« Un Boda En Madrid » is the unique marriage of a man and a woman, expatriated to Madrid for a few years. I won’t tell you about their lives because of his status, I don’t really have the right to do so, but I will tell you about the conditions of the marriage. This marriage was a real challenge. I had to adapt more than ever to the conditions and renew myself. Searching within myself for solutions to obtain the best possible quality was my leitmotiv of the day. I set the context…

BACKGROUND

At the beginning of November in the Madrid countryside (Southeast of the capital of Spain) on the side of Cuenca for those who know, here I am at the wheel of my little car arriving in a kind of Hacienda Auberge to meet my newlyweds! Ahhh… Spain! How I love this country! Except that that weekend, the Spanish weather had decided not to make my task any easier.

The bride and groom had warned me, the apartments were quite « old » and dark. I had planned lights just in case! And fortunately because on the morning of the wedding, it would have been difficult to make it any more gloomy: rain, thick clouds and low luminosity. The rooms all varnished wood and covered with varnish didn’t help. Luckily there was light in the rooms… but unfortunately I realize from the first pictures that halogen light, which is not a stable light, does not allow me to guarantee a coherent result…

The ceremony that was supposed to take place outdoors takes place indoors in the veranda to finish where an ugly shadow comes to annoy me by veiling a part of my bride and groom’s head! The planning is getting behind schedule.

The light gives way to darkness very quickly and the evening falls faster than expected. The fields of olive trees spotted the day before are soaked and prevent us from accessing…. These are all reasons that can sometimes make my work complicated. So many obstacles that I have to overcome in order to obtain the satisfaction of my bride and groom that is so important to me.

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« Mariage Bohème Au Coeur De La Gruyère » for the wedding of Céleste & Frederic. They have chosen to welcome their guests at the Hotel du Golf de la Gruyère.

Céleste & Frédéric you already saw them a few weeks ago in one of my articles. We had made photos for their engagement session in the gorges of La Jogne and at the foot of the castle of Gruyères. They are young and beautiful. They are adorable and it is with great pleasure that I found them on their wedding day in a place I didn’t know! The Hotel du Golf de la Gruyère! And their terrace has a view on the lake of Gruyère just unbelievably hot!

I learned that this place was going to be restructured and that the hotel was going to be razed to the ground to build luxury apartments – for well-to-do golfers. It’s a shame the terrace will be destroyed and the area will miss the staff service. It feels so good here. It’s restful… So restful that… nothing at all!

It is September 7, 2019. Saturday. 10h00. Beginning of the preparations in one of the spacious rooms of the hotel whose decoration remained blocked in the 70s. I thus find the girls in full make-up and hairstyle. I prepare the bride’s belongings to take a picture of them in the spirit of « Mariage Bohème Au Coeur De La Gruyère ». I love the bouquet and the wreath of dried flowers! It’s different. Soft. Authentic. I loved doing the portraits of Celeste at the end. A beautiful light, my beautiful, casual bride. It was different and it felt good

For the authentic masculine side, I am welcomed in the next room with a small glass of maple syrup whisky. I confess, I tasted it. I didn’t think I liked it because this whisky is not my thing, but in fact, this little taste of maple syrup that remains on your lips, I really liked it! So at the Christmas market, we found some and a new bottle took place on our shelves! For his portrait photos, I didn’t want to stay in the room. Too soft. Too much like Celeste’s photos. So I took a risk and we went to the old spa, now a seminar room, to do his portraits. Contrast, lines, a little bit of a London bar atmosphere near the bay windows, don’t you think?

Bohemian Wedding In The Heart Of La Gruyère

Once the photos of Frédéric, our groom of the day, were finished, I was happy to discover the beautiful decoration made by the Asclepiads for the secular ceremony. The time in general at this time is tightening and the photos of the decoration follows with the discovery of the bride and groom and the beginning of the ceremony. For the blow, one of Celeste’s witnesses being late, my sidekick, Jeremy, who had joined me for the ceremony and I were able to take advance and draw the portrait to each guest! Always one less thing to do during the ceremony.

