Lexi & Jeremy

Château de Garde wedding, Bordeaux

Lexi and Jeremy kissing between the rows of vines at Château de Garde

By the pool

While Lexi and Jeremy got ready, the guests rested and treated themselves to lunch out on the lawn under the trees, with tartlets and salads on the buffet. Some of them spent the time by the pool among the palms.

Gold wedding rings stacked on glass beneath sprigs of pink and white flowers

Getting ready

Lexi got ready under the wooden beams and paper lanterns of a bright room with a freestanding bath. Her bridesmaids wore pink robes and kept the glasses full, then one of them fastened the dress, open-backed with a long lace train.

Lexi’s wedding dress hanging under a gilded mirror

Lexi’s strappy white shoes on a mirrored tray

Guests having lunch on the lawn under the trees

Guests relaxing by the pool among the palms and banana plants

Guests helping themselves at the lunch buffet under a wooden pergola

Guests carrying plates of lunch across the garden past the climbing plants

Lexi in her robe smiling with her bouquet under paper lanterns

Lexi in her robe at the far window, a freestanding bath in the foreground

Lexi lying back in a freestanding bath with her legs in the air

Bridesmaids in pink robes sitting round the bath where Lexi lies with her bouquet

Lexi and her bridesmaids in pink robes chatting on the bed under paper lanterns

Lexi and her bridesmaids in pink robes raising glasses on the bed

Lexi’s braided hair from behind as she looks into a round mirror, in black and white

Lexi in her robe lifting her dress down from a wooden beam

A bridesmaid kneeling to gather the skirt as Lexi steps into her dress

A bridesmaid fastening the back of Lexi’s dress

Lexi fastening her shoe at the end of the bed, her skirt spread across the floor

Lexi from behind in her open-backed dress among the wooden beams

Lexi in her dress sitting on the edge of the freestanding bath under the beams

Lexi sitting on the end of the bed in her dress, smiling

Jeremy and his groomsmen in white shirts helping each other with ties in a bright room

Across the house

Jeremy and his groomsmen dressed in blue suits in a room with oval portraits on the walls. There was whiskey on the table, a friend on his knees to help with the shoes, and a toast before they all walked out onto the lawn.

Brown leather shoes and a bottle of whiskey on a dark table

A groomsman kneeling to help Jeremy with his shoes

Groomsmen helping Jeremy into his blue jacket under an iron lantern

Jeremy in his blue suit reading a card by the window

Jeremy and his groomsmen in blue suits toasting on the sofas

Jeremy grinning as he raises a glass of whiskey to the camera

Jeremy and his groomsmen sitting in the room with oval portraits on the wall

Jeremy relaxing on a cowhide sofa under a row of oval portraits

Portrait of Jeremy in his blue suit, hands clasped

Jeremy and his groomsmen on the lawn in front of the château

A man in a grey suit waiting at the foot of the stairs on the chequered floor

Lexi coming down the curved stone staircase with her bouquet, seen from above

The ceremony

They married under an iron pergola covered in greenery, with the vineyards behind them. It was full of tears, laughter and speeches from the people closest to them. Lexi read her vows from a little book, the guests reached for their tissues, and they walked back down the aisle to cheers.

A man in a grey suit wiping away a tear as he sees Lexi with her bouquet

Jeremy waiting under the iron pergola covered in greenery with the vineyards behind

Lexi walking down the aisle on the lawn as guests stand

Lexi and Jeremy sitting on a bench under the pergola, holding hands

Lexi hugging a man in a navy suit under the pergola as a woman in pink smiles

Lexi and Jeremy seated under the pergola as a speaker stands beside a wine barrel

Guests smiling in the front rows as the ceremony goes on

Guests wiping away tears in the rows of chairs

Jeremy listening as Lexi reads to him at the pergola

Lexi and Jeremy walking back down the aisle as guests reach out

Portraits

For portraits we walked the grounds. The courtyard has palm trees, a stone fountain and a chequered floor, then there is the pool between the banana plants, and the vines run right up to the garden.

