Abigail and Craig's Wedding-Dordogne France

Capturing a Dordogne wedding like Abigail & Craig’s at Chateau Forge Du Roy is what I do best. This beautiful part of France is where I call home, so I know the landscape, lighting and Dordogne wedding venues inside out for the best photo spots.

All of this helps me to help you make the most of your wedding photos… including giving you a gentle nudge when it’s needed, but I’ll let bride Abigail tell you the rest!

“Lydia was incredible throughout. She captured our day perfectly, kept us laughing and helped me de-stress on the wedding morning.

We are unbelievably happy with our photos and are so grateful you encouraged us to do things we didn’t at first want to… like getting in the boat! The pictures are amazing and we wouldn’t have had them if it wasn’t for you.”

When you get married, it’s something worth celebrating. To me, that means that whatever the style and size of your wedding, you should have fun! This is something I bring to the photos and the results are lovely, relaxed images.

Abigail and Craig had holidayed in France before and already knew the area well when they discovered their Dordogne wedding venue, Chateau Forge Du Roy. “We wanted an intimate wedding with about 40 guests, so the chateau was perfect. The outside space with the lake and gardens was amazing.”

The bride chose a contemporary, silk, backless wedding dress with a stunning cathedral-length veil, which she swapped in the evening for a lace kimono. They were beautiful details to capture in the glowing light of the chateau and outside in the gardens.

Craig wore a Hugo Boss suit with a grey jacket, navy trousers and a dark blue tie to distinguish him from the best men, and one bridesmaid joined Abigail in a grey lace dress.

The couple married outside in Chateau Forge Du Roy’s beautiful grounds with the help of celebrant, Sandie Smith. Craig played it cool keeping his sunglasses on for a while. “We found our celebrant to be so welcoming and her kind words relaxed us. It is a bit scary when you get up there on the day,” they admit.

As well as capturing the couple and group photos, an important part of Dordogne wedding photography for me is photographing all the pretty details couples spend months planning, and Abigail and Craig’s wedding was no exception.

They’d decorated with a grey and blue colour scheme, chosen to complement the chateau’s shutters, with a lovely rustic twist. “We had milk churns leading up the steps and at the end of the aisle for the ceremony. For our reception, we chose exposed wooden tables, grey runners scattered with eucalyptus and a collection of blue glass bottles for candleholders and vases.”

Local florist L’Atelier Floral created the bouquets, buttonholes and arrangements. She used lisianthus, thistles, eucalyptus and a range of white and blue flowers to bring their theme together. The end result was really romantic.

Rather than choose a traditional wedding cake, the couple had friends come over to cook their wedding breakfast and planned a pudding buffet, served in one of the dining rooms. Another friend also sang for them on the day, which was a lovely personal touch.

After I’d shared their photos with Abigail and Craig, I asked them if they could choose their favourite…

“We couldn’t possibly pick one photo that we like the most! We are struggling to even choose a couple of photos to display at home!” they laugh.

To me, that is the highest praise. It’s such a privilege to play a part in helping them to treasure their wedding day for years to come. If you’re planning your wedding in the South of France and want to know more about my wedding photography, please get in touch.

Find inspiration for your dream day behind the scenes at this couple’s beautiful outdoor Dordogne wedding ceremony and reception at Chateau Forge Du Roy.