Beth and Sam - France
When I first received an email from Beth saying she and Sam were planning a French wedding in an entire village I couldn't quite believe my luck. The gorgeous Castelnau des Fieumarcon just outside of Toulouse is easily one of the most beautiful locations I have shot at. To call it simply a 'venue' is to do it a disservice as this place simply has to be seen to be believed. Rows of 13th century stone houses surround a village square and huge gateway. The views over the vineyards and countryside are simply breathtaking.
I flew out to Toulouse from Bristol on the day before and was a little concerned about finding my chaperone at the airport - that was, however, until I discovered they were sat right next to me on the plane! We were pretty much friends by the time we landed and had a great drive through the winding French country lanes before arriving at the village.
Castelnau des Fieumarcon allows you to hire out the entire village for days at a time, so Beth and Sam did just that and planned various activities, from a pizza party the night before to an open air cinema the evening after.
Beth's sister was on hand to 'check in' all of the guests and take them to their houses (myself included!)
There was quite a relaxing start to the wedding day, largely as the ceremony was not until 5:30pm (understandable when the temperature was 30 degrees+!) Beth got ready in one of the larger houses and I spent the morning flitting around capturing the buzz of the set up.
The ceremony was held in the large grass area overlooking the countryside below. It was simply decorated with the ceremony including songs sung by Beth's sisters and a rather lovely exit to 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' by Andy Williams.
After the ceremony, Beth, Sam and I went for a walk to the bottom of the main village street. The village is so perfect for photographs, from its cobbled streets, bunting and multicoloured doors to the gorgeous long grass fields at the bottom of winding stone steps. We were absolutely spoilt for choice.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the gorgeous area at the main gateway to the town. Beth and Sam had decorated it beautifully with string multicoloured lights, wildflower centre displays and banquet style tables overlooking the vineyards. Speeches were held at sunset with the party carrying on until the early hours.
This honestly was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to, let alone photographed, and I am so grateful for Beth and Sam for inviting me to document it and spend time with their lovely friends and family. Congratulations again, both, and I do hope we get to bump into each other soon!
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Shout outs:
Venue - Castelnau des Fieumarcon
Dress - Rachel Burgess Bridal Boutique
If you are interested in overseas wedding photography then please email me: [email protected] for a chat about your plans!