If you haven’t already read Part 1 (how we met), Part 2 (all about our long distance relationship),and Part 3 (how he proposed), you’ll want to start with those posts! Here I’m sharing all about our destination wedding in Paris, France! 

April 1, 2015 – Parc de Bagetelle

One of my favorite things about being a wedding photographer is that each wedding I’m part of is so different. But one thing remains true for all of them… each one is the best day for someone, and they are full of meaningful moments and gestures. 

Our wedding day was beyond a dream for me. I am so thankful that we planned the wedding we did, and that our friends and family supported our decision. Planning a destination wedding allowed us to have an intimate, emotional, and very meaningful experience, while also extending our celebration. (Who wouldn’t want to celebrate for a full week instead of just 1 day?)

There were 8 of us total at our wedding. One by one we made our way to Paris from Argentina, South Africa, the States and England.  I had all the big things planned before getting to Paris, like a photographer, dress and make up artist. But the days leading up to the wedding were spent scouting locations for our ceremony and making last minute arrangements like finding macarons and a bouquet! 

We ended up getting married at Parc de Bagetelle under a Magnolia tree. This quaint botanical garden stole my heart when I saw peacocks roaming around the park. As you know from Part 3, peacocks played into Sean’s proposal. This felt like the perfect spot to exchange our vows! 

My favorite thing is that my parents wrote our wedding ceremony together, and my father officiated. There were many tears and a lot of joy. Sean wrapped up his vows with, “You’ve shown me love I never knew existed- a real tangible love… So the boy you met stands before you a man, promising to always show you undeniable love, unconditional love, and most importantly, I vow to show you everlasting love.” After the ceremony we went all around the city. 

Little kids cheered “vive les Mariés” as we walked past a park near the Eiffel Tower, girls waved at me as we walked the streets of Paris, and people from all ethnicities and cultures congratulated us in their language. Italians and girls from England stopped us for selfies, and everywhere we went for pictures we had a crowd standing behind our photographer trying to take a picture of us and trying to congratulate us. As an introvert, you’d think this would all overwhelm me… But it was so fun to celebrate our love in the city of love.

 

Some of my favorite highlights from the day would be:

• Locking our love at the Pont de l’Archevêché (a Paris tradition for love birds) and throwing away our keys into the Seine River
• Riding the carousel together with an Eiffel Tower view
• Eating macaroons from Ladurée instead of having wedding cake
• Taking pictures at the Arc de Triomphe… I love the look of this monument and those pictures are some of my favorites!

 

I know an elopement or destination wedding isn’t for everyone… But I personally wouldn’t change a thing about our Wedding! In the next few weeks I’ll be sharing more about why we chose to elope, how we planned our destination wedding from a distance, and signs that a destination wedding is right for you! If you have any questions about planning a destination wedding or a Parisian wedding, let me know in the comments! I’ll be sure to answer it soon!

 

VENDOR CREDITS –

Photography by KATIE DONELLY PHOTO | Hair and Make Up  by Harold James Paris |