Wedding photographer at Château de Sainte-Claire

Yes. Roxane and Vincent got ready there, held an outdoor ceremony on the lawn and danced until one in the morning without a single drive. For the photographer it is an hour gained, given back to the grounds at the end of the day.

In early September, around 7.45 pm, when the sun drops behind the tall trees: the backlight slot. In June it moves to around 9 pm, in October to around 6 pm. We set it in the schedule with you, before dinner.

In the château itself. Vincent dressed at noon, Roxane from 1 pm, two hours in the schedule and six loved ones around her in pale pink satin robes. Both preparations in the same place let us follow both sides without losing time on the road.

None, and that is deliberate. Learned poses show in the photos: couples look like they are holding a position rather than living a moment. We give simple directions, walk, talk to each other, turn around, and we photograph what happens between two instructions. That is exactly what a pre-wedding session is for, offered as an option alongside the wedding package: you get used to the lens when nothing is at stake, so on the wedding day that step is already behind you.

Yes, and for some couples it is the only ceremony of the day. The wedding room at a French town hall is often small and poorly lit, and you cannot move around freely: we take position before you walk in and only move for the moments that matter, the ring exchange and the signing of the register, with no flash and never stepping in front of the mayor. Coming out of the town hall is the best moment of the day for group photos, because everyone is gathered in one place, whereas guests scatter within ten minutes at the cocktail hour. If the town hall and the reception venue are far apart, tell us beforehand: the journey is part of the coverage and is built into the timeline, just like the getting-ready shots. We have photographed as many village town halls as châteaux.

Between 600 and 1200 retouched photos depending on coverage duration. All sharp, sorted chronologically, delivered in high resolution via a private downloadable gallery.

30-photo preview gallery often delivered before the rest, full retouched delivery within four weeks, one month at most in peak season. An email update notifies you at each stage. Express option: everything is delivered in under a week, with the same quality as the one-month delivery. The only difference is top priority given to your wedding. It depends on the calendar (a very busy date may not allow it): ask before signing and you will get a straight answer.

Indoor backup plan always ready (hotel lobby, side room, lit window). We also love rainy moods for unconventional umbrella portraits. Storm light often produces the most striking images.

In France, the range runs from €1,500 to €3,000 for a full day. Our packages start at €1,080, including the private online gallery, retouched photos and usage rights, and at €1,944 for the photo + video duo. What moves a quote is not the number of photos but the hours of coverage, whether a second shooter is present, and the deliverables: printed album, pre-wedding session, video alongside. Our prices are published on the pricing page, with no mandatory quote step.

None: they are different words for the same thing. Photo session and shoot are the everyday terms, couple session says what is being photographed, engagement session is the American term and usually happens after the proposal, pre-wedding means before the wedding, post-wedding or day after means once it is done. Behind those five words the service is identical: an hour and a half, just the two of you, in a place you choose, and the same photos at the end. The only real difference is the timing. Before the wedding, the session prepares the day itself. After it, it gives back the time you never had: the dress comes out again, you go where you could not go, you wait for the right light instead of making do with the one you have.

Three things, in this order. Spending time in front of the camera with nothing at stake, so that on the day you no longer wonder what to do with your hands. Settling together what you like, what you dislike and how close you are comfortable being: it is a visual brief, and it saves discovering your taste during the couple portraits, while the cocktail hour is waiting. And leaving with images you can use right away, for the save the date, the invitations, the welcome sign or your wedding website. In practice the session happens between three months and a year before the date, and couples who have done one arrive relaxed on the morning of the wedding: it shows in the portraits. It is not included in the wedding package, it is priced alongside it, in the same quote.