French wedding couple laughing with guests

Claire & Alastair
House Party, Landes, France

Claire & Alastair
House Party, Landes

France

“Exactly what we were looking for!”

Alastair

Magic Chair
We had a lot of fun documenting this day! House party weddings, with their free flowing nature, offer so many spontaneous moments for curious photographers to capture. It also made a refreshing change for us to spend most of the day outside in the sun!

Claire selected her grandmother's old house for her outdoor reception party. In the morning, her friends helped her prepare the garden for the guests. Claire joined Alastair around midday for a short civil ceremony officiated by the mayor in the town of Cauneille. After one last dress change back at the house (this dress was designed by her friend Juliette) , Claire met Alastair again for a Catholic service at the neighbouring church.

In the evening, guests dined outside in the garden and listened to the speeches. Some spontaneous ceili dancing erupted on the grass before it was deemed too dark to dance outside. The party then continued inside the neighbouring barn with a DJ set by Guy MacNamara.
Dress Juliette Massott • Catering Entre Délices et Malices • DJ Guy Mac Namara
Fremcj Bridemaids prepare an outdoor garden wedding reception
Bride organizing garden reception with bridesmaids
Child in pink t-shirt jumps in doorway
Bride and friend consult table plan on laptop
Children read and play games on wedding morning
Bridesmiads erect wedding table plan on garden wall
Bridesmaids decorating garden for wedding reception
Two riends laugh together during breakfast
Bride is sprayed with mist during makeup
French bride and friends doing each other's hair and makeup
Bride's sister carries champagne up a flight of stairs
Bridesmaid pours her friend a glass of champagne
French bride tries on floral head piece with roses
Bridesmaids do their makeup in blue room
Children read and play games on wedding morning
Bridesmaid puts on a red dress
A bride wearing a floral crown in France
Three French children in white t-shirts play outside with orange balloon
Guests mingle during a wedding
Two wedding guests laugh outside a French town hall
Two children play outside a French town hall
The mayor officiates a French wedding, witnessed by many colourfully dressed guests
Bride and groom and guests enjoying a French civil wedding service in a town hall
Father and child in a French town hall
Bride and groom share a kiss as their civil ceremony concludes in French town hall
Funny child drinks milk bottle under table during wedding ceremony
A sister smiles admiringly at the bride during a wedding service in a French town hall
Bride and groom smile during wedding ceremony, surrounded by all their friends and family
Sisters witness bride in her wedding dress
Bride in floral head piece welcomes bridal party
Bride in floral head piece shares champagne with her bridal party
Groomsmen share chewing gum before a wedding ceremony in a French chapel
Groom in blue suit speaks to aunt before wedding ceremony
Bride walks down wooden stairs in white dress and floral head piece
A weddnig guest attempts to silence a noisy child during a wedding ceremony
Bride and groom laughing during a French wedding ceremony
Bride and groom smile during French wedding ceremony
A priest officiates a French wedding in a chapel
A child takes a photograph during a wedding ceremony
A bride and groom laugh during their vows in France
A bride and groom sing during a wedding mass
Mother and child play with paper during weding ceremony
Bride and groom walk through confetti after Catholic wedding
Man plays with bubbles during wedding
Guests enjoy confetti at wedding
Bride and groom kiss outside French chapel
Bridesmaids sing to the bride in a garden
Bride and groom laughing during outdoor wedding speeches
Bridesmaids in colourful dresses peform speeches during garden reception
Bride and birdesmaids welcome the groom for a hug
Bridal party hug each other during outdoor speeches
Bride and groom enjoy outdoor speeches in the sun
Bride gives outdoor speech during garden reception
Bride entertains wedding guests during her speech
Bridal party in colourful dresses
Two elderly women and a man in a kilt enjoy wedding speeches
Wedding guests smiling during the bride's speech
Wedding guests enjoy picnic in France
A wedding guest relaxes outside during a French wedding reception
A couple kiss during an outdoor wedding reception in France
Guests mingle outside in garden during wedding ceremony
Silhouette of wedding guest drinking from beer tap
Two men laughing during garden wedding reception
A groom in a blue suit kisses the brde on her forehead in a garden
Children play with bubbles at a garden wedding reception in France
Wedding guests laugh and hug each other in a garden
A smiling groom in a blue suit
A bride and friend dancing in a garden
Threee wedding guests relax on the grass at an outdoor wedding reception in a garden
Wedding guests dine outside in France
A wedding guest smiles during outdoor speeches
Wedding speakers share a joke
Children play outside during twilight
Threee wedding speakers applaud the bride
A wedding guests blows out candles on her birthday
Wedding guests laugh during outdoor speeches
Entertained wedding guests listening to wedding speeches
The best man celebrates the conclusion of his speech
Bride and groom laughing during outdoor wedding speeches
A child is illuminated by candle light at an outdoor wedding reception
A sister prepares a wedding cake for the bride
Bride and groom cut the wedding cake
A wedding guest dances outside in a garden
A couple kiss dramatically in a garden at a wedding
Bride hugs a guest during candlelit wedding reception
An exhausted dancer lies down on the grass at an outdoor wedding reception
A bride carries her friend in the air during an outdoor wedding reception
Wedding guests mingle in a barn in France
A suited dancer raises their hands in a barn
Two wedding guests dance in a barn
Happy wedding guests dance and a sing together in a barn
Weddnig guests dance with inflatable instruments
A wedding guest pours champagne into their friend's mouth on the dancefloor
Bride and groom kiss each other whilst lifted into the air by their friends
The bride dances with her friends in a barn
A topless dancer plays with an inflatable pink guitar at a wedding
Wedding guests mingle inside and outside a barn at a French wedding

If you'd like to see more French wedding photography, check out Juliette & Christopher's epic 2-day Château Val Joanis wedding. You also might like Kate & Marcus's DIY garden marquee ceremony in Ireland.

In the mood for more destination weddings? Here's Carla & Ryan's wedding at Dubrovnik Palace Hotel, Croatia and Colette & Daniel's Italian wedding at Casina Valadier, Rome.