The Journal

Stories in pictures

Wedding reportages, couple sessions and portraits — stories told in pictures, across Normandy and beyond.

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The couple walks hand in hand along the Sainte-Catherine quay, half-timbered facades — engagement session in Honfleur
Engagement session · Honfleur
Before the wedding, Honfleur
Honfleur · Normandy · January

The old harbour nearly empty, half-timbered lanes and low winter light — a no-stakes rehearsal before the wedding day.

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Seen from the cockpit of a vintage biplane: the instrument panel in the foreground, the newlyweds walking on the grass behind — after-wedding session at Avranches airfield, Normandy — Arnaud Chapelle
After-wedding · Avranches airfield
A biplane, a runway, the bay
Le Val-Saint-Père · Normandy · Charlotte & Laurent

Laurent is a pilot. For their after-wedding session we went to the field where he flies — an airfield set on the salt marshes of the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.

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Looking down on a rampart tower of Mont-Saint-Michel surrounded by the sea, the bride tiny on the parapet walk
After-wedding · Mont-Saint-Michel
A bride on the ramparts
Mont-Saint-Michel · Normandy · Fearless Award

The footbridge at sunset, the ramparts above the sea at high tide, the lantern-lit lanes at night — and a photograph awarded by the Fearless Awards.

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A mom hugs her daughter and son laughing under a huge cloudy sky — family session at Omaha Beach, Normandy
Family session · Omaha Beach
A mom, two kids, a beach that never ends
Omaha Beach · Normandy · 2026

A single-parent family at low tide: why the beach is the easiest place when you are alone with the kids — and why the parent behind the camera deserves to be in the pictures.

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Getting married in Normandy — guide for international couples, Arnaud Chapelle
Wedding guide · Normandy & France
Getting married in Normandy: a guide for international couples
Planning · Venues · The legal side · 2026

An English-speaking, award-winning photographer's guide to planning your wedding in Normandy — venues, the legal side, and what to expect.

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Mont-Saint-Michel wedding and elopement photographer — Arnaud Chapelle
Destination · Mont-Saint-Michel
Your Mont-Saint-Michel wedding or elopement
Destination weddings · Normandy · 2026

Marrying or eloping near the Mont-Saint-Michel — the light, the bay, the venues, and how to make the most of one of the most dramatic settings in France.

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A château wedding venue in Normandy — ceremony chairs on the lawn, photographed by Arnaud Chapelle
Venues · Normandy
The most beautiful château wedding venues in Normandy
Châteaux & estates · Manche & Calvados · 2026

A Normandy photographer's pick of real châteaux and estates to marry in — the venues I've worked at and love across the Manche and Calvados.

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Getting married in Normandy — guide for American couples, D-Day coast, Arnaud Chapelle
Guide · American couples
Getting married in Normandy: a guide for American couples
D-Day coast · Bayeux · Châteaux · 2026

For American couples drawn to Normandy and the D-Day coast — a guide to marrying or eloping in this meaningful, cinematic region.

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How to choose your wedding photographer in Normandy — 7-point guide Arnaud Chapelle
Guide · Choosing your photographer
How to choose your wedding photographer?
7-point guide · Normandy · 2026

The 7 essential criteria for choosing your wedding photographer in Normandy + the questions to ask + the red flags to avoid.

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How much does a wedding photographer cost in Normandy — 2026 pricing guide Arnaud Chapelle
Guide · Wedding photographer pricing
How much does a wedding photographer cost?
Pricing guide · Normandy · 2026

The price range in Normandy, my packages from €1,320, and what makes the price vary from one photographer to another.

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Award-winning international wedding photographer — the difference Arnaud Chapelle Normandy
Awards · International
Does an award-winning photographer make a difference?
ISPWP · Fearless · The Exception · Regard d'Auteur

The genuine wedding photography contests (ISPWP, Fearless…) and why this recognition matters to you, future newlyweds.

