Lauren & Phil

Château de Robernier wedding, Provence

Lauren and Phil on the terrace of Château de Robernier, the hills behind

Phil and his groomsmen

Phil and his groomsmen got ready in a room with pale green silk walls and chandeliers: bow ties laid out by the mirror, matching cufflinks in every palm, and a lot of laughing on the leather sofas in the library once the jackets were on.

The groomsmen’s polished black shoes and bright socks on a parquet floor

Black bow ties laid out beside a gilt mirror

Phil and his groomsmen in white shirts lined up under a chandelier in the green silk room

Phil and his groomsmen holding out their cufflinks in their palms

Phil fastening his cuffs as a groomsman checks his phone by the door

A groomsman tying Phil’s bow tie in a room with green silk walls

Phil laughing between two groomsmen in white shirts

Phil crossing the black and white marble hall, seen from the gallery above

Phil and his groomsmen in black tie gathered round the leather sofas in the library

Phil standing by the fireplace while his groomsmen sit on the sofas in the library

Phil smiling on a leather sofa, his chin resting on his hand

Phil and his groomsmen in black tie laughing together on a leather sofa

Black and white of the wedding rings resting between Lauren’s sparkly shoes

Lauren’s morning

Upstairs, Lauren’s dress hung under a chandelier while she had her make-up done. Her bridesmaids wore matching floral robes, there were legs in the air on the four-poster bed, and the dress went on in the white and gold salons. Then into the car for Cotignac.

Black and white of Lauren’s dress hanging under a chandelier in a doorway

Black and white of Lauren having her make-up done by a tall window

Close-up of Lauren having her lipstick applied

Lauren in a white robe under a chandelier, her hair pinned up

Lauren in her robe holding out her dress on its hanger beside the four-poster bed

Lauren laughing on the four-poster bed with her bridesmaids in floral robes

Lauren and three bridesmaids in floral robes smiling against the red damask wall

Lauren and her bridesmaids in floral robes with their legs up on the four-poster bed

Black and white of a bridesmaid in a floral robe smiling by a doorway

Black and white of bridesmaids in robes chatting around a bedpost

Black and white of a bridesmaid fastening the back of Lauren’s dress

Black and white of Lauren touching up her make-up in an oval mirror

The marble hall with its tapestry and chequered floor seen from the gallery above

Lauren in her dress on the marble floor of the hall, seen from the gallery above

Lauren seated in her dress on a gilded sofa beneath framed portraits

Lauren seated in her dress with her bridesmaids in grey in a gilded salon

Lauren pulling on her shoe beneath the arched window of the salon

A bridesmaid fixing Lauren’s hair as she stands in her dress

Black and white close-up of Lauren looking out through her veil

Lauren and her bridesmaids in grey stepping through a tall wooden door

Lauren smiling from the back seat of the car on her way to the church

The church in Cotignac

They married in the old church in Cotignac, under its stone vaults and painted altarpiece. Lauren walked down the aisle between full pews, Phil turned to watch her come, and afterwards they came out through the big wooden doors into a shower of confetti.

Lauren being walked into the old church in Cotignac, framed by the wooden pews

The priest walking up the aisle between full pews in the church in Cotignac

Lauren walking down the aisle of the church in Cotignac, seen from behind

Lauren and Phil at the front of the church, the groomsmen and an older guest beside them

Phil watching Lauren arrive beside his groomsmen

Lauren and Phil holding hands in front of the altar

Lauren and Phil at the altar beneath the gilded painting, seen between the guests

Lauren and Phil leaving the church in Cotignac as guests cheer

Phil and his groomsmen with the bridesmaids lined up outside the church doors

The wedding party relaxing on chairs on the gravel in front of the château

Back at the château

Light rain followed the ceremony, so we stayed close to the house. The pale stone, the blue shutters and the terrace gave us plenty, and for a drier spot we went inside to the long room with arched windows and a chequered floor.

