French Chateaux’s I’d Love To Photograph Weddings At
As a destination wedding photographer I get quite excited about potential wedding venues I could be taking photos at next. France is not short of a wedding venue. From the south coast of the French Rivera to the Parc Naturel Régional des Landes de Gascogne south of Bordeaux. From the romantic city of Paris to the South West France full of beautiful chateaux’s. You’ll not be disappointed regardless of which region of France you decide to have your wedding.
The tricky part to having a French wedding though is that not only do you need to select your desired region, you’ll also have to choose the type of French wedding venue you would like to have your fairytale wedding in. Here are few types to get you thinking;
Chateau
The French word “château” translates to castle though chateau’s in France are more like country houses or manor houses. The typical english vision of a chateau is a more palace like building mixed in with a country house. They are extremely stylish and come in very modern styles or styles that host a more authentic classic french theme. Most Chateaus have large outdoor gardens and are located away form the hustle of major cities. A lot of Chateaus have plenty of rooms for wedding guests too. This means for a destination wedding there will be places to stay for your immediate family and close guests. The exclusivity of chateaus will also give you that extra intimacy on your wedding day too. For those who will have children at their weddings, chateaus are great with the large gardens and the exclusivity of the venues.
Vineyard
Vineyards are great places to host weddings. They don’t need as much explanation as I did for the Chateau section above. Vineyards are pretty self explanatory. At French vineyards specifically you’ll be not short of natural light all over. A photographers dream. I’m sure one of the most important positives will be the wine I’m sure! Vineyards are almost self decorated wedding venues and if your a fan of the outdoors this could be the perfect type of wedding location for you. I loved photographing Cherry + Thomas’s wedding in Domaine des Bruguières.
Churches & Abbeys
France in nominally a Catholic country so if its a church wedding you’re considering then France has plenty. It gets tricky as for more serious religious weddings you may need to have a more personal connection with the churches. I’ll not go into this too deeply here as this article is about chateaus anyway. Though there are some breathtaking churches and abbeys in France. I’m not sure what your budget may be but could you imagine getting married at Notre Dame!
A gorgeous exclusive wedding venue. It’s like the most perfect private house that has been combined with a high end boutique hotel. The staff here are so focused in making your wedding perfect that they only allow for one wedding per week. That screams commitment and reassurance that all over their focus is on your special day. Located very near to the Dordogne River nestled within the vines of Bordeaux your whole wedding trip here will be a dream. I’d love to capture the mixture between the gorgeous atmosphere of rural France and the atmosphere of an emotional and luxurious wedding. No matter the time of year any wedding at Chateau Rigaud is going to be just great to photograph. From the long warm summers to the beautiful autumn colours this place makes for amazing wedding photography.
Chateau De La Ligne
A beyond romantic wedding venue Chateau De La Ligne is one of the most popular wedding venues in Bordeaux. This classical 18th century was originally used to house exotic plants. Now it hosts weddings for up to 180 guests in the beautiful gallery. It has 10 arched gothic windows that allow for the most beautiful light and a huge grand entrance that opens up onto the amazing gardens. Couples from all over the world fly into Chateau De La Ligne to get married and its no surprise really. Its just a short flight from all UK airports making it popular with British couples. In the French countryside this venue is covered in vines and is full of character. I love shooting at weddings with character and this helps make the most perfect wedding photos.
Chateau Du Doux
A 30 to 70 wedding guest venue, Chateau Du Doux is designed for more intimate weddings. Though it cuts no corners when its comes to beauty and elegance. An exclusive chateau overlooking the Dordogne Valley. Built in the 20th century its very unique and judging from the testimonials on the chateaus website its a magical wedding venue. The venue overlooks the medieval town of Beaulieu-Sur-Dordogne. The family that own this venue are super passionate about it and love to relay this passion with the guests that book and stay here. Near to the Corrèze region and was designed by French architects Jean-Louis Pascal. I’d love to photograph a beautiful wedding here one day soon!
Chateau De Quillé
There seems to be a theme of 18th century chateaus, though i suppose it can’t be helped that it was just an amazing century to build chateaus! This gorgeous french wedding venue is located close to the River Touyre in the Midi-Pyrénées. It has a beautiful Romanesque chapel that I think any bride or groom getting married anywhere would love to marry in. It would be tough choice though as the venue has a stunning garden that looks over delightful french meadows. If that isn’t enough choice they also have a rustic barn that all your wedding guests can watch your exchange your vows in. Chateau De Quillé has been looked after and restored by the couple that own it and all of the rooms have beautiful antiques. Looking through other weddings here it seems that any photographer would just be in their element. The light, the textures, the character of the buildings. All this tied in with a wedding ceremony and people in love. Yeah so no question, this is a wedding venue in France is love to shoot one day.
Chateau De Lartigolle
In the Gascon countryside of southwest France Chateau De Lartigolle is a luxury wedding venue and the perfect place for any wedding. Although its a very luxurious place, the owners have given it a laid back atmosphere allowing for your wedding here to be both high end and relaxed. The perfect combination. West of Toulouse, south of Bordeaux and not far from the towns Auch and Pessan this southern France wedding venue must be so good to get married at. After looking though some of the wedding photos I found online, every face on every image its just elated. Whether its a bride, groom or wedding guest. This venue is so on my “to shoot list” hopefully one day!
