Dreamy slow wedding at Chateau Rigaud near Bordeaux

Nov 06, 2023 | Weddings

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Pin it

During a road trip across southern France to visit potential wedding venues, Lauren and Marcus fell in love with the chic style and relaxed atmosphere of Chateau Rigaud near Bordeaux. Their vision of a dreamy slow wedding just seemed to fit amid the sea of wildflowers and rolling vineyards in the beautiful French countryside.

On the wedding morning, Lauren and bridesmaids got ready in the vast medieval bridal suite, sipping vintage Dom Pérignon as the slow wedding day started to unfold. Guests began arriving in the early afternoon to enjoy pre-ceremony drinks on the chateau lawn, before a French accordionist invited them to take a gentle stroll out into the vines, where a long entrance aisle has been cut into the meadow. The walkway opened into clearing for the ceremony, framed with a rainbow of flowers and views of the valley.

"As the guests took their seats, they caught glimpses of the bridal party as they stepped out of the chateau and made their way up the winding pathway, theatrically dipping in and out of view," explains their wedding photographer, Pattie Fellowes. "Lauren looked stunning in a fitted Ava Laurenne gown and Badgley Mischka heels with silk ribbons."

After the ceremony, Lauren and Marcus led their guests to a cocktail reception in the chateau garden, followed by a refined dinner celebrating fresh produce and local delicacies. "At Chateau Rigaud, couples don’t cut a traditional cake," adds Pattie, a Fine Art Curation member. "Instead, with a bottle of champagne, Lauren and Marcus knocked the top of a Piece Montee - a French artistic tower of profiteroles. The evening was wrapped up with a spectacular firework display and dancing until the morning."