Sarah & Kelly

Château du Puits es Pratx wedding, Occitanie

Sarah and Kelly in front of the ivy-covered house at Château du Puits es Pratx

Morning

The morning started in two rooms. One bride dressed in a burgundy suit over a floral shirt, with a red rose buttonhole and white trainers; the other in lace, with a few lines to write in a notebook first. Then they met in the courtyard for a first look.

The front of Château du Puits es Pratx with its iron balcony, seen through palm leaves

White trainers and rings set out on a dark lacquered cabinet

Engagement and wedding rings beside a green velvet ring box

The bride in the burgundy suit having her eyeliner done in a floral shirt

The bride in the burgundy suit laughing in an armchair while getting ready

Looking down a white spiral staircase at two people sitting on the steps, in black and white

The bride in the burgundy suit smiling in front of an ivy-covered wall

Close-up of clasped hands with rings against a floral shirt and burgundy suit

The inside of the burgundy jacket, showing its floral lining and a red label

Red rose buttonhole with ribbons on the lapel of the burgundy suit

Full-length portrait of the bride in the burgundy suit and white trainers in the ivy-framed doorway

The bride in the burgundy suit standing in front of a wooden door

The lace wedding gown hanging in a tall window above a yellow armchair

Looking up the château’s carved stone façade at someone on the wrought-iron balcony

Jewelled white sandals and a veil on a yellow patterned chair

The bride in lace reflected in a gilt mirror, sitting on a sofa in her robe

The bride in lace writing in a small notebook on her lap

A guest having her hair pinned into a bun while friends get ready around her

Rosé champagne being poured into flutes on a table among make-up bags

Bridesmaids getting ready in a sunny room with tall windows and an antique mirror

The bride in lace having powder brushed on, glimpsed in a blurred mirror

A make-up artist working on the bride in lace in her white robe

Friends in robes having their hair styled, seen in a round gilt mirror

Bridesmaids getting ready, seen through a window above a wrought-iron balcony

Hands with an engagement ring and pale manicure holding a champagne flute

A make-up artist in a patterned dress beside the bride in lace in her robe

Feet in fluffy white slippers on the bedroom carpet

A hairdresser pinning the hair of the bride in lace as bridesmaids get ready behind

The bride in lace in her robe looking out of an open French window

The bride in lace in her lace-trimmed robe leaning on the stone window frame

The bride in lace laughing in a wicker chair, holding her jewelled sandals

The bride in lace and four friends in matching satin robes raising their glasses

The bride in lace in her robe holding up her gown by the open window

The bride in lace holding her gown on its hanger, bridesmaids reflected in the mirror

The bride in lace in her gown by the window, the long lace train on the carpet

Close-up of a hand with an engagement ring resting on the beaded lace bodice

The bride in lace stepping into her shoes beside a bedside lamp

The bride in lace smiling over her shoulder, her bouquet of pink and red flowers beside her

Two bridesmaids, one in a yellow slip dress, seen past the shoulder of the bride in lace

Bridesmaids gasping in the doorway at the bride in lace in her gown, in black and white

A bridesmaid in yellow fastening the sandal of the bride in lace as she sits in her gown

Close-up of a bridesmaid buckling a jewelled sandal under the lace hem

Two bridesmaids lifting out the long veil behind the bride in lace, in black and white

A bridesmaid in yellow fixing the veil into the hair of the bride in lace by the window

The bride in lace seen in a tall gilt mirror beside the bright window

The bride in lace holding her bouquet of deep pink and red flowers

The bride in lace walking across the courtyard towards the bride in the burgundy suit, her back turned

Sarah and Kelly seeing each other for the first time in the courtyard

The bride in the burgundy suit turning round to see the bride in lace in the courtyard

Sarah and Kelly kissing in the sunny courtyard after their first look

The ceremony

The ceremony was in the garden under the trees, at an arch of red, pink and orange flowers with terracotta pots on either side. Two children helped them pour sand into a vase, the rings went on, and they walked back up the aisle hand in hand.

