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A French-American wedding at Château de Bonnemare : The French Art de Vivre in Normandy

Writer: Aline Largenton
Aline Largenton
3 days ago
3 min read

Already legally married in the United States, M&T wanted to celebrate their marriage in France as well, in the region where the groom was born.


They chose Château de Bonnemare in Normandy for its timeless French elegance: a romantic, historic setting with beautiful gardens, where they could gather loved ones who had traveled from around the world.


Through this selection of photographs, I invite you to discover their château wedding, from getting ready to the evening celebrations.


Vendors of the wedding :

Wedding Planner : DDay Wedding Planner Angers

Floral Designer : Efflorescence Fleuriste

Wedding designer : Marbo In Love


Wedding at Château de Bonnemare : getting ready in historical rooms


The day began in two historic suites, each with its own atmosphere.


For the bride, the Louis XVI Suite offered two light-filled rooms: a bedroom in soft pastel blue and a sitting room decorated in shades of yellow.

The groom got ready in the Chambre de Parade, a characterful suite with a more intimate feel, featuring a canopy bed, rich red curtains, and dark wood furniture.


I love this early part of the day, when each partner is surrounded by their closest loved ones. There is a sense of anticipation in the air, and emotions are close to the surface. My eye is drawn to gestures, textures, and details, but above all to the exchanges that make these preparations so intimate.


Photographing these moments at Château de Bonnemare also preserves the memory of the spaces in which they unfold. Their colors, light, and decor become part of the day’s story.


  • Aerial view of the Bonnemare estate, with buildings surrounding a green courtyard crossed by gravel paths.
    Bonnemare from above
  • A long avenue lined with young trees leads to a brick pavilion at Château de Bonnemare beneath a blue sky.
    The approach to Château de Bonnemare
  • A gold-framed portrait of a woman in a white dress, a red shawl and a pale headdress.
    A painted portrait inside the château
  • A dark suit jacket and white shirt hang in front of a glazed door with small panes.
    The groom’s suit before the ceremony
  • Black-and-white photograph of an oval portrait above a cabinet with small drawers, beside a globe lamp.
    An antique portrait and chest of drawers
  • Window light forms rectangles on the floor of a pale corridor leading to a moulded double door.
    Light in the corridor at Bonnemare
  • Overhead black-and-white photograph of the groom’s black shoes, bow tie, watch and a card on a dark background.
    The groom’s accessories in black and white
  • A white wedding dress hangs against a pastel-panelled double door, with bridal shoes on the floor.
    The wedding dress against the panelling
  • A gold-framed portrait of a woman draped in blue fabric hangs on a pale wall inside the château.
    A touch of blue among the portraits
  • Upholstered armchairs and a sofa surround a tall window that lights the parquet floor and wall panelling.
    The light-filled drawing room
  • Ivory shoes with straps and bows sit on pale pink fabric above pieces of jewellery.
    Bridal shoes and jewellery
  • Two black lace-up shoes sit above a watch, bow tie and small accessories on a pale background.
    The groom’s shoes and bow tie
  • Two hands pin a floral boutonnière to the lapel of a checked jacket beneath an orange bow tie.
    A pink boutonnière on a checked jacket
  • A white veil rests on a pink upholstered sofa beneath an oval portrait and beside a lamp.
    The veil on the drawing-room sofa
  • Black-and-white photograph of the groom silhouetted in a large doorway opening onto the grounds.
    The groom in the doorway
  • A bouquet of white and pink flowers rests on a sofa with pale blue woodwork.
    The bouquet on an antique sofa
  • The bride stands with her back to the camera at a tall window, her long white train spread across the parquet floor.
    The bride at the suite’s window
  • The bride adjusts a bracelet with a pink flower on the wrist of a person dressed in dark blue.
    A floral bracelet during preparations
  • Black-and-white portrait of the bride seen from behind, her train spread between the tall window and the sofa.
    Bridal portrait in Bonnemare’s drawing room
  • The bride’s hands adjust a pale rose on the lapel of a blue suit worn with a red tie.
    The bride adjusts a boutonnière
  • Black-and-white close-up of the braided cord and long tassel holding back a curtain.
    A curtain tassel at the château
  • The bride holds a bouquet of white and pink flowers, foliage and ribbons in front of her embroidered bodice.
    The bouquet in the bride’s hands
  • Several hands bring glasses together for a toast in a sunlit drawing room.
    A toast before the ceremony
  • Black-and-white photograph of a pale stone bust of a woman with draped shoulders on its pedestal.
    A sculpted bust at the château

A Garden Ceremony followed by cocktail hour with Live Music


In the shade of a century-old tree in the garden, loved ones gathered to witness M&T’s commitment to one another. The château, floral arrangements, and live music gave the celebration a romantic, timeless atmosphere, true to their vision of a wedding with French elegance.


As the ceremony gave way to cocktail hour, the pace shifted: the focus on the couple opened up into conversations, reunions, and candid moments.


This is something I particularly love capturing at an international wedding: families, cultures, and perspectives coming together around the couple.


I alternate wide shots that reveal the setting and atmosphere with closer compositions focused on gestures and interactions.


This selection offers a discreet glimpse into their day through the surroundings, details, and silhouettes, without revealing the couple’s faces.


