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Candlelit Ballroom and Fireworks at Chateau Challain, Loire Valley

Antong and Yuting's wedding at Chateau Challain in the Loire Valley, with white florals, a candlelit ballroom, and fireworks. 23 photos by In Love Photography.

By Elena Moretti | Published 13 May 2024 | Photos by In Love Photography

Antong and Yuting chose Chateau Challain, a Gothic Revival wedding castle in the Loire Valley for a celebration that wove Chinese heritage into 19th-century French architecture. Iris Wedding Paris directed every detail, from the rose-adorned gazebo ceremony to the candlelit ballroom reception, at this fairytale chateau wedding venue in the Loire region.

Photography
In Love Photography
Venue
Chateau Challain, Maine-et-Loire
Region
Pays de la Loire, France
Couple
Antong & Yuting

Getting Ready

Black and white portrait of groom laughing in tuxedo seated on ornate canopied bed in baroque chateau room © In Love Photography
Black and white close-up of bride in white wrap robe during hair and makeup preparation © In Love Photography
Close-up of groom wearing a white pleated tuxedo shirt with black satin bow tie © In Love Photography
Ivory ballgown with beaded bodice hanging from chandelier against rococo boiserie panels in chateau © In Love Photography

Photo: In Love Photography

Yuting prepared in one of the chateau's upper rooms, where high ceilings and tall windows flooded the space with soft morning light. Her gown hung against dark wood panelling, its train pooling on the parquet floor. Sophie Mua Paris styled a clean, polished look that complemented the structured bodice and open neckline. Louis Vuitton heels sat beside the mirror, and the quiet focus of the room held a sense of anticipation before the day unfolded.


Ceremony

Outdoor ceremony in formal French garden with couple at wrought-iron gazebo, white aisle runner, and box topiaries © In Love Photography
Outdoor ceremony under white-draped gazebo with hydrangea and rose arrangements on formal lawn © In Love Photography
Couple holding hands under iron gazebo with white roses, crystal strands, and rose-gold chandelier © In Love Photography
First kiss on white carpet aisle flanked by boxwood topiaries and stone urns in formal garden © In Love Photography

Photo: In Love Photography

Beneath an ornate wrought-iron domed gazebo adorned with white roses, Antong and Yuting exchanged vows in the formal gardens. Guests lined both sides of the aisle as the couple shared their first kiss, framed by clipped hedges and stone urns. In Love Photography captured the recessional walk, the couple beaming hand-in-hand, with evening light softening the Gothic Revival silhouette of the chateau behind them.


Bridal Portraits

Bride in long-sleeve white gown seated on damask chaise longue in baroque-style French chateau room © In Love Photography
Bride in beaded ball gown lifting sheer tulle veil against white panelled wall in French chateau interior © In Love Photography
Bride in white ball gown with beaded bodice and cathedral veil on marble staircase inside ornate chateau interior © In Love Photography
Bride from behind in ball gown with cathedral veil on terrace facing formal chateau garden with horse-drawn carriage © In Love Photography

Photo: In Love Photography

In Love Photography captured Yuting alone against the chateau's white limestone facade, where pointed turrets and tall windows framed each shot. Her gown, a fitted silhouette with a long train, swept across the manicured lawn as she walked slowly toward the formal gardens. The evening light gave the stone a warm, golden cast. Inside the grand entrance hall, black-and-white frames used the ornate stone staircase and arched ceilings to dramatic effect, the scale of the architecture making every portrait feel like a painting.


Couple Portraits

Bride and groom with foreheads touching on formal lawn before Gothic chateau with turrets and boxwood hedges © In Love Photography
Black and white candid of groom lifting bride in lace gown inside ornate chateau entrance hall © In Love Photography
Black and white groom lifting laughing bride in lace mermaid gown in chateau hall with curved staircase and wainscoting © In Love Photography
Groom lifting bride's cathedral veil in chateau grounds, both smiling, white ball gown and charcoal suit © In Love Photography

Photo: In Love Photography

In Love Photography guided the couple across the chateau's white limestone facade, pointed turrets, and manicured lawns for an extended portrait series. A horse-drawn carriage on the gravel driveway provided one of the most cinematic frames. Black-and-white images inside the grand entrance hall used the stone staircase and ornate archways to dramatic effect, while candid shots along garden paths captured Antong and Yuting mid-laugh.


Reception

Reception dining room in wood-panelled chateau with long tables set in blush pink and gold with rose centerpieces © In Love Photography
Couple watches fireworks from a torch-lit stone pathway leading to a floral-draped gazebo in a formal garden at night © In Love Photography
Couple toasting red wine at sweetheart table with crystal candelabras before carved Gothic fireplace © In Love Photography
The bride and groom make their grand entrance into a formal indoor reception room, walking together through an ornate carved dark wood doorway as seated guests applaud. The groom wears a black tuxedo with bow tie and a cream boutonniere, while the bride wears a ballgown with a beaded illusion bodice, full tulle skirt, and a veil. A woman in a cream blazer follows closely behind them. The reception room features gold damask wallpaper, dark wood paneling, a crystal chandelier overhead, and herringbone parquet flooring, with a classic and formal decor style. In the foreground, reception tables are set with white linens, blush peach napkins, gold cutlery, crystal glassware, silver candelabras, and low floral centerpieces of pale peach roses and greenery; tall candles are lit along the table. Wide-angle shot capturing both the couple's entrance and the table setting in the foreground. © In Love Photography

Photo: In Love Photography

Inside the dark wood-panelled ballroom, crystal chandeliers illuminated long tables set with white floral centrepieces and tall taper candles. Iris Wedding Paris orchestrated the flow from toasts to dancing, with Antong and Yuting raising champagne glasses beneath carved walnut ceilings. Dragon Rouge Artifice closed the evening with a fireworks display over the formal gardens, the couple watching from a stone pathway as colour burst above the treeline.


More from the Day

Reception table with blush roses in brass urn, crystal candelabras, gold flatware, and black charger plates © In Love Photography
A wide-angle exterior shot of a large French Gothic-Renaissance château, featuring cream-white stone façade, dark slate-roofed pointed turrets, ornate carved stonework, and dark burgundy-painted doors and window frames. A bride in a long white gown with a cathedral-length veil and a groom in a dark suit stand together at the base of the château's grand entrance steps, viewed from behind, small in scale against the imposing three-story building. The foreground is filled with white flowering shrubs — likely white roses and white hydrangeas — creating a lush border that frames the couple. The composition is a centered wide shot taken from a slightly elevated angle, emphasizing the full architectural scale of the venue. Potential venue feature image. © In Love Photography

Photo: In Love Photography

Aesthetic
Heritage, Elegant
Guest Count
-
Budget Range
-
Bride's Dress
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