A Paris Elopement is a decision that you make as a couple to not have a classical wedding, but instead you travel to Paris to get married, just you and your partner. It typically involves a symbolic ceremony and photos around the city of love.
Paris Elopement: when the most important day of your lives is not a classic wedding, but an adventure, a dream came true.
Fabulous event planned by Inga from Wedding in France.
It’s exciting to get married in Paris, however to plan an elopement in the city of love is not easy for everyone. Our promise is to guide you into finding the right resources and information to plan a perfect wedding day in Paris.
Because we have put together A LOT of useful information. Use the menu below to jump to the part that you are interested in the most:
PARIS ELOPEMENT – THE COMPLETE GUIDE FOR THE HAPPY BRIDE
Is it legal to get married in France ?
What do I need to plan the perfect Paris elopement
Who should I invite to my elopement in Paris ?
Should I hire a Paris elopement planner ?
Who are the Top Paris Elopement Planners ?
How to find the right vendors for a Brilliant Paris elopement
Whether you decide to elope just you and your hubby or bring close family and friends, in the end, the wedding day is about the two of you and celebrating your love.
“Paris exists to remind you that your dreams are real.”
There are so many unique places that will make you want to elope, however, no place compares to Paris. Because Paris is the capital of love, with gorgeous romantic scenery, charming cobblestone streets and elegant architecture. The city offers a dreamy experience, something absolutely different than what a beach or a mountain could offer.
One of the practice aspects of planning an elopement is the legal marriage. So, is it legal to get married in France? Yes, it is. The French law only accepts civil marriage performed by a French civil authority in a town hall. However, you have to reside in France for at least 40 days preceding the marriage.
In addition, if you wish to have a religious ceremony in France, the priest, rabbi or minister will require a marriage certificate delivered by the French authorities.
Because of these conditions, most couples coming from abroad, have the civil ceremony in their home country and then have a “symbolic” marriage ceremony in France. This symbolic ceremony is performed by a Paris celebrant or Paris officiant.
A Paris elopement ceremony is almost always followed by wedding photos around the city and a few days of honeymooning around beautiful places in Europe.
Therefore, the ideal Paris elopement consists of a symbolic ceremony and photos around the city.
Photos captured by Paris Elopement Photographer – Fran, founder of The Paris Photographer
Here’s the truth…
If you are eloping is probably not because you want to escape your friends and family. You are getting married abroad because you want to avoid planning a big event. So, even if an elopement is just for the two of you, close family and friends are welcome.
If you keep the guests list short, it will be an intimate wedding. If you’d like to have more people on your side on the big day, then we’ll call that a destination wedding in Paris.
PLAN AROUND YOUR DREAM WEDDING
The bottom line is that you elope to Paris for yourself and you should plan around your dreams and expectations and not around your guests preferences.
“It’s worth the $ not to have the stress.”
There are two main ways to plan an unforgettable wedding in Paris. The first way is by hiring a Paris Elopement planner. The second way is to plan everything yourself, or with the help of a friend or family.
Look:
YOU MIGHT NOT NEED A PLANNER.
You are a strong and independent woman and you can plan a wedding on your own. However, planning can become stressful and you might want professional reinforcements. There is nothing wrong with getting a little help.
If you are wondering what are the benefits of hiring a wedding planner in Paris. We invite you to read the 9 benefits of hiring a Paris elopement planner.
Whether you are looking for a Paris elopement on a budget or you wish to invest in the experience, your big day will be fabulous. There are several planning agencies in Paris who offer elopement packages. The most basic packages include a wedding ceremony and photography of the ceremony.
Then, you simply add more options to your package, such as a bridal bouquet, transportation around the city and photography or video in different iconic Parisian landmarks.
As you can imagine, Paris just as New York, California or Italy is one of those places where many couples get married.
Hence, the quality and the number of Paris wedding planners is high. We have put together a list of top Paris elopement planners for exquisite brides.
Here is the most important advice for your elopement planningRegardless of having a planner or not, create an inspiration board for your Paris elopement. You can save inspiration images for wedding dresses, wedding bouquets, elopement must have photos, elopement ceremony locations and more to your Paris Elopement inspiration board. |
For a destination wedding in Paris, smart brides think about the following things to find the right vendors for a memorable elopement in Paris:
1
Do a quick search on Google for “Paris elopement planner” or “Paris Wedding Planner” and look at what vendors the Paris planners are working with. Wedding blogs often feature the vendors who collaborated on a particular event.
