Darren loves Nadia

An English adventure in the French countryside, a French Chateau summer wedding

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“We’re so happy with the wonderful shots you took! You captured some great ‘insider’ moments, they make us smile every time we look at them. You guys have an amazing wedding photography style! Very fun, discrete and comfortable!”
Nadia and Darren

We love a unique wedding!
Nadia and Darren came across a beautiful château while exploring alternative destinations for their wedding and knew instantly they had found the perfect place to gather all their friends and family for their big celebration. Château de la Canière, an exceptional 5 star château in the heart of Auvergne, France, had ample bedroom spaces, heated pool, hot tub, sports courts and was surrounded by beautiful French woodland. Surprisingly everyone was excited to attend.

The plan was very open, guest turn up over a variety of day and partook in a collection of games and adventures that Darren and Nadia had personally designed to entertain them across their stay. Locally sourced and very tasty, fresh food was presented daily as well as samplings of fine wine that the local area had to offer.

The wedding day itself was a very relaxed and beautiful occasion. The couple got ready together, helping each other with everything from pampering face packs to tucking in clothes. The guests gathered in the great hall overlooking the dreamy woodland and Nadia and Darren were married by their best man, acting as the minister, whilst their beloved pet dog sat by their side.

The evening then stepped up a gear as the disco lights came on, the tunes started to play and that, far too easy to drink, local wine reappeared. Props hit the dance floor, awards for skills were handed out and sore feet were reworded with gentle rubbing. These guys celebrated their love in true Cuckoo fashion!

THEIR WHOLE unique STORY...

What made you choose this beautiful french chateau for your wedding?

London venues were so expensive and we thought how lovely it would be to spend more time with friends and family, rather than for just the one day. It became a mini holiday plus a venue for the same (if not cheaper) price.

What made you choose your details and styling for your wedding?

Sometimes weddings can be so stiff, we wanted to shake it up a bit. In terms of the wedding branding, we wanted to put a middle finger up to formality, and create a fun, relaxed vibe. So my wife’s naturally naive drawing style became a huge part of the look including invitation, stationery, cardboard cut-out musical instruments, wedding cake fuligurines etc. It captured an unexpected contrast to the grandiosity of the 30 bedroom chateau.

Do you have any tips and advice for other couples planning their wedding day?

Your goal for the big day should be to have nothing to do to except be present, and be awesome! Give yourself plenty of time and utilise the best men and bridesmaids, they’re there to help and make your life easier. Leaving particular things to the last minute can add to stress levels, but everything worked out so well for us in the end. We had no music, so we loved how everyone hummed ‘here comes the bride’ as we walked down the aisle. Such good memories.

Are there any other special planning or fun things about your day that you would like to share?

We planned some fun activities, basketball, tennis, pool games, even a ‘win, lose or draw’ competition evening. We loved how things were different to the norm, the figure drawing event, cardboard cut out instruments to use at the disco, revised wedding vows etc, this just reflected us to a tee. It was great fun thinking up the whole event, designing everything and seeing others reactions – everybody was a great sport and got properly involved.