We attended a beautiful ceremony, full of emotions, in an incredibly poetic setting. The bride and groom went out under the bubbles for this « Bohemian Wedding In The Heart Of La Gruyère ». Then cocktail, group photos and … finally the moment of happiness that I confess to be waiting for impatiently, the photos of couples! In addition there, between the place below the golf course on the lake, their outfit and our mutual trust in my work and their couple, I had plenty of time to offer them different things! Banco!

The rest of the evening usually took place with dinner, surprises, entertainment, crying, laughter and dancing. I met some nice people at this wedding. People that I enjoy meeting again from time to time at my home or as on this July 11th at another wedding on the other side of the French speaking part of Switzerland.

So, I could not finish my little speech without thanking them warmly for their trust. But also for these shared moments. For their enthusiasm towards my work. Their recommendation! At last, thank you for everything! And I look forward to meeting you on a terrace or at the carnival in Broc and discovering the incredible costumes of Celeste and her friends!

And if you ever want to see some excerpts from their album, it’s on my instagram in the permanent stories! Be patient there are a few before !

« Bohemian Wedding In The Heart Of La Gruyère »

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« Love Under The Gastlosen » … Do you know what are the Gastlosen ? A natural border, a vertiginous wall, a 15km long mountain range that separates the canton of Fribourg and the canton of Bern. On one side Charmey and on the other Jaun. All dressed in limestone, these peaks conceal beautiful singularities. Cracks, Large, Very large. And every year, they give rise to an incredible spectacle called the « Grossmutterloch » (grandmother’s hole ). It is a unique and rare event that takes place every year at the same period. Almost at the same time and on the same day. I would really like to go next winter to attend. But this is not the event that I have linked to above that I am going to talk about today.

Nah, you’ll have understood it when you see the title today I’m going to talk to you… WEDDING! M&J, their love of the land, their desire to get married at the foot of mountains so impressive that I’m in love with them! Their unusual and unforgettable wedding.

First of all this wedding is a meeting with Emmanuelle Cavigelli, Cavigelli Wedding from now on. A woman, a mother, an entrepreneur. In fact I can say that it was a mutual love affair and the beginning of a beautiful story. She hardly knew me and entrusted me with her sister’s wedding. M. But so grateful to life for this encounter !

That’s why, as a fan of unusual and unforgettable weddings, I found myself photographing Love Under The Gastlosen in the middle of August…

As for all my future little married couples, I had met them in the heart of Fribourg on a Sunday afternoon. The smile of M. The kindness and the phlegm of J. A love at first sight again! And then we organized the photo session called « Engagement » but who knows what kind of engagement his name is… I’m thinking of changing that for 2021! We ended up with our feet in the Sarine in a beautiful place cut off from the rest of the world !

Then came the time of Love Under The Gastlosen. As usual I met the bride and groom for the preparations. Once is not customary, in the chalet overlooking the Val de Charmey, I found a bride and groom in full effervescence with all the complexity of not crossing each other! I think these are the places I have preferred to photograph the preparations for all my weddings. Maybe it was the dynamic that morning? I don’t know!

When the preparations were finished, we exceptionally took over the direction of the couple’s session. Indeed, photographing Love Under The Gastlosen and even in the middle of August, brings some difficulties… The shadow takes very quickly ground and we had to find solutions not to end up with too dull photos. My work as a photographer also consists in anticipating this kind of problem. Knowing the place, the topography allows me to find the best compromise for beautiful photos.

Then we took the road to the Gastlosen … An incredible moment in this refreshment bar of Sattels. Emmanuelle knew how to enhance this picturesque place to make it a perfect receptacle for their love. No right to miss you when the bride is your sister!

A lay ceremony led by a master’s hand by another of his sisters. All in French and German. Exchanges of vows under the benevolent gaze of the Sattels and to the sound of the Armaillis. Tears, laughter and emotion, the recipe for a successful union!

The end of the day requires no words. The photos speak for themselves. In the meantime I thank Emmanuelle Cavigelli and M&J for their confidence and to let me share some pictures of this unusual and unforgettable wedding of this Love Under the Gastlosen.

Finally, if you are getting married soon, in 2021 or 2022, and you want an unusual and unforgettable wedding or you simply liked my photos, contact me via my form, I will be happy to answer you.