Lexi and Jeremy laughing on the lawn with the château behind

Lexi looking over her shoulder with her bouquet under the palm trees

Jeremy looking at Lexi with her bouquet by the stone fountain under the palms

Lexi and Jeremy hugging on the chequered courtyard by the palms

Jeremy kissing Lexi beside the fountain and palm trees

Lexi and Jeremy walking hand in hand across the lawn towards the château

Lexi and Jeremy in the château hall under its painted ceiling, on the chequered floor

Lexi and her bouquet reflected in a round mirror on the floor, seen from above

Lexi leaning down to kiss Jeremy in an armchair beside a tall lamp

Lexi and Jeremy dancing on the stone steps in front of the château

Lexi and Jeremy at the end of the pool between banana plants

Jeremy kissing Lexi’s cheek in front of the vineyards

Lexi and Jeremy walking hand in hand down a row of vines

Lexi and Jeremy embracing between the vines, young vine leaves in the foreground

Jeremy hugging Lexi from behind among the vines

Lexi lifting one foot as she kisses Jeremy among the rows of vines

A chalkboard welcome sign with greenery on an easel as guests gather on the lawn

Cocktail hour

Cocktail hour was on the lawn, with oysters on ice and drinks made with cognac. Lexi threw her bouquet to a line of friends in bright dresses, and the sun went down over the vineyards.

A guest in a blue shirt dancing by a potted palm as friends laugh

Oysters on ice with lemon at the cocktail hour

Black and white photograph of a guest drinking and laughing by the château

A guest with curly hair laughing and spinning with a glass of wine, in black and white

Jeremy and friends chatting at a garden table under a tree, in black and white

Lexi with her arms up as the bouquet flies over her head towards her friends

Lexi throwing her bouquet to her friends on the lawn

Lexi hugging the friend who caught the bouquet

Guests chatting around a wine barrel table on the lawn in front of the château

Guests on wooden benches outside a terracotta-roofed building at cocktail hour

The sun setting over the vineyards around Château de Garde

Guests gathering along a lit wooden path between wine barrels at dusk

Dinner and dancing

Dinner was in the reception room, with stone walls, wooden beams and long tables of white roses and candles. Lexi and Jeremy walked in to cheers, had their first dance under pink lights, and the dancing went on until everyone dropped.

Long wooden tables with white runners in the beamed reception room

White roses, gypsophila and candles along a dinner table

Close view of peach roses and tea lights in glass holders on the table runner

A guest in a gold dress laughing as she stands among the dinner tables

Jeremy laughing among guests in a doorway at night, in black and white

A guest in green cheering with both arms raised at the dinner table

Lexi and Jeremy walking into dinner past the tables

Guests cheering with their arms in the air at dinner

The full reception room at dinner with candles on every table

Jeremy twirling Lexi on the dance floor under pink light

Lexi and Jeremy’s first dance under pink lights and a gilded mirror

Lexi and Jeremy dancing with their arms up on the dance floor

Guests reaching across the long dinner table to clink glasses, in black and white

Friends dancing in a line under the wooden beams

Lexi walking between the dinner tables as guests turn towards her, in black and white

Photographing at Château de Garde

Château de Garde behind its lawns and clipped shrubs

The estate.

A château on a hilltop about 35 minutes from Bordeaux, with views over the countryside and vineyards right up to the garden. The house sleeps around 20 guests, with more rooms at a property nearby.

Ceremonies.

Outdoors, under the iron pergola covered in greenery, with the vines behind, as Lexi and Jeremy chose. The courtyard and the pool area can hold a ceremony too.

The courtyard.

Palm trees, a stone fountain and a chequered floor in an enclosed courtyard. A quiet corner for portraits, a little away from the guests.

The reception room.

Stone walls and wooden beams, with room for up to 120 guests at dinner and a dance floor under the chandeliers.

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Questions

Have you photographed at Château de Garde before?

Yes: Lexi and Jeremy’s wedding on this page. I know the courtyard with the palm trees, the pergola above the vines and where the light falls at sunset.

How far ahead should we book?

Most couples book six to eighteen months ahead. Summer Saturdays go first.

Do you charge for travel to Bordeaux?

No. Travel within France is included in every package.

I’m excited to go wherever your love story is taking me and looking forward to hearing from you!