A New York-to-Bordeaux Vineyard Wedding at Chateau de Garde

Nicki and Richard's vineyard wedding at Chateau de Garde in Bordeaux, with a greenery arch ceremony, long-table dinner, and secret cellar party. Planned by Jenny…

By Elena Moretti | Published 31 August 2017

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Chateau

Château de Garde

Nouvelle-Aquitaine · Gironde

Up to 120 guests

From €13,500 4.9 (123)

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Chateau

Château de Garde

Nouvelle-Aquitaine · Gironde

Up to 120 guests

From €13,500 4.9 (123)

Nicki and Richard travelled from New York to celebrate at Chateau de Garde in Bordeaux, where thirty guests stayed on-site for a weekend of wine, food, and connection. Jenny Morel Weddings coordinated the year of planning while Ulrike Photography documented the celebration, from vineyard portraits to a secret cellar party that lasted past midnight.

Photography

Venue

Château de Garde, Gironde

Region

Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Couple

Nicki & Richard

Getting Ready

A bridal portrait taken outdoors in a vineyard, with the bride photographed from behind standing between two rows of grapevines. She wears a fitted ivory lace gown with a deep V-back, covered button detail running down the spine, and a trailing court train with lace appliqué detailing. Her hair is styled in an updo with a small floral or gold hair accessory. She holds a loose bouquet with white flowers and greenery at her side. The composition is a full-length portrait shot from behind, with the vineyard rows creating strong leading lines toward a rural landscape in the background.

A couple portrait taken during golden hour in a vineyard, with the bride and groom sharing a kiss among the vine rows. The groom wears a navy blue suit with a small floral boutonniere, while the bride wears a fitted white lace gown with a sleeveless design and accessorizes with a pearl necklace, her short auburn hair styled with a small hair piece. The warm backlight creates a sun flare effect across the frame, softly illuminating both figures against the out-of-focus vineyard rows stretching into the background. This is a mid-distance portrait shot with a slightly shallow depth of field.

A getting-ready shot taken indoors, showing the back of a bride seated on a dark wooden chair in front of a warm-toned wooden fireplace mantel. She is wearing a casual grey t-shirt and her hair is styled in a low chignon adorned with small white and yellow floral hair accessories, likely baby's breath or similar delicate blooms. A white wedding dress on a hanger is partially visible at the right edge of the frame. The composition is a close-up portrait from behind, with a slightly soft, hazy quality around the edges, giving the image a candid, intimate feel.

Nicki prepared with her six bridesmaids in one of the chateau's bright salons, her back to the camera as she sat before a warm-toned wooden fireplace mantel. The bridal party gathered in matching robes while Richard and his groomsmen shared champagne upstairs. A first look on the wooden pathway leading to the limestone facade captured the couple's first glimpse of each other before the ceremony.

Ceremony

An outdoor post-ceremony moment showing the bride and groom receiving congratulations from two female guests beneath a circular floral arch. The arch is decorated with eucalyptus greenery and white flowers including hydrangeas and roses. The groom wears a navy three-piece suit with a light blue bow tie, while the bride wears a white gown. On the left, the bride embraces a guest in a dark floral dress, and on the right, the groom leans in to kiss the cheek of a guest in a white top and jeans who is carrying a tan crossbody bag. The setting is an open green field with trees visible in the background. The shot is a medium wide portrait taken at ground level, capturing all four people within the frame of the arch.

Two people prepared a circular greenery arch at the altar point on the lawn, with rows of dark metal bistro chairs arranged for guests on either side. The outdoor ceremony faced the vineyards as light wind rustled the surrounding greenery. After the vows, the celebration moved naturally to an extended cocktail hour with a jamon carving station, four food stations, and a champagne fountain.

Bridal Portraits

A couple shares a kiss during an outdoor portrait session in front of a circular floral arch at what appears to be a vineyard setting, with rows of vines visible in the background. The bride wears a fitted, lace wedding gown with a long train and carries a bouquet of white hydrangeas, white roses, and eucalyptus greenery. The groom is dressed in a navy blue suit with a light blue bow tie and brown leather dress shoes. The circular arch is decorated with abundant eucalyptus and mixed greenery accented by clusters of white hydrangeas, creating a green-and-white color palette consistent with the bouquet, in a classic garden style. The image is a full-length portrait shot taken at a slight distance.

A bride and groom stand hand-in-hand facing away from the camera in the middle of a vineyard, walking between rows of grapevines during golden hour. The bride wears a fitted, mermaid-style white lace gown with an open, low-cut back featuring a keyhole or strappy detail, and her hair is worn up. The groom is dressed in a navy blue suit. The wide-angle portrait composition captures the couple small against the expansive vineyard landscape, with rolling hills and a cluster of white buildings visible in the background under soft, warm late-afternoon light.

A couple portrait taken outdoors in a vineyard, with the bride and groom photographed from behind, holding hands and facing away from the camera down a row of vines. The bride wears a fitted ivory lace gown with a deep V-back and a chapel-length train, with her hair pinned up and accessorized with a small floral hair piece. The groom wears a navy blue suit. The shot is a full-length wide portrait framing both figures against rows of grapevines stretching into the distance, with a rural landscape and buildings visible on the horizon.

