Candlelit Towers and Andrew Kwon at Chateau Challain, Loire

Vows took place inside the chateau's Gothic stone chapel, where ribbed vaulted ceilings and pointed arches framed the couple beneath tall stained glass windows. Gloria walked the aisle in Andrew Kwon's structured off-the-shoulder ballgown, its layered tulle catching the coloured light that filtered through the panels. The first kiss drew cheers that echoed off the stone walls, and the recessional down the aisle, hand in hand, had the easy, relieved energy of two people who had just done the thing they came here to do.

The bridal portrait series moved between interiors and gardens, from the upper gallery of a historic salon to a gravel path lined with trimmed hedges. Under a sheer tulle veil, Gloria was photographed in close-up with soft focus pulling the background into a wash of green. A black-and-white frame from inside the chateau's grand hallway catches her alone, facing away, the architecture dwarfing the figure at its centre. Delina Medhin's makeup and Nicole Pembrook's hair held their shape from first frame to last, refined enough for close-ups but never competing with the Andrew Kwon silhouette that carried every image.

In Love Photography used the full estate for portraits: walled gardens with aged stone and rustic log benches, the Gothic chapel entrance, the grand stone staircase, and the gravel paths that circle the property. Gloria's tulle ballgown and Tiffany jewellery read sharply against every backdrop, and Elias in black tuxedo and bow tie matched the formality without stiffening. One frame stands out: the two of them walking hand in hand in the walled garden, mid-laugh, with nobody else in sight.

Guests moved onto the chateau grounds where a champagne coupe tower stood on white linen beneath the dark conical turret of the nearest tower. Gloria and Elias poured together, golden liquid catching late afternoon light as it cascaded down the tiers. The cream-coloured stone facade of Chateau Challain provided the backdrop while conversation spread across the lawns, trays circulated, and the mood shifted from ceremony stillness to the hum of a proper party warming up.

Long banquet tables stretched across the terrace directly against the chateau's stone facade, white linen and low floral arrangements running the full length. Guests sat down to a menu by Les Saveurs Dupre served with pacing that kept people at the table. As daylight dropped, the first dance spilled onto a pale grey floor, DJ Durell pulling the crowd from their seats, and Dragon Rouge Artifice closed the night with fireworks above the towers.