Áine's & Micheal's Wedding at Château de la Valouze, Glamour, Drama and Pink Pony Club

Some weddings are lovely. Some weddings are a party. And then some weddings are an Irish family based in Dubai flying half the world into the Dordogne countryside and absolutely refusing to do anything by halves.

This was one of those.

The bride knew exactly what she wanted

When Áine first got in touch, she was very clear. She wanted her photographs to match the venue, all glamour and drama, big skies, sweeping staircases, the works. What she didn't mention on the call was that she's also one of the funniest brides I've ever photographed, which frankly should be listed as a venue feature.

Château de la Valouze was made for a bride like this. It's the kind of place that makes you stand up a bit straighter when you walk in, and Áine treated it less like a backdrop and more like a co-star. Iconic.

Walking in to Pink Pony Club

Now. Ceremony entrances. You've got your classic string quartets, your Canon in D, your tasteful acoustic covers.

Áine walked in to Pink Pony Club.

Reader, the reaction. Her sisters were up front as bridesmaids, already grinning before the doors even opened because of course they knew, and the moment everyone else clocked what was playing, the whole room just went. I don't know how you photograph pure joy, but I gave it a very good go.

If you're planning your own entrance and worrying about whether your song is "wedding appropriate," let this be your sign. The right song is the one that makes your guests laugh, cry and reach for their phones all at once.

A crowd that came to celebrate

This wasn't a wedding where guests politely nibbled canapés and checked their watches. People had flown in from Dubai, from Ireland, from all over, and they arrived ready. The sun was out, the drinks were flowing, the live music was going, and somewhere in the middle of it all were two families who clearly adore each other having the absolute time of their lives.

That's the thing about big Irish families. You don't photograph them so much as try to keep up with them. Every time I turned around there was another moment happening, someone howling with laughter, someone mid toast, someone dragging someone else onto the dance floor. My kind of wedding, in other words.

Why destination weddings in the Dordogne work so well

Weddings like Áine's are exactly why couples choose South West France. You get the château, the sunshine and the space to have everyone you love in one place for more than just a single afternoon. When your guests have travelled from three continents, the celebration stretches out, the pressure comes off, and what you're left with is a proper gathering rather than a timetable.

And for me, it means photographs full of real moments. Not stiff line ups on a rainy lawn, but people who are genuinely delighted to be there, golden light, and a bride who walked into her own wedding to Pink Pony Club.

Áine, you were an absolute dream. Thank you for the glamour, the drama and the laughing until my camera shook.