It would be difficult to find a more beautiful venue for a wedding than Chateau des Conde. Located an hour south of Paris, this amazing Castle was the location for the wedding of Holly and Hammad. Although the ceremony took place on Tuesday, the event really started for us on Monday when we attended the rehearsal and then the evening party in the Oriental Pavilion. The weather was perfect and the guests enjoyed mingling around the pool and a feast of amazing food! We were made to feel very welcome by everyone.
Tuesday was the main event with the ceremony taking place under a tree in the meadow behind the Castle. Holly looked stunning in a gown made by Farage and Hammad looked equally dashing in his traditional sherwani. The ceremony was simple, intimate and very moving, particularly the reading that Holly dedicated to Hammad. It ended with a musical surprise for Hammad! After the ceremony, the guests greeted the couple in the rose garden and enjoyed champagne and canapes while Holly and Hammad had some portraits taken together. They were a great, fun couple to work with and we got some stunning images of them both in various locations around the Castle and grounds.
The evening meal (which we were very fortunate to sample!) was followed by an incredible fireworks display which really showed off the Castle and grounds at their best. The wedding cake (or cakes!) were escorted to the Grand Hall by Holly and Hammad through a tunnel of flaming torches before the cutting took place. This special day ended for us with the first dance which the couple had learned and we left them with the party in full swing (until 4am!) There had been so much planning involved in this wedding and it was all so worthwhile as the day was a huge success and enjoyed by everyone.
Holly and Hammad thank you so much for choosing us to be a part of your day, we both had a great time with you and we look forward to catching up with you both very soon.
About Château de Condé
Château de Condé is a 12th-century château in the Aisne region of northern France, a ninety-minute drive east of Paris and within the loose orbit of the Champagne country. The château is privately owned, still lived in, and comes with its own staff, chapel, grounds and guest rooms — making it a natural choice for a destination wedding where friends and family stay on-site across a weekend rather than a single day.
A château wedding abroad is a much slower, more documentary experience than a British Saturday. The light in continental Europe is softer, the buildings are older and there’s usually time to shoot the guests settling in the evening before as well as the day itself. The album ends up richer for the extra time.
