A few action items I immediately added to my bucket list after seeing this fete from my dear friend Rebecca Yale… try a Croquembouche, see a France sunset and experience the beauty of Dordogne. Rebecca’s imagery will truly make you feel as if you are there, experiencing every bit along with this darling duo for their multi-day event. And you may just want to add a few things to your wedding wish list after perusing the full gallery.
From Rebecca Yale Photography… Claire and Adam’s wedding in Dordogne was extra special to me because not only was it an amazing week of events at a chateau in France, but Claire also happens to be one of my best friends for 15+ years. I even got to flex my design muscles a little bit and designed the invitation and menu, with the help of some of my amazingly talented stationer friends including Ciarra Claire who made the custom sketch of the venue, Karla Lim of Written Word Calligraphy who made the font for the calligraphy and Valentina Glidden who hand calligraphed all the envelopes and day of paper goods.
The Dordogne region is straight out of a fairytale and many of the little towns feel untouched by the last few hundred years and you walk the streets like you’re walking back into time. The wedding was a a multi-day affair, kicking off with a welcome dinner of pizza and wine at the fairytale like chateau where all 45 of the wedding guests stayed. The next day, which was July 4th, was spent lounging by the pool followed by a rehearsal dinner at a lovely hotel in a nearby town, which was nearly derailed by a crazy hail storm! The wedding day started off bright and sunny, which made for a lovely morning of getting ready followed by a romantic first look in a grove of trees next to the chateau.
One of my favorite moments of the day was during the ceremony when it started to drizzle, Adam ran for an umbrella and held it during their vows to keep them dry—a true gentleman! The rain cleared for about 15 minutes, enough time for us to take a few post ceremony family portraits, but then it came back and this time as a torrential downpour! Guests all took cover in the chateau’s grand living room while the band played and it felt straight out of Downton Abbey. A three course dinner was enjoyed in the chateau’s stable under string lights followed by a second live band to dance the night away to.
Summer sunsets in France are late in the evening so we stole away for a few minutes to take some of my all time favorite golden hour portraits of Claire and Adam in the fields next to the chateau followed by sparklers on their Croquembouche, a traditional French dessert. Guests ended the night in the disco, dancing as a DJ spun into the wee hours of the morning. The next day everyone enjoyed a late sleep in followed by an organic wine tasting with local wines from the region.
Photography: Rebecca Yale Photography | Dress: BHLDN | Rings: Sarah Leonard Jewelry | Hair and Makeup: Trine Juel | Calligraphy: Valentina Glidden | Venue: Chateau de Cazenac | Paper Goods: Rebecca Yale Photography | Veil + Bride's Robe: Lauren Leshansky | Venue Illustration: Ciarra Claire Fine Art | Vow Books: Wedding Story Writer