Azeezat & Roger

Château Gassies wedding, Bordeaux

Azeezat and Roger standing apart at the far end of the mirror fountain, the château behind them

Morning

Azeezat got ready in a bright room under the roof, with her dress on the old wardrobe and her bridesmaids in shades of red. There was champagne, a lot of laughing and a few quiet minutes at the arched window before the dress went on. Her father came up to see her in her veil.

Azeezat’s wedding dress hanging on an old wooden wardrobe under a crystal chandelier

Azeezat’s bridal shoe hanging from a crystal chandelier above the arched window

Azeezat having her make-up done by the window, in black and white

Azeezat having her make-up done, reflected in a tall gilded mirror

Close-up of the back of Azeezat’s silver satin robe, Bride embroidered in white

Azeezat in her robe opening champagne with her bridesmaids in red

Azeezat laughing by the yellow curtains with a bottle of champagne

A bridesmaid in red reflected in an oval wooden mirror against a white wall

Azeezat in her robe holding a glass of champagne beside vases of red flowers

Azeezat and her bridesmaids drinking champagne together under the skylight

Azeezat’s white Bride slippers on the wooden floor beside a patterned rug

Azeezat sitting on the floor under an arched window with her bouquet

Azeezat at the arched window from behind, Bride written on her robe

Bouquet of red roses, amaryllis and peach flowers on a marble table

Azeezat leaning back on the wooden floor in her robe, looking into the window light

Azeezat in her robe standing beside her wedding dress on the wardrobe

A bridesmaid helping Azeezat lift her dress off the hanger, in black and white

A bridesmaid fastening the buttons down the back of Azeezat’s bodice

A bridesmaid in a head wrap arranging Azeezat’s long braids from behind

Azeezat from behind in her dress, the long train spread across the floor

Azeezat turning towards the camera beside the wooden wardrobe, her braids down her back

Portrait of Azeezat in her strapless dress, hands clasped under her chin

A bridesmaid in red kneeling to help Azeezat with her shoes under the chandelier

A bridesmaid lifting Azeezat’s long veil as she sits in her dress

Azeezat’s veil against the window light, in black and white

Azeezat in her veil looking back over her shoulder, in black and white

Azeezat in her dress and veil standing by a gilded chair under the chandelier

Azeezat with her bridesmaids in red in front of the old wardrobe

Azeezat’s parents in green traditional dress seen through her veil as she turns to them

Azeezat’s father in green traditional dress smiling beside her in her veil

Azeezat’s mother’s green beaded fan and coral bracelets, with a matching green handbag

Azeezat’s mother in green with orange beads hugging her

A black bow tie on champagne glasses beside a watch in its leather case

Close-up of Roger’s black bow tie resting on upturned champagne flutes

The groom’s room reflected in a round gilded convex mirror on the wall

Across the house

Roger and his groomsmen dressed in a room full of old furniture: braces, bow ties, cufflinks and plenty of jokes. He waited for the last part in the library. Before the ceremony they saw each other for the first time by the window, holding hands.

Roger checking his braces in a mirror, in black and white

Roger in braces laughing as a friend helps him with his shoes

Close-up of black dress shoes being put on above a pale patterned rug

Two men in white shirts dressing by the curtained window under a chandelier

Roger in his braces fastening a shirt cuff beside a dark wooden cabinet

Roger laughing with a friend while getting dressed, in black and white

Roger tying his bow tie while his groomsmen dress behind him

Roger and his groomsmen dressing in front of the old wardrobe and a gilded mirror

Roger fastening his cufflinks next to champagne glasses

A groomsman in navy pinning the buttonhole on Roger’s dinner jacket

A watch in an open black leather travel case, held out on a palm

Roger reading a small handwritten card, close on his hands and shirt cuffs

Roger sitting in an armchair as his groomsmen chat with drinks around the room

Roger and his groomsmen in navy suits laughing together in the room

Roger and his groomsmen seated in a circle of chairs with drinks under the chandelier