Love Under the Gastlosen

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« A sweet wedding in the vineyards of Asti ». This was the theme of N&G’s beautiful wedding. I was lucky to experience it by their side at the beginning of the summer as a wedding photographer abroad! It was a perfect weekend. A sweet weekend. Nice weather. An enchanting place with incredible landscapes. In Northern Italy. In the Piedmont. The Province of Asti. I told you about this place in my last article. Do you remember? I would like to thank them for their trust, their welcome, their smile and this beautiful experience.

« A sweet wedding in the vineyards of Asti » is an intimate place first and foremost, a small hotel with a breathtaking panoramic view over the vineyards of a region rich in culture and soil. A place where you can enjoy the sweet sunsets of Italy. This also means that there were pizzas on the menu Friday night, as well as antipastis, local products and dishes at the wedding cocktail. The meal was served outdoors in the garden, under the soft light of the setting sun.

This beautiful union in the heart of the vineyards was also a beautiful mix of cultures. Italy, because we were there. But also Switzerland, Germany, Australia. I share with you some pictures of this sweet wedding in the vineyards of Asti. You won’t see their faces, or from far away because they want to maintain their anonymity. Thank you for respecting this choice and for appreciating the pictures that I am going to show you.

A sweet wedding in the vineyards of Asti

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« V&F’s Wedding on the Reunion Island » is the second part of V&F’s wedding. After a civil wedding in the heart of the Ardèche region, they decided to head for the Indian Ocean! Yes, off to the southern hemisphere. After many hours on the plane, they finally arrived on the Reunion Island. A travel destination that few people have had the opportunity to visit in their lifetime.

This island is a French overseas territory. A small island lost in the middle of the ocean with a magnificent culture and breathtaking landscapes. That’s why I chose to stay a few days in this paradise. To be honest, my travel pictures are still untouched on my hard drive. The shoemaker always wears the worst shoes, right! When they will be ready to be published… next year…I will make an article to tell you a bit more about our road trip around the island! In the meantime, you can always check out my Instagram. I’ve featured a few stories.

We met a few days earlier to start the festivities on the big and beautiful beach of the Grande Anse between « ardéchois » or « zoreilles » as the locals call it and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset, beer in hand! The atmosphere was perfect. And you know what ? It’s the only time I got in the water in 10 days!!!!

V&F’s wedding on the Réunion island

Beach Party

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V&F’s Wedding in Ardèche – the first part of an all-out wedding! The first part took place in France in the « Gorges de l’Ardèche » and the second part on the beautiful Reunion Island. I served as a Destination Wedding Photographer or a Wedding Photographer abroad! Why does it (always) sound better in English?

Since September I hadn’t had time to write about my last weddings. The season has been very busy thanks to all the brides and grooms who trusted me! I finished my last wedding at the beginning of November. I was lucky enough to go to Spain. Once again as a Destination Wedding Photographer! Hehe… and then I went on to the Geneva wedding fair which was held the weekend after Palexpo. God, it was stressful to manage everything. That’s the flip side of my life as a Wedding Photographer abroad! But I can guarantee you that the stress of my job doesn’t tarnish the incredible experience of having the bride and groom trust me enough to accompany them abroad to shoot their wedding!

For my first publication of the year, I decided to tell you about this wedding in Ardèche: V&F’s Wedding in Ardèche. There is so much to tell! I knew about this region for having ridden a horse 3 years ago and also for having done an inspirational shoot on the border of the Drôme Provençale. At least I thought I knew it. The truth is that it has so many different facets. Both gentle and hilly, it can sometimes become rugged and wild. Those are the words that came to my mind when I took the road over the canyon to reach Chassier, a small, typical remote village where the bride has her roots. This is also how I felt when I took the wrong road to reach the castle of Sampzon near Ruoms, and had to drive in circles before going down to the estate! It was arid… The wedding took place last June 29th… Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Right in the middle of the heatwave!!!! At 9pm it was still 28 degrees outside!!!! But you know what? I loved everything about that wedding. From beginning to end!

V&F are so adorable. They both have such big hearts.We met through a mutual friend of ours whom I would like to say hi to in passing. We connected right away. The engagement shot was a fun and simple moment. We ended up having a drink on the beach! All the signs were good… you can check it out my next article! The bride and groom’s choices, the invitations made by Cotton Bird, his headband of the Fleurs Dupont, his old family home which saw him grow up, the involvement of his family, the weather and the region… everything! I have so many stars in my eyes when I think back on this wedding, the cicadas’ sound in my heart and the smell of burning earth in my nose… Thank you to both of them for their trust! Next week I will show you their wedding in Reunion Island!

