Fara & Ben | Wedding at Chateau de Lisse, France

Just what does a wedding at a chateau in the South of France look like? Let me show you!

But first, a disclaimer: if you are a photographer, please look away now for there are way too many images in this blog post and I do not want any of you telling me that this is not how a blog should be done. This blog post is for the people – for the bride and groom and for all of their beautiful guests – and everyone else who has been begging me to see more images. It’s not for you.

Fara and Ben. Ben and Fara. BFF. Oh those two. I have known Ben for about a decade and have photographed him a few times but photographing him on his wedding day was definitely the best of them. When he called me from Los Angeles back in December to say that he was engaged and that they were planning a destination wedding in France, I was thrilled. I didn’t actually believe that I would end up photographing their wedding because all of it just sounded like a dream. And it was. These two got married at the absolutely stunning Chateau de Lisse in Gascony, France and I was there to capture every moment of it. Before traveling there, I had looked at photos of the Chateau on the internet but nothing prepared me for seeing it in real life. It was full of countless beautiful nooks and crannies which made it a photographer’s dream.

The day started with Fara and Ben getting dressed in neighbouring rooms which I found adorable. I then photographed their “first look” and we did some portraits inside the Chateau before the ceremony. I instantly fell in love with the pink Rococco Salon and could have photographed these two all day there. We then headed to the 12th century chapel for their ceremony. There is nothing like getting married in such a historical location. Can you imagine just how many other wedding ceremonies have taken place there before them? I found that thought pretty magical. After the ceremony, the guest threw flower petals on the couple (even from the turrets!). We then did more portraits on the Chateau grounds before they joined their guests for cocktails. The guests drank cocktails from teacups and ate fresh oysters while an accordion played. We then had the wedding breakfast in the shadow of the Chateau and ate until the sun set and that crescent moon made an appearance. Dessert was a Croquembouche which is traditional for French weddings and was adorned with sparklers. Fara and Ben did a tango as their first dance and from there, the real celebrating started.

Congratulations, Fara & Ben! Thank you for taking me along on your adventure and for trusting me to be the one to document such a magical day. I had a blast.

Venue: Chateau de Lisse
Bride’s Dress: Vintage 1930’s from Didier Ludot (Paris)
Hair: James Galvin
Groom’s Suit: Reiss
Flowers: Faith Brennan at Le Coeur Sauvage
Caterer: Soren Hawes at Le Barbacane