Redbook Photography: A Champagne Wedding

Daniel + Alexis

Hautvillers, France 2016

We are Travis and Pernille of Redbook Photography. We met in August of 2007 in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. With a mutual passion for photography it was only a matter of months before we began collaborating and it was on Valentine’s Day 2008 that we photographed our first job together. Since that day we have traveled all over Southern California photographing many wonderful couple’s biggest day.

Our photography has taken us to many beautiful locations from the mountains to the beach but the wedding that we will always remember is the one that sent us across the ocean. In 2016 we made the trip to Paris, France to meet Daniel and Alexis. From the busy hustle of Paris to the serene vineyards in Champagne, it was a trip for the books.

Engagement Session

Paris, France

We met Daniel and Alexis at a small cafe in Paris on the Seine River. It was mid-July and the weather had been very kind to us until…, of course, the time we had arranged for our session. The small summer storm gave us some extra time to share a bottle of champagne and hear Daniel and Alexis’ story. From meeting at Starbucks in college, to falling in love, and now making the trip to France where they would soon be married.

The rain ran dry, and so did the champagne. As we walked along the Seine and through the city of love we caught a glimpse of what made Daniel and Alexis so special. Hearing a story of how a couple fell in love never gets old. These two have traveled all over the world and in the end found that the best place to be was with each other.

Pre-wedding Champagne Tour

Hautvillers, France

On July 14th we departed via train from Paris in the early afternoon and arrived in Reims a few hours later. We enjoyed a low key dinner and retired early. The next morning, we were lucky enough to tag along with the soon to be bride and groom and their wedding party on their outing to Hautvillers. We first visited the ceremony venue and then we got a champagne tour of the town by Patrick Lopez, the Mayor of Hautvillers. He took us down into some champagne caves and showed us how champagne was made. We enjoyed a few bottles with everyone before heading back to town. Daniel and Alexis made everyone feel so welcome.

The Wedding

Hautvillers and Reims, France

July 16th, 2016. Wedding day! Daniel, the unofficial wedding planner, made sure everything was perfect and did an amazing job. With all the help from the wedding party Alexis could enjoy the morning at the Salon getting ready with the girls. She made an absolutely stunning bride. There was a small intimate wedding ceremony at the local town hall in Hautvillers followed by a larger ceremony at a nearby location. The venue overlooked the rolling hills and vineyards of Champagne, France and was a truly beautiful affair.

Off to Reims we went. Reception time at Palais du Tau. A beautiful old palace nestled in the center of the town and situated in the shade of the Notre Dame cathedral of Reims. It was the most breathtaking venue along with all the amazing food, great company, dancing and singing, courtesy of the Irish side of the family, it was there where we partied until the wee hours of the morning.

A huge thank you to Daniel and Alexis for inviting us along on the adventure of a lifetime.

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