2
Look at Paris wedding photographers social media, the vendors are usually mentioned. If they are not, you can talk to the brides from the photos and simply ask them about the vendors.
3
Don’t follow recommendations blindly. Your elopement should be unique and you want to work with vendors who are compatible with your personality.
4
When you discover a vendor, check if they have a professional website and email. If you see a gmail or yahoo address, it’s probably someone who is just starting out.
5
Seek variety in the portfolio of the vendor. Remember, uniqueness is key !
6
Write a quick message to a vendor that you like, to get a sense of his/her personality. You are looking for someone who knows to listen and help you create an unforgettable event for you as a couple.
Don’t know where to start when looking for wedding vendors in Paris ? Continue reading as we will lay down a few priceless recommendations and make your event easier to prepare.
The most basic Paris elopement consists of a symbolic ceremony and a photo shoot around Paris. Hence, your must have vendors are a photographer and an officiant or celebrant. However, there are many more vendors and we will recommend from all categories for an unforgettable intimate wedding in Paris.
A Paris officiant or celebrant in Paris is an English speaking person who will conduct your wedding ceremony. This person can’t deliver any official wedding certificate. You will therefore receive a symbolic wedding certificate after the ceremony, symbolizing your marriage in Paris.
Get in touch with any of the celebrants that we recommend and choose the one who takes the time to know you both and helps you create a personalized and touching ceremony.
If you are wondering …
Can we write our personal wedding vows ?
Most of the serious Paris celebrants encourage you to write your own wedding vows. And it makes sense. Exchanging vows is a truly unique moment, filled with emotions and one that you will remember your whole life.
If you don’t know where to start, we have created a list of the best recommendations for talented Paris officiants.
If you are wondering where to elope in Paris, we have you covered. Whether you are planning to exchange vows in one of the iconic Parisian landmarks or in an intimate location, such as a romantic garden, we have recommendations for all tastes.
Probably the best view over the Eiffel Tower
The “Inception” bridge, overlooking the Iron Lady
Parisian rooftops and terraces look stunning
Luxembourg Gardens is our favorite romantic garden
Nature and elegant architecture. True Paris
You’ll be surrounded by beautiful architecture
Intimate elopement in a quaint Parisian hotel
The “Grand Salon” in the Shangri La looks like a Château wedding
The American Church in Paris is simply stunning
The spots above are very popular for weddings. We also have a page covering a few unique places to elope in Paris.
As you guessed, Paris is a city where you can find many talented Paris elopement photographers. But how to choose the right photographer among so many different styles ?
We made a checklist to help you find your ideal Paris elopement photographer:
What wedding photographers call “photojournalism” is actually being present at all time and capture the important moments naturally, as they happen during the wedding day.
To name a few of these important moments: getting into the wedding dress, first look with mom, dad and then your groom, first kiss, first dance, cutting the cake, throwing the bouquet.
” Love, laughter and happily ever after.”
A great wedding photographer is able to know precisely where to be positioned to capture these moments and as a result, to tell the story of your wedding day with beautiful images.
This day is about YOU. A brilliant Paris elopement photographer should strive to make you feel and look truly beautiful and happy as a bride.
MAKES YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE
Given that you might meet your Paris wedding photographer on the day of your elopement, he should have a friendly personality, be laid back and easy to work with. This way, you and your future husband will feel extremely comfortable every step of the way, laughing, kissing, smiling and simply interacting…
… as if you were on your first date again.
their words
Fran made us feel extremely comfortable every step of the way – he helped us to laugh, kiss, pout, smile, and simply interact as if we were on our first date again. –
You’d be surprised !
But we very often receive requests from couples to recreate their wedding photos, because they don’t have any pictures together as a couple on their wedding day. You want to avoid that. And make sure that your photographer can capture beautiful couples-photos of you in Paris.
When you hire a photographer to capture your elopement in Paris you are basically hiring a Paris photographer. He knows the city better than a photographer from abroad and he knows the quaint, hidden places.
Your Paris elopement photographer knows the best times to take flattering pictures and manages the crowds. Let’s not forget, Paris is one of the busiest cities in the world.