V&F’s Metro Wedding in Ardèche

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Just a week earlier, we were in the middle of the Mediterranean sea on the Cyclades Islands for a beautiful wedding and my very first solo trip to Sifnos. This time we were in the heart of the capital of the Canton of Vaud, Lausanne, for the civil wedding of V&X.

The sun was hitting hard in the middle of the day, so we chose to enjoy the shade of the old buildings of the cathedral district to capture this moment and take a few pictures of the couples.

We then joined the family of the fiancés and I had the pleasure to meet their relatives in the Place de la Palud. We walked into the old building and celebrated their civil marriage. Congratulations were expressed on the square, and we finally took the road to Pully, the docks, and the promenade. As the first family members arrived at the cocktail party, we took advantage of the sunshine to take a few more pictures by the lake, before toasting to the health of the newlyweds.

I enjoyed the day spent in their company, discovering a new couple, being there both for their civil marriage in Lausanne and also for their beautiful wedding in the Cyclades. Meeting their family in small groups and seeing them all again a few days later! Two atmospheres, two locations, different outfits. But the same smiles! The same love! And the same pleasure.

At last, I will let you enjoy the pictures of their civil marriage and I suggest you discover the pictures of their religious wedding in Greece in my next article. Thanks again to these two beautiful people for their trust and for the unique and intense moments we shared.

A civil wedding in Lausanne

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Last July 21 Alex Tome and I headed to a small town located halfway between Lyon and Chambery on a hot and sunny Saturday. We barely had 3 hours of sleep before leaving, so it was a little uncomfortable. Our appointment was at 10am at the family property of the grooms.

This place was filled with natural stones, greenery, and sophisticated simplicity, lending itself perfectly to a wedding. How lucky were they to get married in the very place where they had shared the most significant moments of their lives. The decor was already set up beautifully when we arrived. Nath Majenia’s teams were running in all directions. I was looking forward to everything we would discover as the day progressed!

We join A & J in their respective rooms. The bride’s wedding preparation is already well underway. The magnificent dress designed by Nicolas Fafiotte is hanging above the bed, as if it were levitating. The boys are getting ready too! Colonel Mustard’s bow ties are on the desk, waiting to be put on. There are smiles everywhere.

The wedding day goes by very quickly. We run from the preparations of the pretty bride to those of the dandy groom. Both are ready. It’s time for them to discover each other by the pool. I enjoyed watching their friends peeping out of the bedroom window. I don’t know how to explain how I felt when they saw each other. Such passion. Such desire. They were so beautifully intense. Then we went on to some group shots straight out of « Vanity Fair ». I love moments when I can model the photo. Adjust the balance. Play around with the postures. Create a gorgeous picture where the bride and groom are surrounded by their dearest friends. What a great gift to give them, don’t you think?

We then went to the village church located a few hundred meters from the small castle. The little church was crowded. The latecomers were standing at the back of the church. The bride and groom were surrounded by their respective witnesses. Their families sat on the benches. As soon as they entered, tears of joy and pride ran down the guests cheeks. The ceremony was very emotional and was welcomed with a lot of cheers. An atmosphere one rarely sees in a Gospel group. Smiles, tears, love. A church beautifully decorated by the talented Natalie. The bride and groom left the church with confetti twirling around them.

The bride and groom drove off on the church square towards the castle in an old white vintage car.

Time for cocktails, group photos, appetizers and meals prepared by chefs considered « Meilleurs Ouvriers de France », Jean-Paul Pignol and Mathieu Vianney, both starred chef of the famous restaurant « La Mère Brazier ». The bride and groom, the video director of « Marions-Nous dans les Bois », Matt Roal-Raynaud and us, took a moment to take pictures of the couple.

We joined the guests again under a hedge of glitter during the newlyweds’ entrance. This would be the start of an incredible evening, full of light, dance and joy!

