Deep green winter wedding at Château Leognan

This styled shoot was inspired by the beautiful love story between Emma and Matthew Seurin, which took place at Château Leognan in the 19th century and had a profound impact on the history of this French château. After her husband’s death, Emma had a chapel built in the grounds of the estate that had housed their love story to commemorate their eternal feelings. Today, the chapel is still a sacred place where religious ceremonies can be held.

Château Leognan is a perfect place to capture the essence of a wedding as it is both modern and traditional and very intimate.
Inspired by the magnificent white façade of this romantic chapel, the styled shoot aims to inspire future brides and grooms who want to host their wedding in winter.

The organizer of the shoot, Marine by Melissa Wilpotte in the southwest of France, wanted to convey the festive and warm atmosphere of two families coming together in tender and beautiful moments to celebrate the love of their children.

While the shoot primarily emphasized the beauty of interpersonal relationships, it was also about refined details, which were captured in “flatlay” images of the bride and groom’s accessories by photographer Aude Lucas.
French jeweler Cecile von Nâam added a touch of sophistication with exquisite wedding rings, whose thousands of facets reflected the light of a radiant wedding day.
In the same spirit of savoir-faire, Sylvie from Insieme Creations created a wedding stationery that picked up on the dark green tones of the shoot. Through the quality of the paper chosen and the careful selection of a romantic font, the wedding invitations spoke a thousand words about the finesse of this French wedding.

Intimate shots of the bride getting ready expressed her bond with her mother and maid of honor, and her father’s “first look” symbolized how emotions are at their peak on a day like this. The bride wore two wedding dresses on the day, matching a pair of shoes by Amina Muaddi, provided by Parenthese boutique. For the ceremony, the bride wore a wedding dress by Zoe Rowyn with a large knot in the back and delicate buttons at the neck and wrists. For the evening look, the bride wore an equally glamorous and effortlessly tight-fitting gown by Sarah Seven, both from wedding dress boutique About Love & Co.
In another room, the groom got ready in a friendly atmosphere with his best man and future stepfather. He wore a handsome black suit from Bordeaux boutique Blandin Delloye.

For the ceremony, Marie-France Coussi from Artmania Fleur designed a white and green floral arrangement that perfectly showcased the front of the chapel by using the columns of the façade for tall floral structures.

Aurelie Cousseau celebrated this secular ceremony with the “handfasting” ritual, in which the hands of the bride and groom are joined with a ribbon as a living symbol of their eternal love. Their hands were tied together with three knots as an expression of their shared past, their present vows and their dreams for the future. After exchanging their wedding rings, the newlyweds walked down the aisle surrounded by their loved ones to the soft melodies of Aurelie and her musician.

As a wedding ceremony in France is usually followed by a gourmet cocktail buffet, the shoot included a moment of friendly tasting at the table of Monblanc Traiteu, a top French caterer in the South West. The shoot thus embraced French lifestyle and delicacies as well as a joyful wedding cocktail atmosphere.

Last but not least, this styled shoot was a tribute to the wedding dance floor. The bride and groom kicked off a crazy dance party with sparklers. No wedding in France is complete without a fountain of champagne, and the newlyweds got the party going by pouring the glasses.
For the evening, Olinka Hairart ‘s hair and makeup team changed the bride’s look from a classic festival hairstyle to a modern ponytail that better complemented the evening gown.

Photographer Aude Lucas and videographer Stéphane Morin from My Wedding Memory have captured these emotions and details with talent.
The shooting team would like to send a message to all future bridal couples with these images – to focus on what really matters: Love, friendship and joy.