A Pre-Wedding Photoshoot in Cap Ferret with Sonia and Aurélien

Engagement Sessions

Let’s set off for another engagement session on Arcachon Bay. As a wedding photographer in Gironde, I have become a regular on Arcachon Bay, and I am starting to feel at home in this exceptional natural setting that no one should miss.

Engagement ring resting on a weathered wooden post on Arcachon Bay

The Piraillan reservoirs lined with pines and reeds under a blue sky

The couple share a kiss in the shade of the pines during their engagement shoot

The engaged couple leaning against a pine trunk, she in coral, he in a blue shirt

Come with me along the path of love and romance with Sonia and Aurélien!

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Sonia and Aurélien’s Engagement Session

The couple chose the location for this engagement session themselves.

The bride-to-be in a coral dress smiling with her hand on a pine tree

Portrait of the bride-to-be showing her engagement ring, hand to her cheek

The bride-to-be in a coral dress standing by a fallen trunk in the pine forest

The couple embracing amid the foliage in a forest on Arcachon Bay

It was through my blog articles about engagement sessions on Arcachon Bay that Sonia and Aurélien discovered this magical place. The light, the natural feel and the view of the Dune du Pilat won them over completely!

The bride-to-be rests her head on her fiancé's shoulder amid the greenery

The couple in the distance in a sunlit pine woodland

They particularly loved the photos from Marie-Sophie and Sébastien’s engagement session.

Marie-Sophie and Sébastien's engagement session

What is an engagement session?

An engagement session is simply a couple photoshoot. In the wedding world, this photoshoot is called an engagement session. It reflects the wish of a couple about to marry to keep lovely memories of their time as an engaged couple, before the wedding.

The engaged couple exchange a knowing look beneath the pine branches

The couple smiling side by side by the water during their engagement session

The bride-to-be wraps her arms around her fiancé from behind under the branches

Portrait of the bride-to-be in a coral dress framed by foliage

Sonia and Aurélien will say a big "I do" on Friday 4 September at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, after getting ready at Domaine de Larchey.

White geese at the edge of a pond surrounded by pines

The couple kiss at the edge of the pond surrounded by white geese

It is with immense joy that I will be with them to capture the most beautiful day of their lives.

their wedding where they got ready

An Engagement Session at the Réservoirs de Piraillan

To start the day and this engagement session on Arcachon Bay, Sonia, Aurélien and I first headed for the Réservoirs de Piraillan. The place is ideal for natural, countryside-style couple photos.

The engaged couple embracing by the pond with white geese at their feet

White geese swimming on a pond fringed with reeds and pines

The bride-to-be beneath a leaning pine on the shore of Arcachon Bay

The bride-to-be leaning on a large pine branch facing the water

The Réservoirs de Piraillan are in the municipality of Lège-Cap-Ferret, between the Bay and the ocean. They cover 39 hectares in all, of maritime pine forest and other kinds of trees, 19 hectares of which have been protected since 1998. It is home to a rich ecosystem, with many birds and fish living in this protected natural environment.

The fiancé holds the bride-to-be under a leaning pine by the bay

The couple laughing cheek to cheek under the branches of a pine

The couple happily played along with romantic, delicate poses and let themselves be carried by their love and affection for each other. Our friends the geese took part in the engagement session too! Everything had come together for successful photographs: a lovely couple, a natural setting, soft light and some unusual extras who fitted the scene perfectly!

View across Arcachon Bay with its boats and the dune on the horizon

The couple kiss on the shore of Arcachon Bay with moored boats behind them

The bride-to-be smelling a sprig of lavender in a flower-filled garden

Portrait of the bride-to-be in a coral dress beside a lavender bush

An Engagement Photoshoot in the Village of L’Herbe

We continued the engagement photoshoot in the village of L’Herbe, on the Cap Ferret peninsula after Lège, next to the village of Le Canon.

The fiancé in a blue shirt by a black wooden oyster hut in the fishing village

The couple smiling against the black boards of an oyster hut

The fiancé smiles warmly at his bride-to-be in front of a wooden hut

The bride-to-be leaning against the wooden wall of a cabin on Arcachon Bay

The village of L’Herbe is a very popular place, with many visitors all year round. It is surely the most charming village on Arcachon Bay.

The bride-to-be touches her fiancé's face, engagement ring on her finger

The fiancé gives his bride-to-be a piggyback in front of a wooden door

What makes this oyster-farming village special is its picturesque character, with its colourful fishermen’s huts. The narrow, flower-filled lanes with their quirky street names, running between the typical huts of Arcachon Bay, make a perfect backdrop for photoshoots.

The bride-to-be running a hand through her hair against a grey wooden hut

The engaged couple embracing by the “Rue des Tomates” sign on a blue hut

Cherry tomatoes ripening on the vine in a garden by the bay

Traditional house with blue woodwork and flowering oleanders

Below the village, you come straight out onto the shores of the Bay. The view is breathtaking, with little moored boats in the foreground and the majestic Dune du Pilat in the background.

The bride-to-be smiles as she looks up, against a wooden fence

Black and white shot of the fiancé lifting his bride-to-be up towards a vine arbour

To finish, a very interesting article about the village of L’Herbe was published in June 2020. If you would like to read it, here is the link: Village de l’Herbe, by Les Escapades (in French).

The couple hand in hand looking out over Arcachon Bay and its boats

The fiancé holds the bride-to-be on a wooden jetty in the oyster village

The engaged couple laughing together, leaning on a fence at the oyster harbour

Vertical close-up of the engagement ring resting on a wooden post

Your engagement photographer

Are you planning to get married? If so, you might be interested in an engagement session on Arcachon Bay before your wedding.

The couple seated on chairs in front of a fence painted with colourful characters

As a Fine Art wedding photographer in Bordeaux and Gironde, I invite you to get in touch and tell me about your wedding plans and the photos you dream of.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an engagement session?

A couple photoshoot before the wedding, to keep lovely memories of your time as an engaged couple.

Where can we have an engagement session at Cap Ferret?

At the Réservoirs de Piraillan, in Lège-Cap-Ferret (39 hectares of maritime pines between the Bay and the ocean), then in the oyster-farming village of L’Herbe, with its colourful huts and its view of the Dune du Pilat.

Can we choose the location of our session ourselves?

Yes: Sonia and Aurélien chose this place after discovering my articles about Arcachon Bay.

Planning an engagement session in France?

I photograph engagement sessions on Arcachon Bay, in Bordeaux and across France, and the weddings that follow. Discover my wedding collections, or tell me about your plans.

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