L’ABBAYE DE TALLOIRES

I love photographing weddings at the Abbaye de Talloires.  I have been extremely lucky to shoot weddings here in all seasons, from the first flowers of spring to the height of summer and in the glorious vibrant colours of the autumn gardens.  Weddings and engagement sessions in all conditions too, including nipping in and out between rain showers to get gorgeous couple photos by the lake.

The Abbaye de Talloires is an exceptional venue with breathtaking views of Lake Annecy. Nestled away in the beautiful village of Talloires it is THE most perfect setting for a wedding.   Every single one of them beautiful, every one different. So whether your wedding is held in the gorgeous landscaped gardens or in stunning Grand Gallery in the Abbaye itself, the amazing team work tirelessly behind the scenes throughout the day to make sure that your wedding day runs perfectly.  I don’t think the team arranged the heart shape gap in the clouds, but it was definitely there, so maybe they are really magic …

Tips for your Abbaye de Talloires wedding day :

• Enjoy the beautiful private gardens :

The Abbaye de Talloires has the most beautiful gardens.  A picture perfect setting for your wedding ceremony – either in the gardens or under the mature copper beech trees your guests will be completely enchanted with your choice of venue !

It is also a wonderful backdrop for your couple photos once the ceremony chairs have been cleared away and if you aren’t worried about being spotted by the occasional early arrival guest it is a truly magical place for a First Look.

Another huge plus for the Abbaye is that it has it’s own private jetty to the lake so you won’t have to share the lakeside with everybody else enjoying the beautiful turquoise waters and views.

• A church ceremony :

If you have decided to get married in the lovely little church in Talloires you have options in how you and your guests get there – either you all hop in your cars and repark.  Or it is about a 5 minute gentle stroll through the beautiful old back streets of Talloires (remember to have some comfy shoes for the walk). The walk is lovely, a quiet special moment with those accompanying you before the ceremony.

One great tip is to have parasols to shade you from the summer heat – either white (good because there are no colour reflections) or fabulously bright and just enjoy the smiles !

• Make the most of the lake for your couple shots :

Whether its the lakeside or the lake itself, lets be honest the beautiful turquoise lake is a big part of the magic of the setting.  Have a chat with your photographer and find out what time the lake is at it’s best photowise.  Depending on the time of year you might be able to organise your couple session for the golden hour so that you have the beautiful light lighting up your memories.  If it is the height of summer sunset times will be quite late, so why not talk about building in 15minutes between courses for you to nip down to the lakeside just the two of you.  That being said the lake is gorgeous at anytime of day.

• Favourite photo spots

When you come to the Abbaye for the delicious tasting day why not programme in a bit of time to walk along the bay and find your favourite spots for photos … it will give you a good idea of how much time to allow on the day, For example, if you love the Talloires jetty it is a good five minute walk away and on gorgeous sunny days there are usually quite a few people enjoying the view from there too, but I’ve found that if you smile sweetly and ask nicely they will usually move to let you have the view for a couple of minutes.

One thing to remember is that walking in a dream dress and “to die for heels” may well take a little more time than jeans and your favourite flats. The shot below of an intrepid Bride and Groom going to their favourite place in Talloires (I think a certain question may have been popped there !).  It is on the far right of the bay and leads to a beautiful view back on Talloires and the Abbaye.

• Boats glorious boats :

I’m sure there’s a song about boats but that isn’t it !   I definitely recommend that you talk to the fabulous team at the Abbaye and to your photographer about a little boat trip.  There are several options,

• If you are after a romantic time out trip just the two of you you could ask the Abbaye if their gorgeous white speedboat is available for a couple of laps of the bay.
• Or if you see yourself in one of those stunningly classy teak Riva’s (think Italian lakes and the golden days of Hollywood) then guess what … the French Riva Club is based in Talloires, yes really !!!
• Or if you fancy taking EVERYONE with you why not try contacting La Compagnie des Bateaux du Lac d’Annecy and take everyone sailing off on a mini lake cruise !

• Talk to the team :

This is a really obvious one but talk to the team at the Abbaye.  They are brilliant and incredibly helpful. They will make your special day amazing and believe me your wedding day matters as much to them just as much as the very first wedding they ever held there.  The difference is now they have a huge wealth of experience for you to use and profit from.  If you want to know if something is possible simply ask them.