Charlotte & James

Château du Taillan wedding, Bordeaux

Charlotte and James walking out under white petals, the carved stone arch of Château du Taillan behind them

The morning

Charlotte got ready in the château’s salons, with the dress laid out under an old portrait and her make-up done in the window light. Her bridesmaids wore teal satin robes, and between glasses of champagne they waved down from the windows of the curved façade.

Château du Taillan across the lawn, framed by pine branches under a blue sky

Charlotte’s wedding dress and veil laid over a chair below an old portrait

A make-up artist brushing powder on Charlotte’s face as she sits in a white robe

Charlotte stretched out on the white bed in her robe, orange cushions behind her

Charlotte laughing on the bed beside her pink rose bouquet

Charlotte smiling as her bridesmaids clink champagne glasses above her head

Bridesmaids in teal satin robes drinking champagne around Charlotte in white

Bridesmaids waving from the windows of the château’s curved façade

Bridesmaids in teal robes cheering on a sunny terrace above the vines

James and the groomsmen

James and his groomsmen dressed in a hall with a tall old clock and carved stone panels. James opened the champagne, and then they lined up on the curved stone staircase in their navy suits.

Groomsmen in white shirts doing their ties in a hall with a tall old clock

James in his dark suit opening a bottle of champagne by the window

Groomsmen helping each other into their jackets, in black and white

James and the groomsmen in navy suits raising glasses in the hall with arched doors

The groomsmen lined up on the curved stone staircase with its iron railing

The stone arch

Charlotte put on her lace gown by a tall window, her veil over her face. The ceremony was in the garden in front of the carved stone arch, with columns of pink and white flowers on either side. They walked out together under a shower of white petals.

Charlotte in her lace gown at a tall open window, seen from behind

Charlotte looking through her veil, in black and white

The carved stone arch in the garden with columns of pink and white flowers

Guests on wooden chairs watching Charlotte and James at the carved stone arch

Charlotte and James holding hands with their heads bowed between the flower columns

Drinks on the forecourt

Drinks were on the gravel forecourt in front of the château, with a ham carved at the table. The bridesmaids, now in navy, spread out Charlotte’s veil for the photographs, and the groomsmen lifted her up while James held on.

A cured ham on a carving stand beside a board of sliced charcuterie

Charlotte with guests and a flower girl on the gravel in front of the château

Charlotte and James kissing through her veil, in black and white

Charlotte sitting by the tall clock in the hall, James standing behind her

Guests with drinks by the curved end of the château

Guests sharing food during drinks, a woman in a rust dress in the middle

Bridesmaids in navy spreading Charlotte’s veil on the gravel in front of the château

Charlotte and her bridesmaids in navy cheering on the forecourt

The groomsmen lifting Charlotte while James holds her, the château behind them

The groomsmen jumping in front of the château, in black and white

James kissing Charlotte’s forehead as she smiles, in black and white

The terrace

In the early evening the guests moved onto the terrace beside the house, along the stone balustrade above the park. While the tables waited in the stone hall, a bridesmaid gave her speech outside and had Charlotte doubled over laughing.

A long dinner table with a silver candelabra and pink flowers in the stone hall

Long white tables under the beams and chandeliers of the stone hall

A bridesmaid in navy speaking to the guests on the terrace

Charlotte doubled over laughing beside James on the terrace

Into the vines

We stepped away from everyone for a few minutes: out to the edge of the vineyard, then back across the lawn under a soft grey sky. The château stood pale behind them, with the old pines and cedars of the park on either side.

Charlotte and James walking into the vineyard rows, her skirt in her hand

Charlotte and James looking back over their shoulders, the château behind them, in black and white

Charlotte and James walking across the lawn towards the old pines

Dinner by candlelight

Charlotte and James came in to dinner through the tall red doors with their arms in the air. The long tables stood under beams and chandeliers, with candelabras and pink and white flowers, and the room clapped and cheered all the way through. Later they poured a champagne tower outside, and Charlotte slipped down to the barrel cellar for one more portrait.

Charlotte and James walking in through red doors with their arms raised

Charlotte and guests clapping at the candlelit dinner tables

A guest raising both hands at dinner under a candelabra, in black and white

Charlotte and James pouring a champagne tower outside at night

Charlotte laughing with friends in navy and blue at night

Charlotte standing among the wine barrels in the cellar, in black and white

Dancing

A live band played in a stone room lit blue and purple, and Charlotte spent most of the night on the dance floor, her skirt spinning, with James beside her in front of the band.

Guests dancing around Charlotte in the stone room, arms in the air

The live band playing under blue light against a stone wall

Charlotte and James dancing in front of the band in blue light

Photographing at Château du Taillan

Guests on the gravel terrace beside Château du Taillan, the stone balustrade on the left

The estate.

This is a working wine château and it feels lived in rather than formal. The day spreads between the house, the cellars and the gardens in clear stages, with room for guests to settle at each one: Charlotte and James went from the salons to the garden arch, the gravel forecourt, the terrace and a candlelit stone hall.

The stone arch.

The carved arch stands with trees around it, so the background behind the couple is soft and green rather than open sky. I photograph the vows from the side of the aisle and move to the back for the walk out under the petals.

Light.

The pale façade and the gravel forecourt are bright at midday. When the sun is high I take people onto the terrace or the shaded garden paths, and I keep the vineyard edge for later in the day, as we did with Charlotte and James.

Close to the city.

Le Taillan-Médoc is a short drive from central Bordeaux, so guests staying in the city have an easy transfer.

Check your date Discover packages

Questions

Have you photographed at Château du Taillan before?

Yes: Charlotte and James’s wedding on this page. I know the salons and the curved staircase for getting ready, the carved arch in the garden, the gravel forecourt in front of the house and the edge of the vines for the evening portraits.

Do you charge for travel to the Médoc?

No. Le Taillan-Médoc is close to my base in Bordeaux, and travel anywhere in France is included.

How far ahead should we book?

Most couples book six to eighteen months ahead. Wine estates also have the harvest to plan around in September, so it helps to settle the date with the château first, then with me.

When do we get our photographs?

A preview within 10 days and the full gallery within three months at most.

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