Judy & Slava

Château Erigoye wedding, Bordeaux

Slava waiting with his eyes down on the drive as Judy walks out of the house behind him

A slow morning

Judy’s satin dress, veil and crystal sandals were laid out on a rose-patterned chair. Her morning was unhurried and a lot of fun: hair slicked back, red lipstick, a white robe and a song into the shower head by the bath.

Judy’s white satin dress and veil laid over a rose-patterned chair

Judy’s white sandals with crystal straps on a rose-patterned chair

Judy in her robe having her lips painted, her hair slicked back, in black and white

Judy in a white robe touching her necklace and looking into the camera, in black and white

Judy in her robe laughing and singing into the shower head beside the bath

Judy perched on the edge of the bath in her white robe, in black and white

Slava

Slava got ready in a bright room with an old rug: black shoes, a pale blue bow tie, cufflinks and a watch. He was calm all morning, and it showed in front of the camera.

Slava putting on his shoes on an old sofa in a room with a patterned rug

Slava in his dark suit and blue bow tie, hands pressed together, looking at the camera

Slava leaning back in an armchair with his hand on his chin

The first look

Judy put on her satin corset dress and had a coupe of champagne in front of the dark leather doors. Then Slava waited on the drive with his eyes down while she walked out of the house behind him. We stayed around the house for portraits: the stone steps, the cypresses, the staircase landing under the iron chandelier and an old sofa where Slava ended up on the floor.

Coupes of champagne on a wooden table in the sun

Judy in her satin corset dress holding a champagne coupe in front of dark leather doors

Judy with red lipstick and a coupe of champagne between two iron door rings

Judy and Slava kissing on the drive beside lavender and olive trees

Judy and Slava on the wide stone steps below the château’s façade

Judy kissing Slava with her hand on his cheek in the garden

Judy close up behind her veil, red lips and her ring hand raised

Judy holding her veil across her face in front of the stone house

Judy under her veil, hand on her heart, Slava in the foreground by the château, in black and white

Judy and Slava kissing on the cobbles beside a line of cypresses, her veil lifting

Judy on the staircase landing under a black iron chandelier

Judy on an old sofa while Slava sits on the floor beside her

Judy sitting on a rose-patterned sofa in her dress, legs crossed

Judy with her chin on her hand and the veil behind her, in black and white

Vows under blue flowers

The ceremony arch stood on the stone terrace at the edge of the park, covered in blue and white hydrangeas, with the vines behind it. Judy carried a big bouquet in the same blues and came in with two guests at her side. Under the arch there was bread, laughter and a lot of holding hands.

The ceremony arch of blue and white hydrangeas on the stone terrace, the vines beyond

Slava walking with a bridesmaid in navy along the drive towards the ceremony

Guests in dark suits and sunglasses raising their drinks on the terrace

Judy holding a large bouquet of blue flowers against a pale stone wall

Judy standing by the stone wall with her blue bouquet and long blue ribbons

Judy arriving at the flower arch on the terrace with two guests as Slava waits

Judy and Slava facing each other under the blue flower arch with the officiant

Judy feeding Slava a bite under the arch, a round loaf on a board beside them

Judy smiling at Slava as they hold hands under the hydrangea arch

Slava smiling at Judy through the flowers of the arch, in black and white

Judy and Slava hugging under the arch as a man in a dark suit walks up

In the vines

After the ceremony we walked into the vines next to the estate. The sky was white and soft, which is kind to skin and green leaves, and Slava ended up carrying Judy down a row.

Judy and Slava standing close in a row of green vines

Judy and Slava kissing between the vines, leaves soft in the foreground

Judy holding Slava’s face as she looks into the camera, in black and white

Judy and Slava walking through the vine rows towards the camera

Slava carrying Judy in his arms in the vines, both laughing

Drinks in the park

Drinks were outside, with chefs at a counter of fresh vegetables and juice, standing tables under the trees and friends in pink settling onto a bench at the edge of the field. Judy took a moment on her own to look out over the valley.

Two chefs at a counter with juice glasses, a yellow watering can and fresh vegetables

Guests laughing and talking at standing tables under a big tree

Judy laughing on a bench at the edge of the field with friends in pink dresses

Judy alone in the vines looking out over the green valley

Judy laughing with friends by the stone building, in black and white

Dinner under fairy lights

Dinner was in the white reception room, with blue flowers hanging from the ceiling and running down the tables, gold-rimmed plates and blue glasses. The room filled with hugs before anyone sat down, and later Slava twirled Judy across the floor.

Blue and purple flowers and gold-rimmed plates on the dinner table

Long tables in the white reception room with blue flowers hanging overhead

A table set with gold cutlery, blue glasses and a centrepiece of blue flowers

Blue flowers down the middle of a long table, seen from above

The reception room under a ceiling of fairy lights, ready for dinner

Guests laughing with drinks at a high table outside before dinner

Judy hugging a guest in the reception room under the fairy lights

Slava kissing Judy in the reception room, guests at the tables behind

Judy and Slava smiling at their table during dinner

Slava twirling Judy on the dance floor under a hanging flower installation

Dancing

The dancing started in front of the DJ booth and did not stop. There was a white cake with sparklers, Slava lifted high on a chair, and circle dances across the patterned floor until late.

A guest in a floral dress dancing with her arms out among the crowd

Two guests in sunglasses striking a pose on the dance floor under the fairy lights

Judy and Slava kissing beside their white cake with sparklers

Judy and Slava cutting the white cake, red berries round each tier and sparklers on top

Slava lifted high on a chair above the guests, his arm in the air

Guests dancing in a fast circle holding hands, in black and white

Guests holding hands in a circle dance on the patterned floor

A guest hugging a laughing woman in a short white dress on the dance floor

Photographing at Château Erigoye

The pale stone façade of Château Erigoye with white shutters, across the sunny gravel drive

The house.

The façade is symmetrical and plain, with a pediment and a small balcony, which makes it a calm background for a couple standing on the drive: Judy and Slava’s first look happened there. Inside, a staircase landing with an iron rail and a large chandelier frames one person at a time.

The park.

Lawns, mature trees and cypresses give shade and depth around the house. Judy and Slava’s ceremony arch stood on the stone terrace at the edge of the park, looking out towards the trees and the vines.

Light.

The terraces and the pool face south, so the afternoon light has direction to it. Portraits in the park work best once the sun drops lower; on Judy and Slava’s day soft cloud made the vines easy to work in.

Rooms.

There are two reception rooms, around 200 m² between them, and one is sound-insulated, so dinner and dancing can each have their own space. Judy and Slava’s dinner was in a white room with fairy lights across the ceiling.

Check your date Discover packages

Questions

Have you photographed at Château Erigoye?

Yes: Judy and Slava’s wedding on this page. I know the house, the park and where the light falls in the afternoon, from the drive in front of the façade to the staircase landing and the vines next door.

Is travel to Château Erigoye extra?

No. Travel within France is included in every package.

Can you cover the whole weekend?

Yes. With guests staying on site, a welcome dinner the evening before is easy to add, for €850.

How far ahead should we book?

Most couples book six to eighteen months ahead, and weekends with guests on site tend to be planned furthest in advance.

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