The flower arch between terracotta pots on the garden path

Red roses and purple flowers in a terracotta urn beside the aisle

Guests taking their seats on wooden chairs in the shade before the ceremony

Guests in sunglasses chatting in the garden as they wait for the ceremony

Red rose petals scattered on the grass of the aisle between the wooden chairs

The officiant in a black robe waiting alone under the flower arch

The bride in lace stepping out of the château door onto the lawn with her bouquet

The bride in the burgundy suit walking in through the garden gate under the trees

Sarah and Kelly walking towards each other across the lawn beside the château

Sarah and Kelly walking down the aisle together as guests turn to watch

Sarah and Kelly at the flower arch with the officiant in a black robe

Guests in the front rows watching the ceremony from their wooden chairs

Sarah and Kelly at the arch with two children in pink and green suits

Two children helping pour coloured sand into a glass vase

Sarah and Kelly bending down with the two children over the sand ceremony table

A violinist playing beside the seated guests during the ceremony

Sarah and Kelly side by side at the arch, the lace veil falling over one shoulder

Sarah and Kelly facing each other under the arch as the officiant reads, the train on the gravel

The bride in lace reading her vows from a green card, seen past her partner’s shoulder

Sarah and Kelly exchanging rings in front of the officiant

Guests seated on the lawn in front of the château during the ceremony

Sarah and Kelly holding hands under the flower arch, seen from far down the aisle

Sarah and Kelly kissing under the flower arch between the terracotta pots

Sarah and Kelly walking back up the aisle as guests cheer

Sarah and Kelly walking hand in hand across the lawn past the stone fountain

In the garden

We stayed in the garden for a few portraits: among the palms, with the long lace train on the grass, then in front of the ivy and the pale blue shutters of the house and the old wooden doors of the barn.

Sarah and Kelly kissing among the palm fronds with the bouquet between them

The bride in lace spreading out her long veil among the palm trees

The bride in lace looking down at her bouquet in the garden

The bride in lace on the lawn in front of the château beside the empty ceremony chairs

Sarah and Kelly in front of the ivy-covered house with blue shutters

Sarah and Kelly under the pink oleander, the bride in the burgundy suit in front

Sarah and Kelly hugging and smiling in front of the blue shutters

The bride in lace standing by the ivy, seen past the burgundy suit in the foreground

Sarah and Kelly by the arched wooden doors of the old barn

Sarah and Kelly facing each other among potted plants below the ivy and blue shutters

The bride in lace silhouetted in a tall window beside a chandelier, in black and white

The crossed straps on the back of the lace gown beside a dressing mirror, in black and white

Sarah and Kelly stepping out of the house through an arched glass doorway

Cocktail hour

Cocktails were in the shade beside the old stone walls: a champagne tower, flowers everywhere, a rainbow fan and a caricature artist at work. The staff kept everything moving, and were helpful all day without anyone noticing them.

Sarah and Kelly pouring champagne into a tower of coupes

Guests gathering around the champagne tower in the shade of the stone walls

Two coupes of pink champagne raised in a toast

Sarah and Kelly hiding a kiss behind the bouquet under the olive tree

Guests in sunglasses finding their names on the hand-written seating plan

A guest in mirrored sunglasses and a navy suit sipping from his glass

The bride in lace laughing with friends in bright dresses, bouquets in the air

A guest in a floral suit holding a rainbow fan

The bride in the burgundy suit lifting a guest in a floral suit off the ground

Guests in bright dresses laughing together in the shade of the olive trees

A guest in a blue dress pulling a face at the seating plan

A caricature artist drawing Sarah and Kelly on a clipboard

Sarah and Kelly posing for the caricature artist by the stone wall

Guests in suits helping themselves to canapés from a silver tray

A guest in a floral suit and patterned socks sitting cross-legged on a wicker chair

Dinner in the courtyard

Dinner was in the courtyard around the fountain, at long wooden tables with bright flowers in glass vases and paper lanterns overhead. The food was excellent, the speeches brought out a few tears, and the croquembouche came out on an old wine barrel.

