Last autumn, I had an unexpected flash of excitement when discovering a chateau just 45 minutes South of Paris – in Nainville-les-Roches – that looked just as fairytale-like as I had dreamed of. It certainly must be its Louis XIII style that makes this imposing building of the 19^th century so romantic. I quickly noticed that very few styled shoots had taken place in there, so I contacted the chateau owner, Virginie to enquire about the possibility to organize an event in there.

Extremely sympathetic Virginie explained to me that she and her husband had purchased the chateau barely two years earlier, and that they were renovating the whole of it. The chateau was previously owned by the French government, until the latter got rid of it and the building was abandoned for a few years. Now Virginie and her husband proceeded to tremendous works of renovation, from rebuilding the roof to refurbishing all the rooms, from the main salons to the no less that 176 second and third floor rooms. As I am writing, the renovation works are not finished yet, but the main parts should be ready by spring 2022, so that the chateau can welcome its first weddings. The large gardens were entirely rebuilt so that to recreate à la française gardens. The fountain West of the chateau is new and was settled just a few weeks before we shot in there.

Learning about how the new owners of the Chateau of Nainville-les-Roches are giving a new life to this piece of history is inspirational, because it is thanks to their passionate work – and to the help of many of their relatives – that a once abandoned romantic castle is now taking a new breath of life.

Upon discovering the Chateau of Nainville-les-Roches, I contacted my talented wedding planner friend Laura from Laura Andrea Wedding to pay a visit to the chateau. We were delighted to meet Virginie and discovered with pleasure a very bright building with a magnificent, marbled hall and a main salon which walls were all white. This was perfect to organize a styled shoot, perfect to organize a wedding, because any palette of colors could fit in there.

For this styled shoot, we decided to go for a palette of lilac, plum and pale peach. These colors are not common in fine art imagery – but eh, you know how Laura and I like unconventional palettes, especially since we organized “Sweetness of jade” on green shades.

With the enchanting floral compositions of Cassia from Be One Florist, Laura designed an intimate wedding table. We were here talking about a romantic elopement style, somewhere between autumn and winter, in a bold choice of colors, yet in a classical mood.

Semin, a gorgeous model from Turkey, realized her dream of being queen of a day in a French castle. She travelled to France for this styled shoot, and I was so touched that someone could feel so interested in our project. Florent, a very talented model from Besançon (South East of France), joined us on this adventure, and both of them formed a very elegant and chic couple.

As for the clothing style of our bride and groom, we wanted something modern yet elegant. Laure Baruch did an awesome job in the makeup and hair style of our bride, for a natural yet elaborated look. We were extremely honored that the Ukrainian house of couture Pollardi provided us with no less than three Daria Karlozi dresses with matching headbands. What we particularly liked in these dresses, especially in this “Graceful Dream” collection, is the game of transparent textures, notably in the sleeves. The dresses look ethereal, both modern and classic. Hard to tell which one is the most beautiful, am I right?

As usual, for me this styled shoot was not just about shooting beautiful outfits and decoration, but about capturing moments. Storytelling matters to me as much as the aesthetical content of the pictures. That is why I directed Semin and Florent just as real couple and got powerful shots.

And as I often do on styled shoots and also weddings, I took a few black and white pictures for an even more timeless effect.

This styled shoot was also the occasion for me to meet brilliant bespoken jewelry creator Noémie Briand. I fell in love with the pink sapphire solitaire engagement ring she lent us, that enabled me to take refined pictures of details. I also liked the curve shaped rings that she designed so that an engagement ring could be worn along with the wedding ring, both of them interlocking. Meeting Noémie was more than just a professional opportunity, it was also a beautiful human experience. Some weeks later, Noémie helped me choose a tourmaline stone for my own ring, and I loved the kind and friendly way she has to advise her customers.

Maybe you will have noticed how passionate I am in writing these words about this styled shoot. It was a great opportunity to create beauty and meet exceptional people. I am very grateful to our whole team for making this project possible. As of April 2022, it has been featured on The White Wren and I hope it inspires many couples to get married in Chateau de Nainville-les-Roches.

Organisation & Design: Laura Andréa Wedding

Photographer: Aude a deux ailes

Venue: Chateau de Nainville les Roches

Flowers: Be One Paris

MUAH: Laure Baruch

Groom: Florent Audiffren

Bride: Semin Emran

Dresses: Pollardi Fashion Group & Daria Kalorzi

Engagement and Bridal Rings: Noémie Briand Joaillerie

Bridal Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes