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A Church Wedding in Arcachon and a Celebration at Villa La Tosca

Real Weddings

Villa La Tosca is the emblematic place to celebrate a wedding in an exceptional setting: Arcachon Bay. Come with me and relive Céline and Erwan’s wedding, from the Basilica of Notre-Dame d’Arcachon to Villa La Tosca, in June 2020.

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Villa La Tosca, on Arcachon Bay

Before looking back on Céline and Erwan’s wonderful wedding day, let me introduce Villa La Tosca.

At Villa La Tosca, everything is done to help wedding guests relax. The restful atmosphere feels like a change of scene.

Overlooking Arcachon Bay, Villa La Tosca is a charming five-star house, booked for private use.

Built in 1903 in the Arcachon style, with influences from Italian architecture, the villa offers spacious, luxurious bedrooms. It also has green, flower-filled grounds and a terrace with a swimming pool.

On the road that leads to Cap Ferret, Villa La Tosca is ideally placed to admire the panorama of Arcachon Bay. From the bridal suite upstairs, you can even catch a glimpse of the majestic Dune du Pilat.

The villa has its own small private beach on the edge of the Bay, lined with maritime pines, where a few little fishing boats rest by the water. This beach is often used for symbolic ceremonies and for couple photos on the wedding day.

As you will have gathered, Villa La Tosca has every ingredient for a perfect wedding: calm, authenticity, refinement and romance. To discover the venue in more detail, see my Villa La Tosca wedding photographer page.

Céline and Erwan’s wedding

Céline and Erwan fell head over heels for Villa La Tosca. They loved its enchanting setting on Arcachon Bay.

Theirs was my first wedding of the 2020 season! In all honesty, I made no secret of how happy I was to be part of this wonderful event on 27 June.

It was truly the restart for every one of the suppliers the couple had chosen. You could feel how happy we all were to be there, around Céline and Erwan!

Emotion and sharing

A blended family and the parents of four adorable children, Céline and Erwan have each been through times in their lives that were not always happy.

For them, this wedding was one of those suspended moments, where joy, happiness and conviviality were at the heart of everything. They went to great lengths to make the celebration even more beautiful.

In the morning, Céline was helped to get ready by one of her best friends. Then the religious ceremony took place at the Basilica of Notre-Dame d’Arcachon.

It is worth saying that Erwan’s great passion is the organ. Erwan is in fact the titular organist of the splendid organ of Bagnères-de-Luchon, in the Pyrenees. One of his friends, also a great organist, came from the other side of France to play the organ in Arcachon in his honour. The sound was absolutely exceptional.

The wedding evening at Villa La Tosca

The newlyweds invited their guests on a sea outing aboard two boats on Arcachon Bay. The trip took them past the Dune du Pilat, the cabanes tchanquées (the Bay’s famous huts on stilts) and the Île aux Oiseaux. The light was fantastic.

Finally, we all headed back to Villa La Tosca, where the caterer was waiting. The guests enjoyed a wedding drinks reception in the villa’s grounds, which was a great success and much appreciated.

A covered marquee with a wooden floor had been set up in the grounds of Villa La Tosca to bring the guests together for the wedding dinner.

I made the most of this time while the guests were mingling to whisk the newlyweds away to the beach for a few photos at sunset. The fading light offers a landscape of indescribable beauty.

To open their wedding evening, Céline and Erwan had asked Alegria to light up the whole villa, and the atmosphere was incredible.

The evening was punctuated by many surprises from the children. Then the dancing took place in the villa until the middle of the night.

Finally, a lantern release on the villa’s beach brought the evening to a close.

Wedding Photographer at Villa La Tosca

As a wedding photographer in Bordeaux and Gironde, I take real pleasure in photographing weddings on Arcachon Bay. Villa La Tosca is a special wedding venue because of its setting and its location. The natural light is extraordinary, whether the sun is shining or the sky is cloudy.

Whenever I go to Villa La Tosca to photograph a wedding, I feel connected to the place. I feel so at home there. The welcome is always warm and attentive, which is never a bad thing!

Villa La Tosca will certainly appeal to you if you are looking for a place to celebrate your future wedding. And of course, if you would like me to be your Fine Art wedding photographer, you will find everything you need below.

Céline and Erwan’s wedding suppliers

Here are the wedding suppliers who were there with me at Céline and Erwan’s wedding.

