wedding part walking through a field outdside River Road Chateau
wedding dress hanging on a chandiller at River Road Chateau rustic wedding centerpiece with white wildflowers and tree trunk slab front gravel drive of River Road Chateau Outdoor ceremony area of River Road Chateau covered in white shear fabric and white runner down the aisle bride and size bridesmaids standing in front of a stone framed country style garden gate door Bride showing off her wedding gown in front of the stone covered garden gate that serves as the entrance to the outdoor ceremony area at River Road Chateau bride and groom standing in the garden of River Road Chateau bride and groom walking across a white fence in a garden before their wedding bride and groom dance alone at River Road Chateau before their guests arrive wedding gown hanging on a large white french country style headboard bride getting ready for her wedding at the River Road Chateau Bride and bridesmaids getting ready for a wedding Brides mother helps her daughter button up her wedding dress just before her ceremony groomsman straigtens grooms boutinere just before his wedding at River Road Chateau Bride sitting in a french country chair looking out the window just before her wedding groom stands with his back turned as his bride walks up behind him down a driveway as they are about to do their first look groom turning to see his bride in her wedding dress for the first time wedding party posing and smiling in a field at sundown at River Road Chateau Wedding party Jumping in the air in a field at sundown after the wedding ceremony Outdoor wedding ceremony in the fall at River Road Chateau bride and groom hold hands as they wed outdoors as the sunsets Bride and groom start their recesional walk down the aisle as the bride holds her bouquet in the air, the groom watching Bride and groom standing under the outdoor chandelier at River Road Chateau Newlywed couple dance together alone outside on their wedding night Newlywed couple kiss outside the River Road Chateau as their wedding guests surround them with sparklers

After over 10 years of experience in wedding photography and videography, we have seen a little bit of everything at weddings. One of the biggest thing that affects the day in a unique way is how the couples seem to vibe together - there are a lot of people around, but at times, they seem to be the only ones in the room, and that chemistry in those moments is what makes the day extra special. Some couples are a great match for each other, but other couples seem to BELONG together like there was no way it could have been better - Teresa and David were one of these couples, and we had the honor of documenting their big day at the beautiful River Road Chateau.


The River Road Chateau is located in the heart of Collin County, just 20 minutes north of McKinney Texas. For you brides to be that are reading this blog, this place is beautiful. According to their website, their aim was to blend rustic Texas chic with class and traditional Southern charm, and they nailed it. We could talk about the 50 acres of beautiful countryside, the huge indoor hall of the Chateau itself, or the details of the wedding meadow, but the day started in the Belle Manor.


The Belle Manor is the guest house on property available for the wedding party and their guests to serve as a home base for the day. It features 4500 square feet of living space, sleeps up to 13 for overnight stays and boasts a beautiful bridal suite, which is where Teresa got ready. She and her girls got their makeup and hair done while wearing their matching flannel shirts, then it was time to jump into the dress with a little help from mom. David and the groomsmen got ready elsewhere, be we were able to snag some pics of David getting his finishing touches taken care of, a few shots of the fellas together, and then it was time to get ready for the first look.


One really nice thing about this location is all of the Oak, Sycamore, and Elm trees on the property. At the right time of day, these trees shade your guests from the potentially hot Texas sun and create a beautiful shaded but warm looking area that we used for the first look pictures. After the first look (which is always a highlight) we took advantage of this light to get some beautiful couples portraits and wedding party portraits, all before it was time to get ready for the ceremony.


The ceremony took place at what the venue calls the Rustic Wedding Venue Meadow. After you cross a bridge and enter through the stone archway with wooden doors, a stone pathway straddled by dark wood chairs on each side, you almost feel like you have been transported to another location. The woods serve as an all-encompassing background, and a chandelier hangs up front over what serves as the altar. The light was starting to dwindle, but not before we got some stellar shots of the couple during the ceremony itself. We came back and did some more couples portraits when it got a little darker, using that chandelier as a main source of light, and we really like the contrast that it gave the photos, making Teresa and David really pop out of the otherwise dark background.


After all of the traditions of the ceremony were complete, it was time for the fun part - the reception. The reception took place back inside the Grand Hall located inside the chateau. Imagine huge iron chandeliers, cream textured walls, stained wood doors and 3600 square feet of open space to celebrate the big day. There was dancing, cake cutting, and heartfelt toasts. Pretty sure there was even a conga line that broke out at one point. And we couldn't resist the urge to take the couple out back to get a few more night time portraits with a bokeh-look to the string lights in the background.


In case you were wondering, The River Road Chateau does have preferred vendors they can recommend if you are looking for suggestions, but they offer an open door vendor policy, so anyone you like can be a part of the wedding. This can be a nice option to have since it allows a lot of flexibility when choosing your caterer or bartender.


So if you are looking for something with southern charm as well as all of the amenities and space you need to have a rustic chic celebration, check out this north of Dallas venue. Teresa and David had a blast here celebrating their big day, and we think you would too.