Chapel Candles and Vintage Lace at Château Villarlong

Helen and Conor married at Château Villarlong with 80 guests, a candlelit chapel ceremony, a vintage lace veil and poolside cocktails.

By Anne-Sophie Boubals | Published 13 October 2026 | Last reviewed 13 October 2026

Chapel Candles and Vintage Lace at Château Villarlong

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Helen and Conor married in summer with 80 guests at Château Villarlong, a 13th-century château wedding venue near Carcassonne. Vineyards and countryside surround the property in Occitanie.

FestidaysPlanner planned the wedding, and Kassim Kefane of The K Pic photographed the day. The chapel ceremony was followed by poolside cocktails, then a candlelit reception in the château's barn.

Photography

Kassim Kefane

Venue

Château Villarlong

Region

Occitanie, France

Couple

Helen & Conor

Getting Ready

In black and white, a smiling bride in a veil hugs a woman with long wavy hair beside a wooden door.

A smiling bride wearing a veil stands in a whitewashed room, framed by the dark silhouettes of people in the foreground.

In black and white, a bride in a veil and strapless gown holds a bouquet and looks away beside a bright window.

A bride in a veil dabs her eyes with a tissue and holds a card, standing beside a woman in a blue dress.

A woman in a blue dress adjusts the veil of a bride in a white gown in a bright stone room.

A bride in a long veil reads from a small card while a woman in a blue dress watches her.

First Look

The back of the groom's head is in the foreground while the bride stands on stone steps by an ivy-covered tower in warm light.

A bride in a strapless white gown stands against a sunlit stone wall while a man in a dark suit waits at a doorway.

In black and white, a bride in a long veil stands by a stone wall and shrubs while a man waits in a doorway.

The bride in a white gown covers her face with one hand beside the groom, who stands in a dark stone doorway.

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Ceremony

The groom in a dark suit and the bride in a long veil and gown face each other inside a lit stone chapel.

In black and white, the groom and the bride in a long train stand in a stone chapel apse with two women behind.

In black and white, the couple kiss at an altar decorated with flowers while bridesmaids stand beside them and guests watch.

In black and white, guests sit along a candlelit aisle facing the couple at the altar of a vaulted stone chapel.

Guests sit on both sides of a candlelit aisle inside a vaulted stone chapel, looking towards the altar.

The ceremony took place in the old stone chapel, with candlelight, floral arrangements and the sound of a harp. Candles stood along the aisle and in the wall niches. Helen and Conor stepped outside into the warm afternoon light to join their guests.

Bridal Portraits

In black and white, the bride in a veil and strapless gown holds a large bouquet in front of a wooden door.

The bride smiles while holding a bouquet of white and blue flowers, standing before a stone wall covered in ivy.

In black and white, a bride sits with her head bowed as her voluminous white gown spreads around her in the darkness.

A bride in a strapless white gown and veil holds a bouquet of blue and white flowers in front of an old wooden door.

The bride in a full white gown holding a bouquet stands before a wooden door in an ivy-covered stone building beside a cypress.

The bride in a full white gown and long veil stands beside a black iron railing with trees behind her, lit by soft warm light.

The bride wore two veils, including a vintage lace veil previously worn by a family member. She carried a cascading bouquet.

Couple Portraits

In low light, the groom in a dark suit and the bride in a strapless gown and veil smile at each other.

The groom in a dark suit stands beneath gnarled green trees, with the bride in white partly visible beside him.

In black and white, the groom and the bride in a full gown walk along a garden path with bright sunlight behind.

The couple embrace in the middle of a stone barn, between long set tables with blue and yellow flowers and wooden chairs.

The groom in a dark suit and the bride in a white gown with a long train stand before a dark door framed by ivy.

In black and white, the groom and the bride in her gown walk together through a wrought-iron gate in a leafy garden.

Bridal Party

Seven bridesmaids in pale yellow gowns stand close together holding bouquets, facing an ivy-covered stone wall and dark door.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen cheer with raised arms around the couple as they kiss, holding blue and white bouquets.

Two bridesmaids in pale yellow spread the long train of the bride's gown in front of an ivy-covered wall.

The groom and the laughing bride walk across a gravel courtyard, followed by groomsmen in suits beneath an ivy-covered wall.

A row of men in dark suits stands beside a small swimming pool, in front of a pale stone building and a tree.

The couple stand with bridesmaids in pale dresses and groomsmen in suits, some cheering, in front of an ivy-covered doorway.

Reception

Guests sit at long candlelit tables in a timber-beamed hall hung with strings of warm lights.

The groom in shirtsleeves feeds cake to the bride in her veil, with a decorated cake in the foreground.

Guests sit along a long table lit by candles, beneath wooden beams hung with strings of small lights.

Guests sit at tables in a wide timber-beamed hall, lit by candles and overhead strings of lights.

The bride, seen from behind in a long lace veil and full-skirted gown, moves through a dimly lit crowd of guests.

The reception took place in the château's barn. White linens covered the tables, with wooden chairs arranged around them. Long tables stood beneath strings of lights.

Candlelight and string lights lit the reception as evening fell. According to Kassim Kefane, the speeches brought "both tears and laughter". A large round cake was topped with red fruit.

Design and Details

A vaulted stone chapel glows with warm lighting and candles, with rows of wooden chairs facing a small altar.

Gold-framed photographs stand on a table with a white cloth, next to a candle and white flowers.

The wedding colours were butter yellow, powder blue and ivory, with greenery among the decorations. Loose floral arrangements combined blue, yellow and white.