Roger seated with three groomsmen in navy suits standing behind him

The groomsmen resting their hands on Roger’s shoulders as he sits in the middle

Roger in his dinner jacket sitting in a blue armchair

Roger sitting cross-legged in a carved armchair on a patterned rug

Roger seated in the armchair looking straight at the camera, a gilded mirror above

Close-up of Roger fastening his cuff, a red buttonhole on his lapel

Roger with a drink standing between tall wooden bookshelves in the library

Roger in his dinner jacket leaning on a bookcase in the château library

Roger waiting with his back turned for the first look as Azeezat comes in

Azeezat and Roger holding hands at their first look by an arched window

The cypress-lined garden path seen through the curved bars of an arched window

Red anthurium and hydrangea decorating the white ceremony chairs along the aisle

The ceremony

They married under the stone arcade by the gardens, with deep red flowers at the arch and along the aisle. The light rain outside did not reach anyone. Roger read his vows through tears, Azeezat laughed through hers, and they walked out between the cypress trees under a shower of petals.

Ceremony arch of deep red flowers in front of the arcade’s shuttered doors

The ceremony set under the stone arcade, white chairs and red flowers below three arched windows

Roger walking along the garden path to the ceremony

Guests in colourful outfits clapping in their seats under the arcade

Azeezat coming up the garden path towards the ceremony as guests turn to watch

Roger wiping away tears as Azeezat walks towards him, in black and white

Guests seated under the stone arcade as Azeezat walks down the aisle

Azeezat’s father in green greeting Roger at the flower arch as Azeezat arrives

Guests in traditional dress watching the ceremony under the arcade

A guest in a red and gold head wrap clapping during the ceremony

A bridesmaid in red wiping away tears among the guests during the ceremony

Roger wiping away tears as he reads his vows

Azeezat smiling at Roger across the aisle at the ceremony

Azeezat and Roger at the red flower arch under the arcade’s arched windows

Guests in traditional dress in the front row, Azeezat’s dress in the foreground

Azeezat laughing with her hands together during the ceremony

Roger sliding the ring onto Azeezat’s finger

A guest in glasses holding a red flower by the open doors of the arcade

Azeezat and Roger walking back up the aisle as husband and wife under the arched windows

Azeezat and Roger walking out between cypress trees as guests throw petals

Azeezat and Roger leaving the ceremony past the garden and the château

Azeezat and Roger walking away along the long stone building, her train behind her

Guests gathered under the arcade beyond the mirror fountain and the cypress trees

Cocktail hour

By the time the guests came out with their drinks the rain had stopped. Traditional dress and head wraps next to suits and summer dresses, cocktails at the bar, and friends posing on the stepping stones of the fountain.

Guests in traditional dress and head wraps talking in the château garden

Guests laughing together after the ceremony

Guests gathered under the arcade at cocktail hour, in black and white

Guests ordering cocktails at the bar under white parasols

A chef serving guests in red and green head wraps at cocktail hour

A cocktail being poured at the bar with fresh basil

Friends in colourful outfits posing on the stepping stones of the fountain

Sunset

The clouds opened just in time. We walked the lawns in front of the château, the bridesmaids spread out the train, and we finished at the mirror fountain as the sun went down behind the cypresses.

Azeezat and Roger walking across the lawn in front of Château Gassies

Azeezat and Roger facing each other across the garden path in front of the château

Azeezat kissing Roger’s cheek with her red bouquet in the garden

Azeezat and Roger embracing on the gravel path between the cypresses and the stone building

Roger hugging Azeezat under her veil beside the château walls

Azeezat smiling with her red bouquet in front of the château

Bridesmaids in red spreading Azeezat’s train on the lawn

Bridesmaids raising their bouquets around Azeezat on the garden path

Four groomsmen in navy suits standing spread out on the lawn before the château

Roger walking towards the camera with his groomsmen in front of the château

The whole wedding party laughing around Azeezat and Roger on the château lawn

Dinner in the ballroom

The ballroom looks like a page from a wedding magazine: stone walls, chandeliers, round tables with red flowers and gold candlesticks. Azeezat and Roger danced their way in, and the speeches brought out the tears again.

