Shane & Billie

Château Lacanaud wedding, Dordogne

Shane and Billie dancing under string lights at Château Lacanaud

Morning

Billie got ready in a bright room under the old beams with her bridesmaids, all in sage green robes. The order of service, the rings and her white bouquet were laid out, there were gift bags for everyone, and the room was full of cheering and hugs.

Close-up of a pearl-studded wedding sandal beside a cream rose and eucalyptus

Wedding rings on the order of service and menu card with Shane and Billie’s names

Billie’s white bouquet and pearl heels on a cream armchair

Billie’s lace wedding dress hanging under the beams, in black and white

Close-up of the white roses and small white blooms in Billie’s bouquet

The stone house and pale grey shutters of Château Lacanaud across the lawn on the morning

Billie having her hair styled in front of the old wooden door

Billie in her white robe chatting beside a rail of sage green bridesmaid dresses

Bridesmaids in sage green robes cheering with their arms in the air

Billie in her hair rollers laughing and reaching out by the tall wooden door

Bridesmaids in sage robes opening their white gift bags under the beams

Bridesmaids lined up with their gift bags, one with her arm raised in delight

Billie hugging a bridesmaid among the hanging dresses

Billie laughing in her robe amid the bustle of hair and make-up

Billie and her bridesmaids relaxing on the bed by the stone fireplace

Billie holding a glass of champagne beside the freestanding bath as bridesmaids chat

Across the house

Shane and his groomsmen dressed in cream linen in a room with a grandfather clock and old portraits. Suede loafers, a watch and buttonholes of white rose and olive, then out onto the lawn in front of the house.

Shane’s cream linen jacket hanging above the fireplace under a large clock

Suede loafers, a watch and a buttonhole of white rose and olive on a white shirt

The groom’s room with a rail of linen suits and a round wooden table

Shane smiling as he is helped into his linen jacket

Suede loafers going on and a cufflink being fastened by the armchair

Shane smiling down as a white rose buttonhole is pinned to his lapel

Shane and two groomsmen fixing their buttonholes by the window and wall clock

Shane in cream linen laughing on a sofa by the door

Shane laughing with two groomsmen on a cream sofa below old paintings

Shane beside a grandfather clock under an old portrait

Shane looking out of a tall window with his hand in his pocket

Shane and two groomsmen walking across the lawn in front of the château

Shane and two groomsmen side by side in cream linen in front of the house

Shane standing on the lawn with his hands in his pockets, the tower behind him

Billie looking out of an upstairs window of the whitewashed stone cottage

Billie’s curls being styled, seen in a round mirror, in black and white

A hairdresser pinning Billie’s long curls into a half-up style

Into the dress

Back upstairs, white flowers went into Billie’s hair and the bridesmaids crowded round the old bathtub for a photograph. Then the lace dress came off its hanger, the bridesmaids lined up in sage green, and Billie was ready.

White flowers being pinned into Billie’s hair

Billie sitting in the open doorway of the whitewashed cottage

Billie having her make-up done by the window as two women watch from the bed

Billie with her eyes closed as her eye make-up is brushed on

Billie reflected in a hand mirror held up in the bridal room

Billie in the old bathtub surrounded by her bridesmaids in robes

Billie and her bridesmaids in robes lined up on the terrace by the hedge

Billie and her bridesmaids raising their arms on the terrace outside the cottage

Billie in her white robe on the terrace above the gardens

Billie in her robe smiling on a cream sofa against the stone wall

Billie stretched out on the cream chaise longue against the stone wall

Billie in her robe looking up at her dress hanging from the beams

Billie touching the lace of her dress, white flowers in her hair

The low lace back of Billie’s dress and the flowers in her hair

Bridesmaids in sage green spreading out the lace train of Billie’s dress

A bridesmaid fastening the strap of Billie’s heel under the lace skirt

Bridesmaids gathered round Billie, fastening her dress from behind

Billie with her long train in the middle of her bridesmaids in sage green

The ceremony

The ceremony was by the pool, under a frame of white fabric and strings of lights, with a singer and his guitar on the lawn. Billie wiped away a tear as she reached Shane. A shower came through during the vows, a clear umbrella went up over them both, and the guests sheltered under their papers.

Bridesmaids walking across the lawn from the château with their bouquets

Shane and his groomsmen waiting under the white fabric by the pool and stone urns

What couples say

“Dina was our Photographer in June '25 in the Dordogne, and she was amazing. So easy to meet her online, organise all of the details easily, and then send her photos we wanted in preparation. She also worked really well with our videographer, and made sure we got every photo we needed. Highly recommend!!”

