Yana and Zhong created Club Zhana — a two-day wedding in Saint-Tropez shaped by colour, movement and the relaxed atmosphere of the French Riviera.
Zhong Xu is the co-founder and CEO of the international technology company Deliverect. Together, he and Yana moved away from the traditional wedding format, creating a celebration that felt more like a private club designed especially for their friends.
The name Club Zhana, combining their two names, became the central visual theme of the entire weekend.
The wedding weekend began at Domaine Tropez, surrounded by vineyards, local wine and the soft evening light of the South of France. Instead of a formal welcome dinner, Yana and Zhong organised a pétanque tournament for their guests. The teams competed against one another, the game quickly became genuinely spirited, and from the very beginning, the guests were not simply watching the celebration but actively taking part in it. Local wine, a shared game and an informal atmosphere set the tone for the entire weekend — lively, social and intentionally relaxed. The welcome dinner was not merely a prelude to the wedding, but its first complete act.
Day One: Domaine Tropez
Day Two: Club Zhana at Épi Baie de Pampelonne.
The main wedding day took place at Épi Baie de Pampelonne, an iconic destination hidden behind the dunes of Pampelonne Beach.
Épi’s story began in 1959 and is closely connected to the golden age of Saint-Tropez, Brigitte Bardot and the artists and international personalities who helped shape the enduring image of the French Riviera. The sea, the sandy dunes and the atmosphere of a private beach club created a natural setting for the wedding. Yet the guests themselves became the most striking visual element of the day. The dress code invited saturated colours and expressive looks. As a result, every scene was filled with colour, and the guests became an integral part of the overall visual composition.
The ceremony took place on a platform built directly over the swimming pool. Afterwards, the celebration continued by the water. Music, caviar and refined bites accompanied the cocktail hour, which gradually unfolded into a series of dance performances and a water ballet. The entire programme retained the feeling of a relaxed party by the sea.
As evening fell, the music grew louder, the guests moved closer to the dance floor, and the elegant reception naturally evolved into a full club night.
Cigars, dancing and the vibrant energy of the guests defined the final part of the celebration. Late-night McDonald’s served with caviar became the perfect finishing detail — an ironic combination of luxury and spontaneity that captured the character of Club Zhana.
Film and Digital Photography
We photographed the wedding as a team, documenting the entire two-day celebration on both film and digital — from the first hours at Domaine Tropez to the final moments of the party at Épi. Film was not simply a small addition to the main gallery, but a complete second interpretation of the wedding story. Digital photography allowed us to respond instantly to fast-moving scenes, while analogue photography introduced its own texture, colour and sense of time. The result is two visual interpretations of the same celebration, existing alongside and complementing one another.