  • Venue: Villa La Tosca
  • Wedding gown: Mademoiselle M
  • Suit: Father & Sons
  • Flowers: Sophie Gomes de Miranda
  • Caterer: Maison Dulou
  • DJ: Alegria
Red “La Tosca” name plate with white lettering at the entrance to the villa
Façade and tower of Villa La Tosca, a seaside villa on Arcachon Bay
Front steps and wrought-iron entrance door of Villa La Tosca in Lanton
Palm-fringed swimming pool and canopy daybed at Villa La Tosca
Boats moored on the calm waters of Arcachon Bay under a blue sky
Small stone statue at the foot of the white staircase at Villa La Tosca
Bridal shoes, pearl jewellery and ring boxes laid out on white wooden boards
Wedding bands in a white box beside a pearl bracelet and a bridal shoe
Leafy garden of Villa La Tosca with its little bridge and stream
The bride in a white robe smiling on the balcony while getting ready
One of the couple's children in a grey suit in the villa's library
The couple's children in suits posing in front of the library bookshelves
Black and white silhouette of the bride in her robe at an open French window
The bride in her robe, tiara in her hair, laughing while getting ready
Reception marquee set up on the lawn of Villa La Tosca overlooking the bay
Roof and turret of a villa rising above the pines of Arcachon Bay
Pink and white flower boutonnieres arranged on a log in a tray
A guest presents the tray of floral boutonnieres during the preparations
Guest in a pale blue dress beneath the pink arches of Villa La Tosca
View of the church nave from the gallery before the wedding ceremony in Arcachon
Organ stops and keyboard with open sheet music before the wedding mass
Guest and little girl in floral dresses seated by the church's wrought-iron gate
Black and white shot of the priest celebrating the wedding mass facing the organ
The priest seated near the altar beneath the crucifix during the religious ceremony
The newlyweds leave the church under a shower of petals by its red doors
Céline and Erwan walk along the pontoon at Arcachon harbour before their boat trip
Rock breakwater and harbour building at Arcachon seen from the boat
Motorboat speeding across Arcachon Bay during the couple's boat trip
The groom leaning on the boat rail as it leaves Arcachon harbour
The Dune du Pilat on the horizon, seen from Arcachon Bay
Small orange boat crossing Arcachon harbour in front of the seafront buildings
Villa La Tosca and its tower under a cloudy sky, seen from the garden
The bride and groom pose beneath a weeping willow in the Villa La Tosca garden
The newlyweds kiss on the beach at Arcachon Bay in soft, milky light
White reception marquee and petal-strewn aisle on the Villa La Tosca lawn
The bride and groom holding drinks during the cocktail hour in the villa garden
A guest in a pale blue dress gives a speech in the marquee during the cocktail hour
Smiling guest in red glasses during the wedding cocktail hour
One of the couple's children drinking a glass of juice in the marquee
Two riders on horseback along the beach at Arcachon Bay in the evening
Sunset over Arcachon Bay at low tide with boats at anchor
Setting sun shining through a tamarisk on the beach of Arcachon Bay
Villa La Tosca lit up at night against a deep blue sky
The bride and groom behind their wedding cake topped with sparklers
DJ Rudy Alegria at the decks during the wedding party at Villa La Tosca
The newlyweds dance together as the evening party gets going
A young guest in a wheelchair dances with the other guests during the party
Guests dancing in pairs under the colourful lights of the wedding party
Two guests laughing heartily on the dance floor at the wedding party
The bride dances with a guest under the party lights
Silhouettes of the newlyweds facing the sunset over Arcachon Bay

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Villa La Tosca?

In Lanton, on the shores of Arcachon Bay, on the road that leads to Cap Ferret; it has its own small private beach.

Can we marry in church and then celebrate at Villa La Tosca?

Yes: Céline and Erwan were married at the Basilica of Notre-Dame d'Arcachon, then welcomed their guests under a marquee in the grounds of the villa.

Can we plan a boat trip on the wedding day?

Yes: their guests boarded two boats at the port of Arcachon, sailing past the Dune du Pilat, the cabanes tchanquées and the Île aux Oiseaux.

Planning your wedding in France?

I photograph weddings at Villa La Tosca, on Arcachon Bay and across Bordeaux and France, and drone photos are included in my wedding collections. Discover my wedding collections, or tell me about your day.

SEE MY WEDDING COLLECTIONS

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