Hannah and Guy, wedding at Château d’Oche, DordogneSee wedding

Billie walking across the wide lawn towards the ceremony under tall trees

Bridesmaids walking down the aisle under white fabric and fairy lights

Billie reaching Shane at the front, both smiling under the white fabric

Billie wiping away a tear beside Shane at the front of the ceremony

Guests and bridesmaids seated under the white fabric as the ceremony begins

Shane smiling as he reads from a card under the strings of lights

Shane reading his vows to Billie under a clear umbrella

Billie smiling at Shane under the clear umbrella, the tower behind her

Shane and Billie under an umbrella at the end of an aisle scattered with petals

Guests holding papers over their heads during a shower

A woman in yellow reading beside a stone urn as Shane and Billie stand together

Shane putting the ring on Billie’s finger

Shane and Billie walking back down the aisle as guests cheer

Cocktail hour

The rain passed as quickly as it came. Drinks and canapés went round the lawn, guests settled into wicker chairs in front of the château, and Shane and Billie raised a glass to each other by the courtyard.

Billie and Shane greeted by guests in front of the château after the ceremony

Shane and Billie raising their glasses in front of the château

Shane and Billie kissing on the lawn by the courtyard

Guests mingling between wicker armchairs on the lawn, the tents behind them

A tray of canapés carried across the lawn

Guests on the lawn with drinks in front of Château Lacanaud

Guests reaching for canapés from a wooden board during drinks

A bridesmaid in sage green hugging a guest beside the wicker chairs under a cedar

Guests chatting with glasses of champagne at a high table on the lawn

A man in a cream suit and hat flinging his arms wide among guests on the lawn

Billie with her bridesmaids, seen from behind, facing the château

Portraits

For portraits we walked the estate: the little jetty on the lake, the gravel courtyard and its blue shutters, the rows of vines and the stone fountain by the door. Lacanaud gives a different backdrop every few minutes, and Billie’s train came along for all of it.

Shane and Billie small in the distance on the gravel courtyard beside the hedge

Billie and Shane laughing in front of the château tower

Shane kissing Billie’s forehead in front of the pale blue shutters

Billie with her long train on the gravel courtyard, the château behind her

Shane hugging Billie close as she laughs in the courtyard

Billie holding her bouquet over her head between two pale blue shutters

Shane watching Billie walk away across the gravel, her train spread behind

Shane and Billie walking together between rows of vines

Billie resting her head against Shane among the green vines

The lace back and thin straps of Billie’s dress among the vines

Billie walking away down a row of vines, her lace train behind her

Shane dipping Billie for a kiss in a grassy row of vines

Shane and Billie walking hand in hand through the vines, in black and white

Billie peeking out from behind a white parasol by the fountain, in black and white

Billie with a white parasol by the stone fountain at the château door

Dinner and dancing

Dinner was under a stretch tent on the lawn, with olive branches, white flowers and candles down the tables. During one of the speeches Billie held up handwritten signs, which had the whole tent laughing. At dusk the lights came on by the pool for their first dance.

Inside the stretch tent, the seating plan on an easel and long tables beyond

Olive branches, white flowers and candles along the wooden dinner table

A pillar candle in a glass hurricane among wine glasses and a pale blue plate

Guests on their feet clapping at their places under the stretch tent

Shane and Billie walking across the lawn towards dinner, the château behind

The stretch tent on the lawn with guests seated at long tables

Close-up of a guest cutting into a starter beside a glass of white wine

Guests laughing and waving at their table under the tent

Billie laughing at the top table between olive branches and candles

A guest in a cream jacket standing to give a speech at the top table

Billie throwing her arms up at the top table during a speech

A man with his hands on the shoulders of a woman in a hat, in black and white

Billie smiling at the top table beside a guest in a cream jacket

Billie covering her face as Shane laughs during a speech

Shane standing with his arms open at the top table as Billie laughs

Billie holding up a handwritten sign behind the top table during a speech

Billie holding up a second handwritten sign as the men at the top table laugh

Billie holding up a picture behind the top table as Shane laughs

Billie hugging a guest in cream at the top table after his speech

The tent glowing with string lights at dusk

Shane and Billie walking onto the lawn under the fairy lights by the pool

Shane and Billie’s first dance under strings of lights by the pool

Shane and Billie holding each other close and kissing during their first dance

Guests joining Shane and Billie on the lawn under the fairy lights

Photographing at Château Lacanaud

Shane and Billie on the small jetty at the edge of the lake

The house.

Pale stone, blue shutters and a gravel courtyard, near Eymet in the south of the Dordogne. Getting ready happens in bright rooms under old beams, and the couple and their guests can stay on site.

Ceremonies.

The woods, the lawns, the courtyard or, as Shane and Billie chose, by the pool. A frame of fabric and lights over their aisle kept the setting soft, and a passing shower stopped nothing.

Portraits.

The lake with its little jetty, the vines beside the house and the fountain by the door are all a short walk apart, so portraits stay relaxed and the guests are never left for long.

Dinner.

A tent on the lawn with open sides looking out to the trees, and later the first dance under the lights by the pool as it gets dark.

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Questions

Have you photographed at Château Lacanaud before?

Yes: Shane and Billie’s wedding on this page, and Fran and Guy’s. I know the walk from the lake to the vines and back, and where everyone can shelter when a shower comes through.

How far ahead should we book?

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

Do you charge for travel to the Dordogne?

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!