  • A statue on a pedestal stands on the lawn in front of a pavilion with pointed roofs.
    A statue and pavilion in Bonnemare’s grounds
  • A rounded white sign stands against ivy, surrounded by white, pink and blue flowers.
    The floral welcome sign
  • Pink, white and blue flowers cascade down a white plinth on the grass.
    A floral arrangement for the ceremony
  • Two floral arrangements frame the ceremony space on the lawn in front of the estate’s brick buildings.
    The ceremony setting in the grounds
  • The couple hold hands facing each other while the officiant reads from a sheet behind them.
    Holding hands during the vows
  • Beneath the trees, guests seated on either side of the aisle watch the couple beside the flowers.
    An outdoor ceremony at Bonnemare
  • Close-up of the bride’s clasped hands in front of her white bodice, with a delicate bracelet on her wrist.
    The bride’s hands during the ceremony
  • The groom, wearing a dark jacket and bow tie, places a wedding ring on the bride’s finger.
    The exchange of rings
  • The newlyweds kiss between two floral arrangements, the bride’s long white train spread across the lawn.
    A kiss among the flowers
  • Black-and-white rear view of the newlyweds walking away hand in hand beneath the trees.
    Leaving the ceremony together
  • Aerial view of the château façade and groups of guests gathered between the gravel drive and the lawn.
    The drinks reception from above
  • Rows of stemmed glasses fill a table while a gloved hand reaches over the tray.
    Glasses at the drinks reception
  • A person wearing black gloves prepares oysters beside an open crate and lemon wedges.
    Oysters at the drinks reception
  • A guitarist and a singer in a turquoise dress perform in front of the brick-and-stone façade.
    Live music at the drinks reception
  • A person dressed in dark clothing holds a tray of small round canapés with toppings.
    Canapés at the drinks reception
  • Guests gather in the shaded courtyard between trees and brick-and-stone buildings.
    The drinks reception in Bonnemare’s courtyard
  • Glasses filled with an orange drink are arranged on tiers of an outdoor bar beside bottles.
    Orange cocktails beside the tall windows
  • A low building with red shutters borders a lawn in front of a pavilion with pointed roofs.
    The estate’s brick outbuildings
  • A tall, small-paned window stands out against a brick façade above foliage, photographed in black and white.
    A château window in black and white
  • An aerial view beyond the château roof and gardens reveals the long avenue, fields and woodland edge.
    Bonnemare and the Normandy countryside

Couple portraits between architecture and garden


At Château de Bonnemare, architecture and nature each play a part in the couple’s portraits.


I love composing images around both while giving the couple space to move naturally. A walk through the garden, a silhouette framed by the architecture, or two hands reaching for each other can give a photograph its strength.


My approach combines candid storytelling with thoughtful compositions and gently guided portraits. I aim to create elegant photographs that preserve the couple’s personality and the connection expressed through their gestures.


  • A gravel drive curves around a lawn and planter towards Château de Bonnemare.
    The château beyond the curved drive
  • The bride and groom, seen from behind, walk side by side across the grass in soft light.
    A walk together in the grounds
  • A tree with sweeping branches rises over the lawn near a small pale-walled building.
    A mature tree beside the lawn
  • A curved path leads to a brick chapel with a rounded roof, surrounded by trees and planting.
    The chapel beyond the curved path
  • The groom holds the bride around the waist as she touches his cheek, a white bow in her hair.
    An embrace in the grounds
  • Black-and-white rear view of the couple crossing the lawn beneath a large tree.
    Hand in hand beneath the trees
  • Close-up of the white dress’s slender straps and the groom’s hand resting on the bride’s waist.
    The wedding dress and the groom’s hand
  • An elevated view of the couple on the lawn crossed by geometric paths in front of Château de Bonnemare’s brick façade.
    The newlyweds in front of the château
  • The bride’s hands cross behind the groom’s neck, her wedding ring visible against his dark jacket.
    A wedding ring in an embrace
  • The brick chapel, with arched windows and a small bell turret, stands against a blue sky.
    The chapel’s bell turret at Bonnemare

Telling the story until the party


The evening brings a different energy to the photographs. The light changes, movement becomes more prominent, and the atmosphere shifts.


From getting ready to the final images, I aim to create a cohesive story that reflects both the wedding’s aesthetic and the moments shared by the couple and their loved ones.


This French-American wedding at Château de Bonnemare brought together everything I love photographing: a Venue full of character, a personal sense of style, and the joy of gathering loved ones from far and wide in Normandy.


  • A gold frame displaying seating cards stands on an easel surrounded by pale flowers and foliage.
    The seating plan and floral display
  • Long tables and wooden chairs are arranged beneath hanging floral installations inside a pale marquee.
    Dinner tables beneath the marquee
  • A printed menu bordered with floral motifs sits in the centre of a white plate beside cutlery.
    The floral menu on a plate
  • Stemmed glasses, white plates and pastel bouquets form a place setting on a long wooden table.
    Flowers and glassware on the wedding table
  • Overhead view of a white plate holding a pink-toned dish on a pale sauce with herbs.
    A plate at the wedding dinner
  • Two guests lean over the table as a hand writes on a card among bottles and glasses.
    Writing a note during dinner
  • Small glass jars with lids are arranged around a row of striped paper pouches.
    Small jars and guest stationery
  • String lights and blue lighting illuminate the reception spaces beside the lawn after dark.
    The reception after nightfall
  • Four musicians perform on a stage with a guitar, keyboards and microphones under blue lighting.
    The band opens the evening
  • A musician in a black dress plays the saxophone in front of a microphone under blue stage lighting.
    A saxophone solo during the evening
  • The newlyweds dance in an embrace beneath chandeliers and red lighting, watched by their guests.
    The newlyweds’ first dance
  • A musician dressed in black stands at a microphone beside stage equipment, her face lit red.
    At the microphone under red lighting
  • A guitarist in a white shirt and cap plays an electric guitar in front of the drums under blue lighting.
    The wedding guitarist


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