A Multicultural Celebration at Chateau de la Mogere, Montpellier

Anna and Jonathan's multicultural wedding at Chateau de la Mogere near Montpellier united four countries with lavender details and garden dining, captured by Meredith Lord.

By Elena Moretti | Published 23 June 2015

A Multicultural Celebration at Chateau de la Mogere, Montpellier

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Anna and Jonathan gathered friends and family from across the globe to Chateau de la Mogere for a heartfelt multicultural celebration near Montpellier. Born on the same day on opposite sides of the world, the couple met in London and wove elements from New Zealand, England, Poland, and France into a day filled with warmth and personal meaning.

Photography

Meredith Lord

Venue

Chateau de la Mogere

Region

Occitanie, France

Couple

Anna & Jonathan

Ceremony

Wide shot of a French property courtyard showing an ornate iron gate and fence leading through to a chapel or gatehouse tower with a stone arch, cross on top, and sundial detail. In the courtyard beyond the gate, rows of white chairs are arranged for an outdoor ceremony in front of the structure. The foreground area features potted plants and gravel ground. One person in dark clothing stands to the right near a wooden bench. The setting has a classic French domaine or mas style with limestone buildings flanking the entrance. Potential venue feature image.

A black-and-white photograph capturing the couple just after their ceremony exit on a cobblestone town square, surrounded by approximately 30 guests who are applauding and celebrating. The bride, in a fitted white gown with a veil, has her hand raised to her face in an emotional reaction, while the groom, wearing a light-colored suit, faces her with his back to the camera. Confetti is visible on the ground around them. The setting is an outdoor urban plaza with a classic French limestone building featuring shuttered windows in the background, along with market awnings visible to the right. The image is a wide mid-shot with bright highlights and soft contrast typical of outdoor daylight B&W photography.

The outdoor ceremony unfolded beneath the clear Montpellier sky, where Anna and Jonathan exchanged vows combining traditions from four countries. A hand-binding ritual honoured old English customs, while a sand ceremony represented Jonathan's coastal upbringing. Guests toasted the couple with local sparkling wine and Polish vodka as two families became one.

Bridal Portraits

A couple portrait taken outdoors on a gravel path, with the bride and groom walking hand-in-hand and looking at each other. The groom wears a navy blue suit with a matching waistcoat, white shirt, dusty pink bow tie, and brown leather shoes, with a small pink boutonniere. The bride wears a fitted ivory lace wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and short train, and carries a loose bouquet featuring coral and peach tones with greenery. In the background, a small neoclassical stone chapel or oratory with the inscription 'DOMUS ORATIONIS' is visible through a framing of mature trees. The overall styling is classic with a relaxed garden feel. Medium full-length portrait shot.

A bridal portrait taken outdoors along a gravel pathway flanked by low trimmed box hedges, set against a stone wall with climbing ivy. The bride stands in a three-quarter rear-facing pose, glancing downward, wearing a fitted ivory lace gown with a low open back, a short two-tiered veil, and holding a compact bouquet of blush pink, mauve, and purple blooms with dark green foliage. The dress has a modest train resting on the gravel path. The overall styling is classic with a romantic, understated feel. Full-length portrait shot with soft natural light.

A couple portrait taken outdoors on a gravel path alongside manicured box hedges, with a French chateau facade featuring pale blue shutters visible in the background. The groom walks ahead wearing navy trousers, a white shirt, a grey waistcoat, and navy braces, while the bride looks back over her shoulder toward the camera with a smile, holding his hand. She wears a fitted ivory lace wedding gown with a low open back and thin straps, and carries a small bouquet with pale pink flowers. The composition is a medium full-length shot taken from behind the couple, with the bride's turned face as the focal point.

A diptych of two couple portraits taken outdoors at what appears to be a French property with stone archway ruins visible in the right image. The bride wears a fitted ivory lace gown with a sweetheart neckline and holds a loose bouquet of peach roses, purple flowers, and greenery. The groom wears a navy waistcoat over a white shirt with a lilac bow tie. In the left portrait, the couple share a close, intimate pose in a sun-dappled wooded area; in the right portrait, they stand facing the camera in front of the stone archway ruins. The styling has a relaxed, boho-romantic feel with a soft pastel color palette. Both images are medium portrait shots with warm, natural light.

Meredith Lord captured Anna framed by the chateau's sculpted gardens and honey-coloured stone facades. Her portraits balanced natural movement with the structured beauty of the 19th-century estate, each frame drawing on the interplay of flowing fabric and formal hedgerows. Jonathan joined her for relaxed images beneath the southern sky, their ease together visible in every glance.

Reception

A couple shares their first dance outdoors at night in the courtyard of a French chateau or manor house, with ornate iron gates and a stone facade lit up in the background. The bride wears a fitted, off-the-shoulder white lace gown and the groom is dressed in navy trousers, a light blue waistcoat, and no jacket. A white illuminated branch tree with warm fairy lights glows to the right of the gates, and ground-level pathway lighting casts a warm amber tone across the gravel and paved courtyard. One guest, a woman in a floral dress, stands in the background watching the dance. The shot is a medium wide portrait taken at ground level capturing the full figures of the couple in an intimate embrace.

A bridal party is gathered in a courtyard, viewed through a large ornate stone archway fitted with decorative wrought-iron gates painted in a muted blue-grey. The composition is a wide shot taken from outside the arch, framing a second archway beyond, creating a layered perspective. The group includes approximately five to six women; the bridesmaids wear floor-length mint green dresses, while one figure appears to be in a white bridal gown and another in a coral or peach dress. The setting is a classic French chateau or manor, with aged limestone architecture, gravel ground, and potted plants flanking the passageway. Potential venue feature image.

