Village Castelnau des Fieumarcon
A rustic chic village wedding in the South of France
We caught up recently with Fran from Littlewing Photos to chat about a wedding held at the striking Village Castelnau des Fieumarcon. Her passion for the place and her “real life” photography style really captures the essence of what it’s like to get married there… so much so we just had to tell you all about it!
Over to Fran now to walk you through Michelle & Jonny’s wedding day at Village Castelnau des Fieumarcon.
An extraordinary venue
I believe there are only two venues like Castelnau des Fieumarcon in the whole of Europe. A 13th century former village, it is unique in its amount of space, its versatility of ceremony and reception areas to choose from plus the available on site accommodation for approximately 80 guests within 14 old stone houses. This authentically rural French venue is absolutely beautiful. It is without doubt, my favourite venue to photograph.
Anneli runs the village as well as being a chef (delicieux.eu) AND one of the wedding planners of La Boutique Events. Her team are some of the hardest working people around. They want you to have the absolute best time that you can and will do their utmost to make sure this happens. A friendly and welcoming team that I thoroughly enjoy working with.
Your guests will be stunned by the views. I love when guests first arrive and are just stopped in their tracks by the uninterrupted views of Gascon hills. And the light…..!!!! The light in Gascony is unbeatable. As a photographer I would never struggle to find a good place for photos at the Castelnau; everywhere is a potential photo location.
The wedding day
Groomsmen in their preparation within the house edging the green where the ceremony will take place. For me, this house is perfect for photography having lots of windows and plenty of space.
The bride and her bridesmaids prepare in a house tucked away just out of sight but close to where the ceremony will take place. It allows them some privacy and the ability to sit outside should they wish to. The colours on the walls are muted which perfectly suits my style of photography.
Despite the warm weather, these houses are stone so remain cool as the temperatures mount.
The ceremony for Michelle & Jonny’s wedding in September 2019 took place on the largest of greens with views all around. I was delighted to find this Moongate created by Renny Thompson (rennythompson.info) decorated with flowers by Amy (Amy’Space). It frames the couple perfectly.
Following the ceremony the guests filter back to form a line in the main square and the couple pass through under thrown confetti and onto the smaller green for an acoustic music set by a Toulouse band called The Pulse. The team serve drinks from the bar and serving staff offer canapes.
The apero terrace connects to the large lawned terrace in front of the banquet hall.
Plugged in and now playing as a four piece band The Pulse begin to play in the banquet hall and the dancing commences. There is a large bar set up in here with the seating from the meal remaining outside under the string lights. Tea, coffee and dessert are laid out for peckish guests.
As a photographer the hall is spacious and easy for me to navigate despite lots of dancing people. I love this part of the day when the stress is long gone and everyone is ready to really enjoy themselves.
Sunday party
Sunday afternoon and the team have set up a bbq, tables and a bar. Together with some acoustic music (Le Ritchie et Les Corbeaux band) the vibe is very relaxed as the guests return to the green where the ceremony had taken place. There is a slight breeze and the large cloud contrasted sky is beautiful.
“Once visited, the historic Castelnau never leaves you. If you book your wedding here you will want to return. It is simply unforgettable.”
À bientôt
Fran x
Explore Village Castelnau des Fieumarcon
Village Castelnau des Fieumarcon is the perfect location for a rustic chic wedding in the South France. Read more about this charming village venue by clicking the link below…
Village Castelnau des Fieumarcon
Littlewing Photos
Discover more of Fran’s captivating French wedding photography at www.littlewingphotos.com