A pink flower in a glass bottle beside a framed table card on a wooden table

Bright pink and orange flowers in glass vases on a wooden dinner table

Wooden tables lined with bottles of flowers in the courtyard before dinner

The fountain and dinner tables under paper lanterns, with the old barn doors behind

A dinner table lined with bottles of flowers under the pink oleander

A guest in a floral suit making an entrance across the courtyard behind a rainbow fan

Sarah and Kelly walking into the courtyard for dinner

Guests seated at a dinner table in front of the old barn doors

A tray of food passed over the flowers to guests at dinner

A guest in a blue dress dancing past the dinner tables as a waiter serves

Guests standing at the tables under paper lanterns as dinner begins

A guest laughing at the dinner table beneath the pink oleander

Guests leaning across the table to clink glasses under the oleander

Sarah and Kelly leaning together at their table behind bottles of bright flowers

A guest in a pink gown dancing across the courtyard in front of the blue shutters

A guest dancing between the dinner tables in the courtyard

A guest in black throwing his head back with laughter at dinner

Guests at a long table raising their glasses in front of the ivy and blue shutters

A guest in a green dress raising her glass during the speeches

The bride in the burgundy suit wiping away a tear during the speeches

A guest in a suit laughing as he gives a speech beside the oleander

Friends in bright dresses throwing their arms up in front of the barn door

Sarah and Kelly beside their croquembouche on an old wine barrel

Close-up of a knife cutting into the croquembouche on the wine barrel

Guests lighting sparklers in the courtyard as dusk falls

Friends in green dresses holding sparklers under the trees

Guests lined up with sparklers in front of the ivy-covered house

Sarah and Kelly dancing by the fountain, seen across the empty courtyard

Sarah and Kelly dancing in the courtyard under the white paper lanterns

Sarah and Kelly dancing close as guests watch from the edge of the courtyard

The bride in the burgundy suit dipping the bride in a short fringed dress by the fountain

The vineyard

Just before sunset we walked out into the vineyard, the two of them alone among the vines in the low, warm light, then back along the tree-lined road to the party. The lace gown had been swapped for a short fringed dress by then.

Sarah and Kelly cheek to cheek in the evening light

Sarah and Kelly about to kiss between the vines

Sarah and Kelly kissing in the vineyard, one hand on a vine

Sarah and Kelly kissing in the middle of a tree-lined road

The château at dusk, with Sarah and Kelly small on the lawn by the pond

Into the night

Then the DJ, a family friend, started playing in the old stone hall, and that was it. Sarah and Kelly filled the dance floor and pulled every guest in with them, and the night ended back outside under the lanterns by the fountain.

Sarah and Kelly dancing in front of giant light-up letters

Friends dancing round a table in the stone hall, a small boy in the middle

Guests crowding the dance floor in the stone hall with their arms in the air

The DJ at his decks in front of a giant old wine cask

Sarah and Kelly dancing together as a small boy runs past

A guest in a grey waistcoat dancing in front of the giant wine cask

The bride in the short fringed dress dancing with guests in the stone hall

A guest in a pink tulle dress spinning on the dance floor under pink light

Friends in satin dresses dancing with their arms raised beside the light-up letters

The bride in the floral shirt dancing with friends late in the evening

The fountain in the courtyard at night under lanterns, with the last guests

Guests talking under strings of fairy lights at the end of the night

The bride in the floral shirt laughing with a group of men in shirtsleeves under fairy lights

Photographing at Château du Puits es Pratx

Long tables around the fountain in the courtyard under white paper lanterns

The estate.

A pale stone house with blue shutters, ivy, palms and an old barn, all a few steps from each other. It is beautiful and cosy, and the staff are the best you could work with.

Ceremonies.

In the garden under the trees beside the house, with room for an arch, rows of chairs and everyone close to the couple. The shade keeps the light soft.

The courtyard.

Long tables around the fountain, with oleander, ivy and paper lanterns. It works for dinner in the evening light and for the last guests at the end of the night.

The vineyard.

Vines close to the house, my favourite place here for portraits when the sun is low.

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Questions

Have you photographed at Château du Puits es Pratx before?

Yes: Sarah and Kelly’s wedding on this page, and Daisy and Jona’s. Yes, many times: I know where the shade falls for a ceremony and when the light is best in the vineyard.

How far ahead should we book?

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

Do you charge for travel to Occitanie?

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!