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Documentary wedding photography — documentary wedding photographer Normandy Arnaud Chapelle
Approach · Documentary photography
Documentary wedding photography — what is it?
Photographic approach · Normandy

Definition, principles and how it differs from posed photography. Why this approach captures the real emotions of the big day.

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Humanist ceremony wedding photographer Normandy — guide and advice Arnaud Chapelle
Humanist ceremony · Normandy
Humanist ceremony wedding photographer
Guide & advice · Normandy · 2026

How I cover a humanist ceremony, the technical challenges, and the finest settings in Normandy for this special moment.

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International wedding photography contest — award-winning wedding photographer Fearless ISPWP judge Arnaud Chapelle
Contests & awards · International
International wedding photography contests
ISPWP · Fearless · The Exception · Regard d'Auteur

The world's most respected wedding photography contests and the journey of an award-winning photographer who became an official international judge.

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Andréa and Steven couple session Le Havre Seine-Maritime — Arnaud Chapelle photographer Normandy
Couple session · Le Havre, Seine-Maritime
Andréa & Steven
Le Havre · Upper Normandy · 2026

A couple session in Le Havre, between the estuary and the Channel — Atlantic light and architecture that looks you straight in the eye.

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Potigny family session Marigny forest Manche — Arnaud Chapelle photographer Normandy
Family session · Marigny forest, Manche
The Potigny Family
Marigny forest · Manche · 2026

A family in the forest — a setting where they have nothing to perform, just to be together. Soft light and children who forget the camera.

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Lecapitaine urban family session Caen Calvados — Arnaud Chapelle photographer Normandy
Family session · Caen, Calvados
The Lecapitaine Family
Urban Caen · Calvados · 2026

A family session in the streets of Caen — pale stone, medieval architecture and city light. Not a tourist postcard.

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Audrey maternity session forest Calvados — Arnaud Chapelle maternity photographer Normandy
Maternity session · Forest, Calvados
Audrey
Maternity in the forest · Calvados · 2026

A maternity session deep in the forest — light filtered through the leaves, a silence that slows everything down, and a frozen moment that will never come again.

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Louise and Edgard brother and sister portrait at home Saint-Lô — Arnaud Chapelle photographer Normandy
Portrait at home · Saint-Lô
Louise & Edgard
Brother and sister, at home · Saint-Lô · 2026

Two children at home, in a mobile studio — the closeness of a brother and his sister, looks that are only found with someone you have known forever.

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Devriendt family portrait at home Saint-Lô — Arnaud Chapelle family photographer Normandy
Family portrait · At home
The Devriendt Family
At home · Saint-Lô · 2026

A family at home, in a mobile studio — the opposite of a class photo. A controlled setting that sets you free, and images that stand the test of time.

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Charlotte Nicolas Camille family maternity at home Saint-Lô — Arnaud Chapelle photographer Normandy
Maternity family · At home
Charlotte, Nicolas & Camille
Maternity at home · Saint-Lô · 2026

A maternity session with an older sibling — the last time the family is still a three. A few weeks later, they will be four.

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French bulldog pet portrait Atchi outdoors — Arnaud Chapelle Photographer Normandy
Pet portrait · Normandy
Atchi
French bulldog · 2025

Young, playful, impossible to stop — a portrait session with a French bulldog who decides the rules himself.

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Family portrait in Saint-Lô, Mosselman island — Arnaud Chapelle Photographer Normandy
Family portrait · Saint-Lô, Manche
The Douat Family
Mosselman island · Summer 2025

A gift from a mother, a family ill at ease in front of the lens — and sincere images on the banks of the Vire.

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Virginie and Olivier — seaside couple session, La Vanlée, Manche
Couple session · La Vanlée, Manche
Virginie & Olivier
Normandy · Spring 2026

La Vanlée, in Manche — rich light, a raw coastline, and two people who simply know how to be together.

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