The bride and groom share a kiss in an outdoor garden path lined with trimmed low hedgerows, with their bridal party gathered behind them cheering and smiling. The setting appears to be the grounds of a French chateau or historic estate, with aged stone building facades visible in the background. The bride wears a fitted white lace gown with a long veil and holds a mixed bouquet of peach and blush blooms with greenery and touches of lavender; the groom wears a navy suit with a navy waistcoat, white shirt, and no tie. The bridal party behind them includes women in mint green maxi dresses and one in a cream embroidered cover-up-style dress, creating a relaxed, boho-influenced color palette of mint, blush, and ivory. The shot is a full-length portrait taken from a slight distance, capturing the couple in the foreground with the group naturally arranged behind them.

Dinner in the chateau gardens brought together French cuisine, regional wines, and toasts in multiple languages. Tables dressed with lavender and candlelight created an atmosphere of relaxed elegance as speeches moved between English, French, and Polish. The evening built from heartfelt words to open dancing, with the warm Montpellier air carrying laughter well past midnight.

Design and Details

Wide shot of a classical French chateau or domaine entrance gate, featuring a tall arched stone doorway with ornate wrought-iron gate panels painted in dark blue-grey, topped with a decorative ironwork arch. The surrounding limestone wall is crowned with a carved stone balustrade running along the top. Two terracotta urns with clipped round shrubs flank the entrance on a gravel courtyard. A small lantern is mounted on the arch above the gate. No people are visible in the image. Potential venue feature image.

A close-up architectural shot of the entrance facade of a French chateau or manor house, featuring a grand double wooden door with cross-pattern glazing, framed by pale blue-grey louvred shutters and an ornate carved stone pediment with decorative relief detailing above the arch. Two clipped boxwood topiaries in terracotta pots flank the doorway on a stone step. A small sign reading 'Accueil' with a directional arrow is visible to the right of the entrance. The image contains no people and serves as a venue detail shot. Potential venue feature image.

A close-up detail shot of an outdoor wedding activity table set on a weathered wooden surface. The table features a photobooth station with a small chalkboard sign on a miniature easel reading 'Photobooth – Grab a prop, Write a message, Strike a pose, Pick up the remote, Take a photo,' alongside red and black prop cutouts on sticks. Additional items include small framed chalkboards with colorful chalk pieces, rustic twig-style pencils, blank white cards, a glass jar, and a large wicker basket filled with individually wrapped lavender bundle favors tied with twine. The overall styling is rustic with natural and handmade elements.

Wide exterior shot of a classic French chateau featuring a symmetrical two-story stone facade with pale blue-grey shutters, a triangular pediment, and a grand central staircase leading to the main entrance. The building is flanked by decorative stone urns, classical statuary, and potted flowering plants in terracotta tones along the steps and balustrades. No people are visible in the frame; the image serves as a venue overview shot taken in bright daylight. Potential venue feature image.

Lavender details threaded through the design, nodding to the Languedoc landscape that surrounded the estate. Travel-inspired table names reflected the couple's shared adventures, while French cuisine and regional wines anchored the menu. Meredith Lord's images revealed how every design choice connected to a place, a memory, or a cultural tradition dear to the couple.

Flat Lays

Two-image composite showing outdoor wedding reception table styling at what appears to be a French chateau or domaine courtyard. The top image is a close-up detail shot of a round reception table set with a white/pale grey tablecloth, white plates with gold-rimmed chargers, napkins tied with twine or ribbon, multiple glassware settings, and scattered confetti. A watercolor-style illustrated table name card is propped at the center alongside a low floral centerpiece featuring blush pink and white blooms with greenery. The bottom image is a wider shot of the same or similar round table set for approximately ten guests, surrounded by white folding chairs with cream or ivory bow sashes tied to the backs, set on a gravel courtyard with aged stone walls and teal-painted wooden doors visible in the background. The overall decor palette is white, soft grey, blush, and ivory with a classic Provençal styling.

Close-up detail shot of a pair of bridal heels displayed on a dark carved wooden surface, likely an antique dresser or cabinet. The shoes are ivory satin t-strap heels with silver and gold glitter embellishment along the straps and toe band, featuring an ankle buckle closure and an open toe design. The pairing of ivory satin and metallic glitter detailing gives the shoes a classic bridal aesthetic. The carved wood background provides a rich, dark contrast to the light-colored footwear.

An outdoor ceremony setup photographed from a wide rear angle, showing rows of white folding chairs arranged in two sections along a central aisle in a wooded garden setting. The aisle leads to a floral arch decorated with what appears to be pastel-toned blooms, likely soft pink and lavender flowers. Chair ends are decorated with small floral arrangements in pink and white tones. Two or three people are visible in the background near the arch, appearing to make final setup preparations. The overall styling is soft and romantic with a garden-party aesthetic, using white furniture and pastel florals against the natural tree canopy.

Close-up detail shot of a handfasting ceremony, showing the joined hands of a bride and groom bound together with a twisted cream and gold rope or cord. The bride is wearing a white lace dress with a sheer veil visible at her side, and a third hand rests on her back. The groom is dressed in a navy blue vest over a light blue dress shirt with navy trousers, and wears a coral/pink boutonniere on his lapel. The outdoor ceremony setting is softly blurred in the background. The composition focuses tightly on the hands and the binding cord, emphasizing this ritual element.

Calligraphy menus, hand-stamped place cards, and ribbon-wrapped programmes were arranged with lavender sprigs and natural textures. The stationery suite drew on the travel theme that shaped the celebration, with each piece referencing a city or moment meaningful to the couple. Rings, shoes, and delicate accessories completed the story in miniature detail.