Lagnicourt: The Granite Belt’s New French-Inspired Venue Is Officially Open

The McMahon family has spent a year building Lagnicourt Weddings & Events on land they’ve farmed for a century, intent on creating a setting that is a genuine first for the Southern Downs & Granite Belt region. So it came as no surprise that the reception room was brimming with anticipation the night it opened its doors to Queensland’s wedding industry and the local community who gathered for an evening of formal celebration. Queensland Brides was honoured to attend and discover that in a state with no shortage of beautiful wedding venues, this purpose-built French-inspired estate sets the bar for elevated country weddings.

With rendered walls, shuttered windows, a courtyard garden and chandeliers gilding the ceilings inside, Lagnicourt doesn’t just borrow French style as a theme: it owns it. The venue, which sits across 650 acres of working farmland located 20-minutes north of Stanthorpe, was designed from the ground up to feel like a European estate, with a quintessential Queensland country edge running through it.

Bienvenue à tous (welcome to all)

On arrival, guests moved through the estate’s blue gates and were greeted by an antique drinks cart holding glasses of champagne, poured by the McMahon brothers from the biggest bottle of Veuve we’ve ever seen, hinting at what was ahead for a celebratory night to remember. From there, past the cherub fountain set in stone paving, with a courtyard ceremony setting arranged to one side, guests crossed the threshold and its Lagnicourt-stamped mat into the fireside lounge, before the reception room beckoned beyond: a grand space where gilded chandeliers hang from the ceiling over round tables dressed in ivory linen and adorned with fresh floral arrangements. Through the French doors that line the walls, the dam and the paddocks beyond were framed, reminding guests that you are in a beautiful country setting.

Keen to show the venue for all its glory, the McMahon family brought together a team of partners including DD Event Hire, Leaf and Bloom Florals, Horrocks Vale Collections and Gorgios Mobile Chef catering. Dan McGahan and Andy Schrav kept the vibe going with music through the night, and the whole evening was captured by Duke of August, whose images are doing the talking in this article. Each supplier brought a different piece of the puzzle, and together they gave us a proper introduction to what this venue offers. Three courses in, the feeling in the room was less “new venue launch” and more “the beginning of a new benchmark for weddings and events in the region.”

We left understanding that for couples chasing something European in feeling and unmistakably Queensland in warmth, Lagnicourt is worth planning a wedding around.

It’s a family affair

So why a wedding venue, and why now? The family already had a hundred-year legacy in the land itself, but building Lagnicourt was about carrying that legacy forward, giving future generations of McMahons a reason to stay rooted here. David, the youngest son, and his wife Emily, who met on Farmer Wants a Wife in 2023, have led the project from the ground up, and what struck us most on the night was how personal that leadership still is. But this is very much a whole-family affair: on the night, mum and sons were greeting guests at the door, dad and brothers were behind the bar, and every McMahon on the property seemed intent on making sure no guest went unseen. Couples will love this personal touch, with the McMahons involved in every wedding themselves, liaising directly with every couple to plan and execute their celebration.

One for the region

The Southern Downs & Granite Belt has long been Queensland’s quiet achiever, drawing visitors away from the city and coast for a chance to explore the abundance of wineries, cellar doors and orchards, with couples already choosing the region for their weddings. Yet, the opening of Lagnicourt adds a new, elevated reason to consider this region as a destination wedding location. In fact, French-inspired estate weddings have never looked so at home in a Queensland country setting.

Lagnicourt Weddings & Events is located at 638 Pozieres Road, Pozieres QLD, twenty minutes north of Stanthorpe. For enquiries, visit lagnicourt.com.au.

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Queensland Brides Publisher, Nikki Ernst, travelled to Stanthorpe as a guest of the McMahon family, staying at MJ’s Luxury Yurts — A Stanthorpe Getaway and enjoying a wine and dine experience at Dear Vincent Wines. The launch was coordinated by BAYLY PR.

Photos @dukeofaugust PR @baylypr Floral @leafandbloomflorals Styling @ddeventhire Musicians @danmcgahanmusic @andyschrav Bridal showcase @horrocksvale_collections Catering Gorgios Mobile Chef