It is probably one of the most important days of your lives and whoever is by your side should be in your wedding photos. Besides, mom and dad will want to print a photo from your Paris elopement and show it to all their friends.
When you hire a Paris elopement photographer, it’s for his unique artistic vision. What makes his or her style unique ?
As artists, we constantly seek a fresh angle, a raw emotion and that sparkle that makes our photos stand out.
their words
We found Fran on Instagram and knew instantly this was the photographer we needed for our Parisian elopement. With Fran’s artistic ability to capture this magical moment in our lives, we now have the most incredible photos. Many couples have told us they want to re-do their wedding photos after seeing ours – Now that is the greatest compliment ! Thank you Fran for sharing your talent with the world !!
We are all different and every couple is unique. What we have been searching for our own wedding photographer, was someone able to capture our unique personalities.
“A journey of a thousand miles, begins with a fabulous pair of shoes.”
HUDSON & BLEECKER
Let’s be honest. You have invested time and money to find the perfect wedding dress, wedding shoes and you want to have beautiful photographs to show to your friends who didn’t make the Paris trip.
If all this makes sense to you, then let’s get in touch and talk about your dream Paris elopement or wedding.
While wedding videography is not as popular as photography, there are a few things that you can’t capture in photos. These are: movement and sound. And the most important: powerful emotions. On your wedding day in Paris you’ll be surrounded by people who are dear to you and you want to remember their voices and mannerisms.
POWERFUL EMOTIONS
Typically, a Paris wedding videographer is more expensive than a wedding photographer in Paris. Ask any Paris videographer and they’ll tell you that it’s because a high quality video requires much more work, especially in post-processing.
If you are not yet convinced that video is important for your Paris wedding, check out these 5 reasons for getting a wedding videographer in Paris.
To find out who are the best cinematographers in town, check out our guide of Top Paris Wedding Videographer.
If you are wondering:
Should I hire a professional beauty artist (hairstyle and make-up) for my Paris Elopement ?
Our answer is OH LA LA OUI ! And here is why:
1
Their job is to make you look your best on your special day. Unless you are a beauty PRO, it’s best to rely on a professional when it comes to your looks.
2
They will know what colors match your unique aspect and features. Even if you only want to look natural, hiding skin complexities can be challenging.
3
They use professional products, some that are not even available in mainstream shops. This will help keeping your look throughout the dayas professional make-up and hair last.
Whether or not you will opt for professional bridal hair and make-up in Paris, keep in mind that most of the time it’s windy outside. As you’ll be exploring the city for wedding photos, you want your hair looking on-point all the time. You might want to read these tips on hairstyles for windy and rainy weather.
ONORINA JOMIR
Onorina takes making women feel beautiful seriously. Her passion is to show the best version of yourself. As a Paris bridal make-up artist, Onorina’s style combines simple beauty with with a brush of glamour and lasting elegance. She is very easy to work with and does an amazing job.
ALLISON
Allison is friendly and knowledgeable about beauty. She does a wonderful job at making you look your absolute best. Her clients describe Modern Beauties bridal beauty style as being “beautiful, elegant, natural“.
The easiest way to get a bridal bouquet done is to go to the flower shop around the corner in the neighborhood of your hotel. You can also ask your hotel’s concierge to order a bouquet using seasonal flowers. Our recommendation would be for Au Nom de la Rose.
They also have roses that last for several years (eternal roses) that you can offer as gifts to your friends.
“Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”
Pay attention though, most of the shops in France are closed on Sundays and Mondays as well as during the month of August.
Then, if you’d like a more sophisticated floral design or table setup, we passionately recommend a Floral Designer. When it comes to luxurious and simply gorgeous setups, Cristina is probably the best in the French Capital.
Get in touch with WOW Factory Paris for a custom solution for your Paris elopement floral design.
“A beautiful thing is never perfect.”
Paris and music go together perfectly. It’s not mandatory to have music during your vows exchange in Paris. However, if you decide to have a more elaborate ceremony on your wedding day in Paris, then here are a few recommendations.
PRIVATE GIGS
Private Gigs are a music band with artists playing several instruments (piano, violin, guitar, etc). Most importantly, they are able to perform all kind of music, from old songs to modern, French and international.
ADRIAN DELMER
Adrian is a super friendly American violinist. He was born in California and moved to Paris to follow his dreams: studying music. Your ear will be enchanted by so many different styles of music for Paris elopement ceremony: from classical to jazz, with a touch of French romance. Adrian is available as a solo violinist and can also offer a jazz or swing duo/trio/quartet for romantic wedding ceremonies.