Blue & pink for a romantic & trendy wedding

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I am very proud to finally be able to show you one of my favorite moments of 2018. I present to you  » In the shade of the Olive Trees  » – an inspirational elopement in Ardèche. This day was the culmination, or rather, the convergence of several stories. First there was the story of Séverine & Gregory and their beautiful family {our married couple}, they have loved each other for years, they got married and had 3 beautiful children, then they lost each other, got divorced, and life finally brought them back together again. Hidden behind my lens, I witnessed moving hugs between parents and children, gestures of love and smiles of joy. I saw children’s eyes sparkling with pride. The married couple who, after moving along their life journey, committed to each other, once again. Mindful of their past, life, and future.

There are other stories too, like the one I shared with Sabrina the Florist. That sweet blue-eyed girl and I have known each other for 11 years, I believe. We went to school together. We were paired up during our studies for our bachelor’s degree in construction management. {Yes, being a photographer is my secondary activity…}. You know what? At first, we couldn’t stand each other. Then time did its job. We stuck together, we got to know each other, we got closer and we ended up liking each other. I witnessed the beginning of the relationship that turned her into a married woman and a happy mother. Both of us realized early that the construction industry wouldn’t allow us to express our bubbling creativity. So she taught herself how to understand flowers like the beautiful sunflower that she is. Two years ago, we told each other that one day we would have to travel the kilometers that separate us and create something together. The idea had just been born…and you know me, when I get an idea, I can’t think about anything else!

This brilliant idea was to bring together the best service providers in the Rhône-Alpes region in an exclusive and secret location {Château des Oliviers de Salettes}. More specifically, we wanted to gather all the talented wedding service providers of the Drôme Provençale, Ardèche and Isère regions. Luck and wonderful encounters did the rest. We believed that it would be perfect to hire someone local who could highlight the beauty of this elopement. Yes, in the meantime, this photo shoot had turned into an elopement. Our duo then became a trio when Clara from the Giacomelli Weddings agency joined the adventure of Séverine & Gregory. Solange, a friend of Sabrina’s, accepted to officiate the secular ceremony wholeheartedly and in good spirits. That’s how the team grew to cater to Séverine & Gregory’s elopment, including the Petits Inclassables who designed the outfits for the children. We would like to thank Aurélie Mey who exceptionally accepted to entrust us with one of her most beautiful dresses. Thank you Mickelson for dressing up Grégory, Margot and of course thanks to Elsa for her outstanding know-how in beauty enhancement. Dessine-moi Un Soulier and Colonel Moutarde also trusted me once again. Emilie was able to delight our taste buds with a cake that was as beautiful as it was good! She even used candied apricots in the wedding-cake! What a treat! The invitations, menus and other stationery that Marie-Eve customized for the occasion were made of art paper, olive green and wood veneer, setting the tone for this day!!!

Obviously, we needed a video maker that is artistically close to my work to ensure that all the visual supports are coherent. Video production is still often neglected by the bride and groom today. We had to give it its rightful place for this event. Five years ago, wedding video-making was not yet developed, and my husband and I were not interested in it. But today we regret it. Hearing the sounds, seeing the gestures, remembering the emotions and the joy in the voices is priceless. Luckily, I met Mehdi, a talented video artist who came from far away for this project. He was enthusiastic from the start! In retrospect, without even knowing it, our lives all met that day at a huge crossroad. We celebrate life through this day and these photos. Newly born loves, hopes, projects, joys, disillusions, cries and clashes, tears and separations, compromises, reunions, love and hope again. All this converged in the shade of the Olive Trees – an elopement in Ardèche. In the end, this is the story of a couple who, thanks to the work of a team of inspired professionals, were able to experience an event they did not expect, as significant in their life as a couple as in their family life.

It was a busy day. The thunderstorm delayed the set up and the photo shoot. But we managed to stay the course. It was important to put every wedding service provider to good use and show the bride and groom the importance of every detail, every shot. This way, they could realize what a day they had ahead of them! But we managed to pop the champagne and enjoy delicious cake under the stars! We all had a wonderful day. Thank you all for participating in this project, and for making it a success and a meaningful day. This elopement wedding was an inspired shooting like no other. Thank you for reading and making it this far. I will let you enjoy the pictures of this beautiful landscape! The video can be found right after. Take advantage of these few relaxing minutes to drink a nice cup of coffee. If you are looking for the providers who participated in this project, scroll down to the bottom of the page!

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