Close-up portrait of a bride holding her bouquet outdoors, with the frame cropped from the neck to the hips. She wears a fitted white lace gown with a deep V-neckline and a pearl necklace. The bouquet is a large, loosely structured cascade-style arrangement featuring cream garden roses, white ranunculus, small ivory wax flowers, eucalyptus, ruscus, and wispy feathery greenery, creating a green-and-white botanical palette with a boho-organic style. The overall styling is natural and garden-inspired.

The couple shared a kiss during an outdoor portrait session in front of a circular floral arch set among the vineyard rows, the green vines stretching toward the horizon under golden hour light. A wide landscape shot captured the full scope of the Bordeaux estate with white buildings visible against expansive vine rows. Ulrike Photography balanced the grandeur of the setting with the couple's relaxed joy.

Reception

A bridal party portrait taken outdoors in front of a classic French chateau with limestone facade and white shuttered windows. The bride, dressed in a white lace gown, stands at the center surrounded by six bridesmaids wearing mismatched dusty blue and slate blue dresses in varying styles including halter neck, off-shoulder, and flutter sleeve silhouettes. All seven women hold loose, garden-style bouquets of lush greenery with white blooms, including what appears to be white ranunculus and eucalyptus. The group is laughing and interacting naturally with one another. The overall styling palette is cohesive in soft blue-grey tones with a relaxed, organic floral aesthetic. Medium-distance portrait shot with the chateau architecture as the backdrop.

An indoor wedding reception room set for dinner, featuring two long wooden farm tables lined with cross-back wooden chairs with woven rush seats. The tables are dressed with lush greenery runners, white pillar candles, glassware, and white plate settings. A beaded chandelier hangs from the ceiling alongside a large overhead greenery installation. The room has exposed wooden ceiling beams, warm ambient lighting from candles and wall sconces, black-framed window-style mirrors on the wall, and a large ornate wooden fireplace as a focal point. The styling is rustic with warm, earthy tones throughout. Wide interior shot taken from a slightly elevated angle. Potential venue feature image.

Approximately fifty guests sat at a single long banquet table on the grounds of the red-brick chateau, foliage garlands and brass candlesticks running the length of the table. Four courses were served with regional wines as exposed beams, a fireplace, and wooden tables framed the meal. Conversation rose easily beneath candlelight before the DJ took over and a secret cellar party carried the celebration into the early morning.

Flat Lays

Close-up detail shot of a catering staff member wearing white latex gloves stir-frying ingredients in a black wok at what appears to be a wedding reception food station. The wok contains shredded orange carrots, white bean sprouts, edamame, and pieces of meat or seafood being tossed with tongs. The setup is placed on a black cast-iron stand over a white linen-covered surface, with raw ingredients and wooden containers visible in the blurred background, suggesting a live cooking station at an outdoor or semi-outdoor reception.

Interior shot of a venue lounge or sitting room styled for a wedding event, featuring no people. The room is decorated in a colonial tropical style with a large hand-painted or wallpapered mural of palm and banana leaf trees covering the back wall. A crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling above a wooden coffee table styled with greenery and small decorative objects. Two camel-colored tufted Chesterfield sofas and a matching armchair are arranged around the coffee table, accented with teal and gold throw pillows. A carved wooden fireplace mantel sits beneath the mural, flanked by large blue-and-white ceramic vases. The flooring is dark wood, and wrought iron candelabras and wall sconces add to the moody, vintage aesthetic. Wide interior shot. Potential venue feature image.

Close-up detail shot of an engagement ring displayed in an open dark walnut wood ring box branded with 'Brilliant Earth,' placed on a wooden surface. The ring features a rose gold band with a round solitaire diamond and decorative side detailing. The box interior is lined with cream-white cushioning, and the image is lit with warm, dim ambient light creating deep shadows around the subject.

A six-image collage showcasing various elements of a French chateau wedding. The top-left features a two-story limestone chateau with a grey mansard roof, symmetrical facade, and formal entrance pathway — Potential venue feature image. The top-right shows the bride from behind in a fitted lace gown with a deep V-back and scalloped lace trim, reflected in an ornate gold-framed mirror during a getting-ready moment. The middle-left is a close-up detail shot of a diamond engagement ring in an open dark wood ring box on a wooden surface. The middle-right shows the couple sharing a kiss outdoors beside a vineyard, the groom in a navy suit and the bride in her lace gown, with a candlelit reception table set with wine glasses, a wine bottle, and greenery visible in the background. The bottom-left is a portrait close-up of the bride holding a loose, garden-style bouquet of ivory roses, white blooms, and trailing eucalyptus and greenery, with a pearl necklace visible. The bottom-right shows three dusty blue bridesmaid dresses and one white dress hanging from a staircase banister inside the chateau, above a black-and-white checkered tile floor, captured as a getting-ready detail shot.

A gold-framed navy blue menu card with botanical watercolor accents displayed the multi-course French dinner. Detail shots captured the stationery suite, table numbers, and carefully arranged accessories reflecting a cohesive design of navy, gold, and natural green. The two-storey limestone chateau with white shutters and slate mansard roof provided the architectural backdrop for every flat lay composition.

The Venue

The couple chose Château de Garde, a chateau in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Premium

Chateau

Château de Garde

Nouvelle-Aquitaine · Gironde

An 18th century chateau nestled amidst 6 hectares of Bordeaux vineyards, offering exclusive privatisation for weddings of up to 120 guests with 50 sleeping on-site, combining historic elegance with modern comfort.

Up to 120 guests

From €13,500 4.9 (123)

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