A French-American Wedding in Bordeaux: Julie and Derek
French-American weddings in Bordeaux are more and more common, because Americans love Bordeaux wine. Bordeaux wine estates such as Château Pape Clément are hugely popular across the Atlantic.
Julie and Derek chose this prestigious estate to bring their families together and celebrate their wedding.
Château Pape Clément has not hosted weddings since 2025: this is the story of a wedding I had the joy of photographing there. More of those days are gathered on my Château Pape Clément wedding photos page, among them Caroline and Giovanni’s wedding.
Château Pape Clément in Pessac
Does Château Pape Clément still need an introduction? I always think it is worth celebrating our historic and cultural heritage, especially when it comes to wine estates as renowned as Château Pape Clément.
Château Pape Clément, in the town of Pessac, holds many treasures, the most famous being its Grand Cru Classé de Graves.
The estate’s first harvest took place in 1262: its vineyard has been producing great wines for more than 760 years.
Back then, it was called the Domaine de la Mothe. Just before the year 1300, the Archbishop of Bordeaux, Bertrand de Goth, acquired it. Six years later he became Pope, taking the name Clement V, and so gave the château its name.
Until his death in 1314, Pope Clement watched over the estate’s vines. Then, in 1791, the château was confiscated by the revolutionaries and sold at auction.
The Graves Grand Cru Classé classification was created in 1959, and Château Pape Clément was honoured for its Grand Vin. It was a major turning point in the history of Bordeaux wine, drawing wine professionals from far beyond France’s borders.
The 1980s were the most fruitful years for Château Pape Clément’s reputation, thanks to the arrival of the well-known entrepreneur and wine lover Bernard Magrez, who raised the Pessac estate to the rank of the most prestigious wines in France and around the world. That is also why so many French-American weddings were celebrated at Château Pape Clément: Americans love our region and its great wines.
Being a Wedding Photographer in Bordeaux
As a wedding photographer living in Bordeaux, I always feel very honoured to take my wedding photos in places with real character. I will even admit to being proud of it: although I have lived in Bordeaux for a long time, I feel a great deal of gratitude for everything that the aptly named "Sleeping Beauty" has to offer me.
So I am always thrilled when my couples invite me to photograph their wedding day at a prestigious wine estate like this one.
A Cosmopolitan Wedding: From Utah to Bordeaux by Way of Ireland
Julie and Derek are a truly cosmopolitan couple, both in their origins and in the life they have chosen.
The bride was born here in the south-west, in the Bordeaux area, and most of her family comes from the region.
Derek was born in the United States and grew up in Utah.
The two of them live together in Ireland.
Between them, they inherited two very different cultures, French and American, and then discovered Irish culture.
Both are wonderfully open to the world and have very different passions, which makes them a unique and strong couple.
Julie loves art. In fact, she was the one who fell for my Fine Art images, for their bright, symmetrical and emotional feel. Julie also wanted to take care of the decoration of her wedding herself.
Derek is quite a character! He speaks eight languages. Endlessly curious, he is always eager to learn. He loves architecture and MMA (mixed martial arts): when he is not working, he enjoys acting as a judge and referee at matches and tournaments. His physique also gets him noticed at film castings, and he has already played Viking roles in series and films.
This French-American wedding near Bordeaux was a wonderful multicultural experience for me! And it was a real pleasure to see Julie and Derek again after their couple photos at Cap-Ferret in August 2020, when Derek proposed.
From Ireland to Cap-Ferret, and a Beautiful Finale at Château Pape Clément in Pessac
I first met the couple in August 2020, when they came over from Ireland for a very special reason.
That is putting it mildly! When Derek got in touch with me, he was planning to ask Julie to marry him.
To mark this wonderful occasion, Derek wanted to take Julie to Cap-Ferret. So we set off for this magical place, perfect for a romantic surprise.
The Village du Truc Vert was the setting for this engagement shoot. Julie suspected nothing, carried away by the magic of this little corner of paradise. Derek pulled out all the stops, and emotions ran high when he knelt before her and brought out the ring. "So lovely"!
An English version of this story was published on the How They Asked blog, which specialises in proposal stories.
Julie and Derek’s wedding was planned for May 2021, but because of the health situation at the time, the date had to be postponed, which took us to October 2021. We were very lucky: the weather was glorious and the sun shone all day long over the grounds of Château Pape Clément.
I was able to take beautiful photos thanks to the clear blue sky, but also to the time of year: after the summer, the sun sits lower in the sky. On top of that, the place is truly exceptional, with its listed architecture, the museum pieces inside, and its gardens and vines. Julie even asked for some of the couple photos to be taken in the château’s botanical garden: a first for me.
Julie, who loves decoration, spent several months perfecting every detail of her wedding with different professionals.
The ceremony was led by her brother. It was one of the most moving moments of their day.
Julie and Derek’s wedding suppliers
- Venue: Château Pape Clément
- Suits: Remus Uomo
- Dress: Un Jour Une Robe Bordeaux
- Hair: Valentine Artisan Coiffeur
- Make-up: Beauty Bike
- Flowers: Fleurs de Mars
- Design: L’atelier M
- Stationery: Blanco Canvas
- Caterer: Lacoste Traiteur
- Wedding cake: Alix gâteaux d’exception
- Videographer: Silvartfilms
- DJ: Amoren Wedding
A Wedding Photographer for Intercultural Weddings in Bordeaux
I have been a wedding photographer in Bordeaux since 2016, and my weddings have taken me to a great many incredible places in the Gironde.
Over the years, I have begun photographing more and more couples of different nationalities.
It is an honour for me to welcome intercultural couples here in my region, and to give them memories of their wedding in exceptional places.
If you are reading this and you are a couple living abroad, I can help you plan everything to do with your wedding photography.
Thanks to my travels in England and in the United States, I learned the language of Shakespeare, so I am comfortable working in English, whether British or American.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Château Pape Clément still host weddings?
No, not since 2025. Julie and Derek’s wedding was celebrated there in October 2021.
Can you photograph a wedding in English?
Yes: thanks to my travels in England and the United States, I speak English, and I can help a couple who live abroad plan their wedding photography.
Where does the name Château Pape Clément come from?
From Bertrand de Goth, Archbishop of Bordeaux, who acquired the estate (then the Domaine de la Mothe) just before 1300 and became pope as Clement V.
Planning your wedding in France?
I photograph weddings across Bordeaux and France, for couples from France and from abroad, as for this destination wedding in Bordeaux; drone photos are included in my wedding collections. Discover my wedding collections, or tell me about your day.
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