An Outdoor Château Dinner Party in a Heatwave (Then the Storm Hit) | Manor & Maker

The forecast promised a scorcher, and the Dordogne delivered. In this video we set up an outdoor dinner party at the château during a proper summer heatwave, from laying the long table under the trees to prepping the meal and welcoming our guests, before the evening takes a turn none of us expected. You will see the full arc of the day: the calm of setting a beautiful outdoor table in the heat, the slow satisfaction of watching an event come together, and a wonderful dinner with wonderful company right through to dessert. And then the storm arrives. The moment the last spoon is set down, the sky breaks open, and what follows is one of the more dramatic ends to an evening we have had here. If you love outdoor entertaining, table setting, French country life, slow living, and the occasional bit of weather-related chaos, stay to the finish for this one. Here is what the day involved: setting an outdoor table for a summer dinner party, prepping and serving a warm-weather menu, hosting alfresco in extreme heat, and riding out a summer thunderstorm at our château in the Périgord Vert. New videos every week from our life restoring and running a château in the Dordogne. Subscribe so you do not miss what happens next. Baguette Bound:    / @baguettebound   A New Life in France with Maria and Richard Hall:    / @maria_and_rich_newlifeinfrance   #chateaulife #dordogne #frenchcountryside #outdoordining #dinnerparty #tablesetting #slowliving #frenchcountrylife #outdoorentertaining Manor & Maker theme music by Jamie Christopherson and Jeff MacDonald for Louder Productions. Want to join in? www.manorandmaker.com Get free stuff and discounts on Patreon   / manorandmaker   Follow us on Instagram @manorandmaker Welcome to Château de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, our 500-year-old home in Southwest France's Dordogne region. We're Sara & Stephen, creative retreat hosts building a life where creativity shows up in everything we do. He's an artist, and we both believe everyone is more creative than they think. What We Share: This is our take on château life: hosting art retreats and creative workshops, watching transformations unfold, learning restoration and interior design as we make spaces beautiful for our guests, embracing slow living in rural France, and discovering that creativity isn't about being an artist. It's about finding joy in how you approach everything. You'll See: Behind the scenes of our retreat experiences, the real work of creating magical moments, our learning curve with this 500-year-old building, authentic French culture as we live it, and what happens when people discover their own creativity in Southwest France. Whether you're curious about château life, drawn to creative exploration, dreaming of France, or just love watching people build something meaningful, welcome to our community. The perfect pairing of creative journeys and bespoke château experiences.