Destination Wedding Videographer: Cognac, South of France
One of the absolute highlights of 2023 as a Brighton wedding photographer / destination wedding videographer was shooting the beautiful Lucy & Chris wedding at a Chateau in Cognac, South of France. It was everything you expect from a French wedding. Think vineyards, vintage wines, riviera styled suits, SUN, incredible light and so many beautiful & wonderful people. Lucy & Chris opted for the all day video package, along with Super 8mm added as an extra.
The Timeline
After a long journey travelling down to Cognac (including a broken down van but let’s not talk about that), we stayed in the wonderful HÔTEL L’YEUSE for a couple of nights before the wedding. Destination weddings are all about the holiday people make out of it, so we made the most of the sun and did some exploring (now in a replacement hire car).
Lucy & Chris married at No.3 The Chataeu . The chataeu has been renovated and restored to its former grandeur, and is surrounded by vineyards and the Cognac countryside. This means that locations for the ceremony and dinner were plentiful, with beautiful backdrops in every corner. Lucy and Chris opted for a ceremony in the sun underneath the main part of the chataeu before moving to the swimming pool area for the reception.
Friend-led Ceremony
This was one the most magical friend-led ceremonies I have had the pleasure of shooting. It included a sing along of Elbow’s One Day Like This, musical instruments, heartfelt readings & an opportunity for all guests to share some of their definitions of love on personal cards.
Afterwards the wedding party moved to the swimming pool area with a DJ (also a Sax player), drinks & canapés. This is where I love to capture those small, candid moments through being as unobtrusive as possible. The juxtaposition of a grand chateau as a backdrop against the chilled pool party vibes of the wedding party makes for a chic and stylish wedding film. Dinner and speeches were in the garden, followed by dancing long into the night.
As a destination wedding videographer, I love to capture the little moments you might miss. My style is candid, unobtrusive and alternative, with the Super 8mm giving a rustic feel to the video. One of the reasons why people choose me is because people think I'm one of the guests! I will chat with you, play with you, and will become your number one hype woman. I will make you feel at ease behind the camera and you won't even realise you're being papped! Destination weddings are so special and I absolutely love being part of them.