Wedding photos that aren’t immediately recognisable as ‘wedding photos’ always appeal to me.  What appeals to me is the sense that it is a party but there are no obvious wedding indicators.  The bride and groom are not in this shot.  But at the same time it’s very clear that there’s a sense of occasion here and the characters in the photo are very clearly dressed up.  But it’s more about what the image evokes.  It’s a mood, a late night happiness and sense of abandon.  This shot was taken near midnight at a spectacular wedding at the Château de la Goujeonnerie in Vendée, West France.  The 19th château looks like a surrealistically picture perfect château from the outside (*see full wedding link below), while inside it’s the brilliantly eccentric creation of the guys from Les Trois Garcons.  The whole house is like a cabinet of beautiful curiousities.  The party was kicked off by the hilariously great Cuban Brothers who fired everyone up, creating a wonderful party atmosphere, then after a storming DJ set everyone spilled out onto the lawn for fresh air and fireworks, and that’s when this photo was taken. ..

Technical details for the photography wonks:

Camera: Canon 5D MKII

Lens: Canon 35mm 1.4

Aperture: f1.8

Shutter speed: 1/125

ISO: 6400

Lit with on-camera flash

Photo requested by one Sara Vaughan

For the full (astonishing) French wedding click here: Hannah & Richard at Château de la Goujeonnerie

Read more about the château here: The World of Interiors