Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
Destination Wedding photography in Provence
Châteaux, plane trees and the clearest light in Europe — which is why the painters came.
The mistral scours the humidity out of the air over Provence, and what it leaves behind is a transparency that painters moved here for and that a camera records without any help. Colours are more saturated because there is less between them and you. On the clear day after the wind has blown, the difference between a Provence photograph and the same scene in a softer climate is obvious at a glance.
The same wind is the thing to plan for. It can blow hard for three consecutive days, and on an exposed château terrace it will take a veil, a hairstyle and the side of a marquee with it. Your venue will have a sheltered courtyard; we will have walked it. And if your date is in the first half of July we will also have established whether the lavender in the field you have been looking at is still standing, because it is a working crop and it is cut when the farmer is ready rather than when you arrive.
The light
Choosing a month in Provence.
May to June
Green, flowering, warm and clear. Lavender begins late in the window and is not guaranteed for an early June date.
July
Lavender at its peak and cut through the month. Hot, bright, and the busiest weeks of the year.
September
Vendange, softer light, warm days and cool evenings. Quieter and arguably the best month for photographs.
What has to be planned for
- Lavender is a working crop on a short season. It is cut when it is ready, not when the wedding is, and no venue controls that.
- The mistral can blow hard for several consecutive days, particularly in spring. Marquees, veils and outdoor floral installations all need a plan for it.
- A French civil marriage requires residency; most international couples hold a symbolic ceremony here and marry legally at home.
- The region is spread out and the driving between the Luberon, the Alpilles and the coast is longer than it looks.
The commission
- Coverage
- Two photographers, on site two days early, for the whole of the wedding day.
- From
- $22,000
Frames
From Provence.
Questions
How much does a Provence wedding photographer cost?
From $22,000 for a destination wedding: two photographers, two days on site beforehand and full coverage of the day. Travel is quoted at cost on top and itemised before it is booked.
Will there be lavender for our date?
If your date is in the first half of July, very probably. Late June is a gamble and depends on the year; August is too late — it has been cut. We will tell you honestly rather than let a field appear on a mood board that will be stubble when you arrive.
How much of a problem is the mistral?
It can blow hard for three consecutive days, particularly in spring. Marquees, veils and outdoor floral installations all need a plan for it, and the plan should be a room or a courtyard someone has actually stood in.
Can we legally marry in France?
A French civil marriage requires residency in the commune, so most international couples marry legally at home and hold a ceremony here. It changes the paperwork rather than the day.
Which month?
September, for vendange, softer light, warm days and cool evenings with the region quiet again. May and June are green and flowering; July is lavender and the busiest weeks of the year.
How far apart are the venues?
Further than the map suggests. The Luberon, the Alpilles and the coast are each an hour or more from the others, and a civil ceremony at a village mairie followed by dinner at an estate is a transfer that has to be budgeted for in time.
Destination Wedding in Provence?
Tell us the date and what you are planning. We reply personally, usually within two business days.