The wedding party walking across the gravel in front of Château de Robernier

Lauren with her bridesmaids in grey holding their bouquets in front of the château

Phil and his groomsmen in black tie in front of the château’s blue shutters

Lauren and Phil walking hand in hand on the gravel beside the château

Lauren and Phil on the terrace path with the balustrade and hills behind

Phil kissing Lauren’s shoulder at the edge of the terrace

Lauren and Phil walking hand in hand on the lawn in front of the château

Lauren and Phil small on the lawn between agaves and plane trees, the château behind

Phil twirling Lauren in the long room with arched windows and a chequered floor

Lauren and Phil seated apart on gilt chairs in the long room with the chequered floor

Lauren in the foreground with Phil sitting by the arched windows behind her

Lauren and Phil on a balcony of the château’s pale façade with blue shutters

Guests and bridesmaids cheering with arms raised on the gravel under the plane trees

Bridesmaids in grey and guests mingling on the leaf-strewn gravel

Cocktail hour

The afternoon carried on undisturbed. Guests moved between the hall and the gravel in front of the house with their drinks, and the bridesmaids sat along the balustrade looking out over the gardens.

Guests with drinks on the gravel, seen through the château’s tall doorway

A guest stepping through the château’s carved wooden doors

Phil laughing with friends in suits under the trees

Guests talking in front of the château and its round tower

Guests sitting at a garden table beside the château’s tall windows

Phil sharing a drink with friends on the terrace, palms behind them

Bridesmaids in grey sitting along the stone balustrade with a guest

Dinner

Dinner was inside, in a white hall with crystal chandeliers. Lauren and Phil came in through the arched doors to applause, Phil now in a velvet jacket, and the toasts and speeches kept glasses in the air all evening.

Guests on their feet clapping in the white hall as Lauren and Phil come in

Lauren and Phil kissing at their table under the crystal chandeliers

Lauren and Phil at their table as a guest leans in, candles and glasses before them

A guest holding the dinner menu printed with blue flowers

Lauren leaning on Phil in his velvet jacket beside a gilt mirror

The long white hall with its chandeliers glimpsed through a half-open blue door

Black and white of Lauren kissing Phil on a carved sofa

Guests raising their glasses around the tables in the white hall

Lauren laughing at the top table beside Phil in his velvet jacket

Phil laughing with a raised glass during the toasts

Black and white of guests laughing round the tables during the speeches

Black and white of a guest giving a speech in front of the arched doors

Black and white of a guest in a waistcoat raising an arm during a toast

Black and white of a guest in black tie dancing beside the tables

Black and white of guests gathering round the cake table outside at night

Into the night

By evening the rain had eased, so the cake was cut outside under lantern light. Then everyone went back in for the first dance and a dance floor full of coloured light, and we finished with a last photograph in front of the château at night.

Black and white of Lauren and Phil kissing beside their cake under strings of lights

Lauren and Phil’s first dance in a haze of coloured light

Confetti falling over Lauren and Phil as they dance under the chandelier

Lauren and Phil dancing close as guests film them

Lauren dancing in a swirl of purple light as a guest moves past

Lauren dancing with guests on the crowded dance floor

Lauren throwing her arm in the air as a friend dances beside her

Lauren and Phil kissing in front of Château de Robernier at night

Photographing at Château de Robernier

Palms and lawns in front of Château de Robernier on a grey day

The estate.

A working winery among vineyards in the Provençal countryside, with accommodation on site, so a whole wedding weekend can stay in one place. Guests move easily between the house, the gardens and the courtyards.

Ceremonies.

There is room on the estate for a ceremony outdoors. Lauren and Phil chose the old church in nearby Cotignac instead, and came back to the château for the rest of the day.

The interiors.

White and gold salons, a marble hall with a gallery above it and a reception hall with crystal chandeliers. The light inside is calm and even, and it translates well into photographs.

Rainy days.

On a changeable day the château has answers: the façade, the terrace and the long room with arched windows give shelter and good light without leaving the grounds.

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Questions

Have you photographed at Château de Robernier before?

Yes: Lauren and Phil’s wedding on this page, and Jas and Chantelle’s and Jas and Chantelle’s. Yes, several times, in sun and in rain: I know where to go on the estate when the weather changes.

How far ahead should we book?

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

Do you charge for travel to Provence?

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!