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.