Wedding at Domaine de la Trinité

Imogen and Tayler, a couple from London, got married on 29 August with 78 guests, a pastel dress code and one clear brief: make it feel like a holiday. Domaine de la Trinité, in Mauguio near Montpellier, did most of the work. As their wedding photographer, I covered the whole day, from getting ready to the last song.

The domaine is a long lawn dotted with pine and olive trees, a pool, parasols, and a white bandstand that became the ceremony spot. A few steps away, an orangery with a double roof, chandeliers and big glass doors holds the reception. Behind the gardens, a path runs off between the vines. I had it in mind for later.

Getting ready happened separately, in the bright midday light, between old stone walls and wooden doors. Hair and make-up by La Loge Wedding, red roses on the table, champagne already open. The wedding dress hung on an old wooden door, waiting.

The ceremony started at 3 pm on the lawn. Each bride walked down the aisle with her father, past guests in pastels and a lot of parasols. Tayler and Imogen then stood in front of the bandstand and its two pastel flower arrangements by Fleurs design by Faustine, with officiant Barbara Simpson holding the microphone. In the middle of it all, a close-up of their hands, held tight. When they came out, the guests were ready with confetti, and the olive trees took their share.

The cocktail stayed outside, under the pines, with live music from Marco Lewis. Canapés from Cabiron, a grandmother laughing at everything, a guest caught mid-bite, and cold drinks in the shade. The group photos took about fifteen minutes, which is how I like them: short.

Everyone then moved into the orangery for the speeches, followed by dinner, with the room roaring more than once.

At the end of the meal, around 8 pm, we slipped out for the couple session, right at golden hour. It lasted about fifteen minutes. I guided them and barely posed them: the light was low and soft, the hedges turned gold, and the two brides walked the path between the domaine and the vines, then stopped by the bandstand and the pool.

Then the night began: a first dance with all the guests standing around the floor, Yevgen Sax on the saxophone in the middle of the dance floor, and DJ Frenchie keeping it going until the end. The orangery turned red, then blue, and a lot of people forgot they had somewhere to be.

If you are planning a wedding near Montpellier and want a photographer who stays for the whole day, have a look at my Montpellier wedding photographer page. A few kilometres away, Marion and Alexis got married at the Manade Paulin, also in Mauguio: their day-after session is worth a look too.