Hilary & Kevin
A peaceful sunset elopement in Auvergne, France
Itinerary of their Auvergne elopement
Due to Leave No Trace policy, the exact location names have to stay undisclosed
12.30-1.00pm approx.: start to get ready
3.00pm: we meet at your accommodation + do a first look
3.15pm: we hop into my car and go to the forest
3.30-5.00pm: photoshoot in the forest + location scouting for the ceremony
5.00-5.30pm: ceremony
5.30-5.45pm: ceremony wraps up
5.45-6.00pm: drive to the grocery store to pick up some local cheeses, bread and charcuterie for the picnic
6.00-6.15pm: grocery shopping for the picnic
6.15-8.30pm: drive up to the pass (takes 30mn but there will be plenty of stops on the road for photos!)
8.30-9.00pm: walk around the pass to find the best spot for a picnic
9.00-9.45pm: picnic with the sunset (9.37pm: sunset)
9.45-10.15pm: drive back to the accommodation
10.15-11.00pm: photoshoot under the stars
What they have to say about their adventure
I’ve been dreaming of having our ceremony in the forest for almost 6 years. It seemed like a fairytale, and then I met Ambre and it became our story.
Before we connected with Ambre, I was completely lost on how to hold our elopement ceremony in France. She helped us from start to finish – let me rephrase that – she made everything happen just as we hoped! Here are just a FEW things she did…
During the entire planning process, she was responsive, open to my ideas and warm and friendly. She listened to my requests and made them happen with positivity and kindness!
She recommended a perfect B&B for us to stay at, and helped set up a surprise moment there on the grounds.
She found the perfect location for our ceremony in the forest in Auvergne, exactly as we’d described. We had an incredible ceremony and our officiant was amazing – also from her recommendation.
After the ceremony, she took us to a little local grocer to pick up amazing treats for our wedding picnic, translating everything so we got just what we wanted. She took us to another shop to get a fresh baguette, then brought us to an INCREDIBLE hillside looking over the entire valley, and that was COMPLETELY private. She had a blanket for us to sit on while we had our picnic, she took breathtaking photos that we didn’t even know she was taking. We felt like we had that entire hillside to ourselves.
She drove us through beautiful hills and when she saw a picturesque field, she didn’t hesitate to have us get out and go exploring – which was exactly what I’d shared with her in the planning phase. At the end of our night, she found another field with a view of the sunset through the trees and brought us there for our first dance…
And she did all of this while capturing every moment we had in true candid and magical form…not one of our photos is staged or posed. Every singe one captures the joy and love we feel for each other. The photos we have so far exceed what I even thought was possible. What a gift she has.
I can’t put into words how incredible the day was for us. We love reliving it, and we are so thankful that Ambre was a part of it. She is incredibly talented, kind, warm and accepting. Once we parted ways, I truly missed her the next day!
THANK YOU AMBRE!
Reflections on the day
Hilary and Kevin decided to elope in France a few months only before they headed to Europe from the US on a discovery trip. Hilary always wanted to have a ceremony in the woods, surrounded by the beauty and peace of trees while she exchange meaningful vows with her husband to be. When she contacted me, my summer calendar was already closed but we met anyways and we instantly clicked. Her vision totally came to life in my head as she described what kind of forest she wanted, and the general atmosphere of her day. I recommended Central France, the region where I was born and where I lived for many years (and occasionally shot there!), and we agreed on a date during their holiday in France. I reopened my calendar just for them, and I’m so glad I did!
In the morning, they peacefully got ready in their room, in a rustic B&B I recommended in the forest. They headed to the nearest town to get some flowers before that, so when I arrived in their room, Hilary was almost ready and just needed help to put her dress on, and Kevin was on the finishing touches with his suit. Once he was done, he headed outside to wait for Hilary. I helped Hilary with her dress, and we headed downstairs, where Kevin was waiting for us right next to beautiful blue hydrangeas. It was a very emotional first look!
Then it was time for the ceremony! We headed to the nearby forest to find a beautiful ceremony spot, but the forest had just been cut. So we took my car to head to another forest I scouted a few days before, and they found exactly what they were looking for: tall, evergreen trees, a sound of birds chirping on the branches, and a peaceful atmosphere in general. Their officiant met us directly in the forest as the sun just started to go down, and they exchanged their vows with only the forest as their witness. We could see the sun illuminating their smiles as they lost themselves in the beauty of nature, exchanging personal and meaningful vows that would later be the sealing of their alliance.
After their ceremony, we directly headed to the closest town to buy some local food. They picked up jams, cheeses and dry meats, as well as a delicious piece of bread and some pastries. We then headed to the top of the mountain to enjoy the sun as it was setting on the volcanoes in front of us. During an hour, we ate, laughed, enjoyed the view and listened to peaceful grillons as they were serenading them. The food was delicious, and the day was absolutely perfect. It was such a beautiful experience, to be the only witness of their love on top of that mountain, only surrounded by the warmth of the sun and the soft caress of the wind. After our picnic, we headed back to the B&B while stopping at different viewpoints to enjoy the very last rays of the sun as it was setting behind the mountains.
Behind the scenes of their Auvergne elopement
A short anecdote: When they contacted me about wanting a forest elopement, I was thrilled—they chose a location near where I grew up in central France, an area I know intimately. This personal connection allowed me to guide them to the most enchanting spots, making their ceremony truly magical and deeply meaningful to me.
Photos of this Auvergne elopement
