Some weddings feel like the France you daydream about: a stunning venue by the water, mountains in the background, tables set for a summer dinner, good wine, a few nice bottles, cheese, flowers, and a lot of life.

Justyna and Antoine’s destination wedding at Lake Annecy, at La Croix des Champs, was exactly that kind of day.

From London to Annecy, via Poland

Justyna and Antoine met eight years ago in London, back when Justyna was a student and Antoine was working there. They now live in Poland, hundreds of kilometres from Lake Annecy. But Antoine grew up in Savoie, near Les Arcs, which might be the real definition of a good destination wedding: a place that means something to you, even when it’s far from your everyday life.

They love the region, its landscapes, that rare combination of lake and mountains. The moment they discovered La Croix des Champs, they could already picture their wedding there.

For their guests, flying in from Poland, the UK and beyond, the wedding was also a chance to properly experience the region: arriving Friday, leaving Sunday, the wedding naturally turned into a full weekend in France.

Getting married in France without living there

That’s the whole appeal of a destination wedding in France.

You don’t need to live here to get married here. You come with your people, rent a venue for the whole weekend, plan a secular ceremony, eat together, explore the region, drink good wine, share French cheese — and simply enjoy a few days with the people you love.

Lake Annecy lends itself particularly well to this kind of international wedding. Between the lake, the mountains, the surrounding villages and Savoyard food, guests already have plenty to fill their weekend without going ten kilometres from the venue.

For a Polish-French couple like Justyna and Antoine, France was also a way to bring their two worlds together.

Elegant, without trying too hard

About fifty guests, and a day that felt warm and deeply personal.

The aesthetic was elegant, with that quiet luxury touch we love: plenty of carefully chosen details, nothing that felt forced.

Justyna wore an exceptional dress, custom-made and entirely hand-crafted by a Polish artist, a one-of-a-kind piece that suited her perfectly, paired with Jimmy Choo shoes and Swarovski sunglasses.

Antoine went for a black-and-white tuxedo, classic with a contemporary edge.

Every detail had its place. But what stayed with us most was the overall atmosphere: elegant, warm, incredibly convivial.

A ceremony in three languages

The secular ceremony reflected their story: international, through and through.

Justyna is Polish, Antoine is French, and their life together is currently based in Poland. The ceremony was conducted in English and Polish, with a celebrant moving fluidly between the two. A multilingual wedding ceremony like this takes a bit more coordination on the day, and it’s exactly what makes these international weddings so unique to document.

It was a lovely symbol of their story and their two cultures coming together for one day.

And then there was the backdrop. Lake Annecy, the mountains, that summer light, hard to imagine a more French setting for a genuinely international love story.

One day, 40 degrees

The one thing nobody had planned for was the heat.

It was nearly 40°C that day. Intense conditions for the couple, the guests… and the photographers. We adapted how we worked, chased the shade whenever we could, and took a few breaks when we had to.

Even with the heat, the wedding’s energy never dropped.

After the ceremony and cocktail hour, we took Justyna and Antoine down to the lake for a few couple portraits while the light was still good. And that’s when everything slowed down. Lake Annecy, the mountains and that late-afternoon light created an absolutely magical backdrop. As the sun dropped lower, we grabbed a last few frames in that golden light.

And then the party started

Dinner brought everyone together around one long table, for an evening with exactly the kind of energy we love photographing: people laughing, talking, toasting, dancing, genuinely enjoying being together.

Wine, good food, conversations that drag on long past dessert, and a dance floor that eventually got far too lively for anyone to stay seated.

That’s probably what we’ll remember most from this one.

Beyond the dress, the details, the venue or the lake, Justyna and Antoine had built a wedding that was entirely theirs: elegant, international, warm, and deeply human.

Planning a destination wedding in France?

If you live abroad and you’re considering a destination wedding in France, in the Alps, in Provence, or elsewhere, Lake Annecy absolutely deserves a spot at the top of your list.

You bring your story. France takes care of the backdrop. And we take care of capturing all of it.

An international wedding to plan, a ceremony in more than one language to coordinate, guests flying in from all over? Get in touch, this is exactly the kind of wedding we love working on.

Émilie & Stéphane

The team who made this day possible :
La Croix des Champs
Calico Event
Laurence S makeup
Weselny Zabojad
JBD evenements
LilasWood Floral
Loe et Ben
Ideo Traiteur