A wedding at the Chateau Rigaud in the South of France sounds pretty darn dreamy, and from the looks of the images from MADfotos below, it was dreamy and then some. The entire affair has a relaxed yet elegant feel, making this gallery of images picture perfect in every sense of the word. See it all here.
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From the Bride and the Groom…We wanted our day to reflect ourselves as a couple and as individuals. We knew we wanted a relaxed, casual and fun wedding weekend to celebrate and for everyone to return the next day. Our love for the outdoors, warm summer sunshine (something the UK cannot guarantee), nothing too polished with a bohemian vibe and a local church in which to marry was the initial criteria.
Tom proposed in France while skiing and as we wanted a warm, summer wedding, France seemed a great idea. Having our family and friends in the holiday spirit all weekend was ideal as everyone was already suitably relaxed!! The Chateau was so perfect for us, it was just the right size, large enough to be quite striking with the ultimate ‘Wow’ factor yet still very intimate. It was the right mix of a “home from home” with all the benefits of a luxury boutique hotel all rolled into one! The Chateau comes fully staffed with two unbelievable chefs serving the most exquisite food to michellin star standards using fresh produce from their on site vegetable garden. There is also a hill top church where our ceremony was held, it is only a 5min drive from the chateau and has the most stunning views.
We loved that every part of the Chateau was used, giving our guests new surprises as they wonder the grounds. We loved feeling a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of London and being surrounded by the beautiful French countryside and vineyards.
Ideas related to the decor were mainly following the theme of the Chateau. We collected various vases for the tables and paper matched the table numbers which we felt complemented the barn. In order to keep the children entertained we made up little goodie bags. We hosted a bbq the following day where we had a Gin & Tonic bar and garden games such as table tennis, croquet and of course the pool was well used.
It would be very difficult to suggest a favourite moment of the day as in our opinion there were so many. Standing at the Alter in the church facing our guests and watching the most amazing sunlight stream into the church as the back doors opened up onto the rolling vineyards was exceptional. Looking around at our guests enjoying themselves and generally enjoying every moment as everything seemed to work seamlessly without any stress.
If we were to offer any words of wisdom then we would have to recommend to not over talk about the day in the run up – people like a surprise so try and keep tight lipped and don’t let the wedding be all you as a couple talk about! On the day make sure you take everything in as it goes so fast. Everything that mattered in the run up fades into insignificance on the day so try not to worry too much. Lastly, definitely make sure you relax after – its a long day therefore wonderful to have some down time to relax and reflect.
Photography: Annie From MADfotos | Cinematography: Denee Motion Boutique Wedding Cinema | Floral Design: Flowers in the Vines | Bridesmaids: Massimo Dutti | Make up and Hair: Laura Cawte | DJ: Scarlett Entertainment | Groom's Suit: J.Crew | Best Man Suits: Massimo Dutti | Bride's Dress: Tatyana Merenyuk from Frou Frou Bridal | Bride’s Necklace: Banana Republic | Bride’s Shoes: H&M | Groom’s Shoes: Reiss | Tie: Reiss | wedding coodinator: Chateau Rigaud