd have loved to have
41:10stuck to watch
41:11the whole ceremony
41:12but, yeah,
41:13I've got camemberts
41:15that are waiting
41:15to get in the oven.
41:24It's been a joyous occasion
41:26whatever the weather.
41:37Now the newlyweds
41:39can relax
41:40amongst their guests.
41:42It was very dramatic
41:43in the rain.
41:45I think that just
41:46added to
41:47how personal it all felt
41:49and all the effort
41:50everyone had gone into
41:51and having the drummers
41:52coming down the stairs
41:53as well
41:54was just
41:54really fun.
41:55It was a lot of fun.
41:56I really, really enjoyed that.
41:58I might do it all over again.
41:59But for Anna and Edward
42:03there's still
42:04a hectic night ahead.
42:06I think there's nothing
42:08that makes me feel
42:09so emotional
42:09but so happy
42:10and there's nothing
42:12that I want more
42:12than for everyone
42:13to have a great time.
42:15As it's not finished yet
42:16we still have
42:17the wedding meal.
42:19I'm tired
42:19but happy tired
42:21and that's the best
42:22tired you can be.
42:23It may well be
42:30the 400th time
42:32doing this
42:32but the pressure
42:33is just the same
42:35when you're feeding
42:36a gathering of 80.
42:38Can I please introduce
42:40the bride and groom
42:41Mr. Miss Gordon?
42:50I'll need two vegetarians
42:52for the top table
42:53for the main course
42:55we have in
42:56duck confit
42:57with a mushroom sauce
42:58and pressed potatoes
43:01and it's going to be delicious.
43:11And there's a final touch
43:13in the form
43:14of a celebratory
43:16macaron tower.
43:17Thank you, gentlemen.
43:22What a day.
43:30Amazing day
43:31ceremonies in the rain
43:32it just added
43:33to the drama
43:34of the day
43:34I think
43:35it was excellent
43:35really good
43:36we knew the moment
43:39we came here
43:39that this place
43:40was amazing
43:40and the only unfortunate
43:43thing has been the weather
43:44but you know
43:45it is what it is
43:46you have to get on with it
43:48and what's been great
43:50is Anna and Ed
43:51have just been
43:51so reassuring
43:52and it's just made
43:54the most tremendous weekend
43:55and a lot of fun
43:56that's the most important thing
43:57it was a lot of fun.
43:58Today's been hard
44:01but still
44:02very, very
44:03I mean
44:03a beautiful day
44:05400th wedding
44:06didn't even have a chance
44:07to celebrate
44:07didn't we all day?
44:08No!
44:09Come rain or sunshine
44:10I think it's been a success
44:12We'll remember it
44:13for a long time to come
44:14until our 500th
44:16next year
44:17No!
44:17Anna and Edward
44:20have triumphed
44:22Despite the dramatic weather
44:24they have successfully hosted
44:26a glorious day
44:27and as their spectacular home
44:30buzzes with joy
44:31and celebration
44:32these chateau owners
44:34are living their dream
44:37Next time
44:45One couple fear
44:47their handiwork
44:48won't hold up
44:49I honestly am nervous
44:50about this film
44:51A whole pile of trouble
44:55for another duo
44:56There are a lot
44:57that are really, really rotten
44:58While others
45:00get that sinking feeling
45:01There is somewhere