The ballroom set for dinner with round tables and chandeliers

Table centrepiece of red flowers, gold candlesticks and wine glasses

Sunlight pouring through the arched ballroom doors past a tall flower arrangement

A menu with a drawing of the château on a plate at the ballroom table

Column of red and pink flowers beside the ballroom’s stone wall

A round dinner table with red flowers below the arched window of the ballroom

Azeezat and Roger at the far end of the empty ballroom among the set tables

Azeezat and Roger holding hands beside the vines in the late afternoon

Azeezat in her veil with eyes closed in the evening light

Azeezat and Roger face to face with the setting sun behind them

Azeezat and Roger kissing behind her veil, seen through the tulle

Azeezat’s veil lifting in the wind by the fountain, in black and white

Azeezat and Roger at the edge of the mirror fountain at sunset

Azeezat and Roger kissing beside the fountain as the sun goes down

Azeezat and Roger making their entrance through the white doors with arms raised

Guests cheering in the ballroom as Azeezat and Roger arrive, in black and white

Azeezat and Roger dancing into the ballroom for dinner

Guests on their feet with arms raised, cheering in the ballroom

Guests at dinner in the candlelit ballroom from above

A plated starter on the white tablecloth at dinner

Azeezat and Roger walking between the tables in the ballroom as guests watch

A guest laughing and clapping at his table during the speeches

Guests holding up their phone lights across the candlelit ballroom

Roger smiling as Azeezat wipes away a tear during the speeches

Three guests in head wraps and traditional dress at a dinner table

Guests cheering at their tables beneath the wooden beams of the ballroom

Into the night

After the first dance came the croquembouche with sparklers and a champagne tower. Later Azeezat and Roger changed into traditional outfits in pink and white, and the dance floor stayed full late into the night.

Roger twirling Azeezat in their first dance

Azeezat and Roger dancing in a haze of light under the chandeliers

Azeezat spinning on the dance floor among guests, blurred with movement

Azeezat dancing with her friends on the dance floor

A packed dance floor in the ballroom seen from above

Guests dancing with banknotes in the air, a man in a grey suit with his arm raised

Azeezat and Roger behind a croquembouche with sparklers

Roger pouring champagne into a tower of glasses

Silhouettes of guests dancing in green and orange party lights

Azeezat and Roger arriving in pink and white traditional outfits with bead necklaces

Roger in white and pink traditional dress with a bead necklace and a cane

Guests in red traditional dress dancing with their arms raised

Guests in traditional dress and coral beads dancing together late in the evening

Guests in suits and red dresses dancing in a line under red lights

A guest in a red lace dress laughing on the dance floor

A guest at the door welcoming Azeezat and Roger back in their traditional outfits

Roger in sunglasses dancing beside guests in pink head wraps

Roger in sunglasses and long bead necklaces surrounded by guests under pink light

The candlelit ballroom seen at night through a tall arched glass door

Photographing at Château Gassies

Château Gassies lit up at night behind the fountain

The estate.

Thirty minutes from Bordeaux, on the edge of the vineyards, with open countryside around it. The house, the gardens and the ballroom are close together, so the day moves easily from one to the next.

The mirror fountain.

A long reflecting pool in front of the château. At sunset the house, the cypresses and the couple all appear twice, and it is my favourite place here for portraits.

Ceremonies.

Outdoors, framed by the château and the gardens. Azeezat and Roger married under the stone arcade beside the garden, which a light shower did not disturb.

The ballroom.

Stone walls, tall windows and chandeliers, light-filled by day and warm by candlelight, with room for a long dinner and a full dance floor.

Check your date Discover packages

Questions

Have you photographed at Château Gassies before?

Yes: Azeezat and Roger’s wedding on this page. I know where the fountain catches the evening light and where everyone can stay dry if it rains.

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!