Anna and James flew from California to celebrate the wedding of their dreams in an old French castle in the south-west of France. The couple wanted a simple, authentic reception but with a luxury feel. Their destination wedding was held last June at Château de Goudourville, a unique and luxurious thousand year old castle. The couple were drawn to the castle's majesty and history, as well as its beautiful countryside setting. The style of Anna and James' celebration was rustic but elegant with a wedding palette of azure blue, the couple's favourite colour. Their day was captured by Elena Joland.

"A wedding in France was something that was furthest from my mind when I got engaged, but sometimes life lands you in situations you do not expect. When I first met my husband-to-be James we were both living and working in California, a world away from where we are now. He had moved there for work and I for the sunshine. It was work that brought us to the south of France in the summer of 2016 and gave us the opportunity to have a wedding in such a spectacular place. Destination weddings are never easy to plan- the differences from home in both language and culture can be overwhelming, especially since the rest of one's life does not pause while the planning goes on. In this regard we were lucky to have the assistance of our wedding planner to help ease this hurdle, and it was through her that we were introduced to Elena Joland. From the very beginning, we were impressed with her style and skill, a skill made very clear after we received our engagement photos. Through images in both a city and country setting, Elena was able to weave together a storyline during the course of a day that perfectly captured our emotions.

In France we were drawn to the majesty and history of Chateau Goudourville, near the famed Abbey of Mossaic, and to the bucolic countryside that surrounds that region. With friends and family scattered about two continents, a venue where the whole wedding party could stay on site was a blessing, and having extra hands around to prepare for the day was invaluable. A castle that has been continuously used since the eleventh century makes a spectacular backdrop to a ceremony that is meant to last a lifetime."

Photography: Elena Joland: L.A. Belle France Photographie | Venue: Château de Goudourville | Wedding Planner: DG-Oranisation | Floral Decoration: Atelier Endemic | Hair & Makeup: Sarah Fekir