Château de St Paul Wedding

This beautiful wedding was photographed on Europe’s hottest ever day (so far) at Château de St Paul, which provided the perfect backdrop despite the blazing hot sunshine and difficult lighting conditions. One thing that astonishes me about France is discovering venues like Château de St Paul, which was once likely a stop-off point for pilgrims traveling across Europe 700 years ago. There is so much history, tradition, and mystery to discover in rural France, of which this fascinating venue is but a drop in the ocean.

The château is a spellbinding 12th Century castle converted into a beautiful wedding venue about an hour and a half drive east from Bordeaux (47290, Boudy de Beauregard). It accommodates 25 guests in 10 large, luxury, en-suite bedrooms, has its own bonafide 13th Century chapel literally a stone’s throw from the rest of the château’s buildings. With its spacious courtyards, shaded lawn, swimming pool, and Roman-villa-esc layout it’s perfect for the entire wedding day.

The caterers were The Hog King, a family-owned business of native English and French speakers based just south of Limoges who provided a spectacular hog roast and also some beautifully presented canapés, salads, side-dishes, and a delicious vegetarian chilli. These guys were super-professional and the catering operation was on time and very smooth.

The Registrar was Roland Phillips, an English registrar who brought much warmth and humour to the ceremony as he recanted tails of the couple’s history, their background, incorporating anecdotes from their friends and loved ones before a hand-tying ceremony.