ORCHESTRA
Paris String Orchestra offers elegant string chamber music for wedding ceremonies and even during cocktail reception. Their repertoire varies from classic music, to wedding music to French music like the well known Edith Piaf.
There are several ways to move around the city on the day of your Paris wedding. You can call an Uber, a Parisian taxi or you can hire an elegant car.
When you hire a car service for your wedding in Paris, you have many options.
PARIS AUTHENTIC
If this fits your personality, then we’d recommend Paris Authentic. They have charismatic drivers and while you are cruising around the city for wedding photography in Paris, you also get a tour of the city.
MUEVETE PARIS
Let’s say that a Mercedes Class S is a modern limousine that you like more than a vintage car, then please get in touch with Muevete Paris. Cyril is very friendly and reactive when it comes to communication. He used to be a tour guide, hence his knowledge of Paris is quite rare. Muevete Paris offers transportation solutions in Paris, but also for airport transfers and trips outside of Paris. Such as, visits in Champagne, Mont Saint-Michel and even to South of France. His fleet is composed of limousines and vans if you need to fit more people in.
CAROSSE D’OR
If you’d like to move from one Parisian location to another in a beautiful vintage car and even use it as a prop for your Paris wedding photos, then we’d recommend Carosse d’Or. They offer a variety of vintage cars, from limousines to Rolls Royce Phantoms.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, then you’ll be spoiled in France. For your elopement dinner, you can have any type of cakes. From macaron cakes to traditional wedding cakes. The possibilities are endless.
And if you are wondering what kind of cake is on the left of the image above, then keep on reading.
The traditional French wedding cake is called “Croquembouche” and in French it means “something that crunches in the mouth“. It is widely known that the inventor of the Croquembouche is Antonin Carême, who mentions the delicious desert in his cookbook in 1815 named “Le Pâtissier royal parisien“.
The croquembouche is simply composed of profiteroles stacked into a cone and glued with spun sugar. It is often covered in macarons and ganache.
Synie’s is the GO TO place for eye-catching and delicious wedding cakes in Paris. They really turn your dream wedding cake into a reality.
Paris Luxury Cakes use the finest ingredients for exquisite looks and delicious flavors. The philosophy of Paris Luxury Cakes is to create cakes that are not products “à la chaîne”, they are the ultimate luxury, meaning custom made by an experienced artisan.
Dear Paris,
just wait for me.
We’re going to meet.
I promise.
Love,
Me
First, getting married abroad means that you will be traveling with your wedding dress. When we say travel, we think of packing light. Here are a few thoughts to have in mind when you go dress shopping for your Paris wedding:
1
Choose a type of fabric that weights less. Besides, flowyor floaty dresses look the best in pictures.
2
Think about whether a veil would be enough or do you really need a long train ?
3
If you are planning on taking photos around the city in your dress, it will get dirty. The bigger the dress, the higher the costs of cleaning will be.
4
A lighter dress will be easier to transport. By the way, do not transport your wedding dress in the checked-in luggage, unless it is already packed, because it will require much more ironing and steaming.
If you travel often to Paris, you can buy your dream wedding dress here. Especially because, getting your ideal bridal gown design is a process that involves several fittings.
As you can imagine, Paris has an abundance of bridal shops. Our recommendation would be to work with a talented fashion designer who can make your dreams become reality.
Danilo‘s career has been dedicated to emotions and style and to the art of creation. His bridal gown designs exude luxury, refinement and sophistication.
You can visit the LAB28 COUTUREshowroom situated in the heart of Paris and start designing the wedding gown of your dreams.
“A girl should be 2 things: Classy & Fabulous.”
COCO CHANEL
It is a realistic option. You don’t have to carry it over from home and back, especially if you plan to use it only for this occasion.
Here are a few recommendations for Bridal Dresses Rental Shops in Paris:
Have you thought about staying in a luxury hotel for a night or two and have your wedding ceremony in the same place ?
The first place that comes to mind is the …
Simply imagine waking up to a view like this…
… and getting married in a setting like this.
The Shangri La Paris pride themselves with commanding views of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River. Their staff are very attentive, charmingly discreet and make sure that you are treated like royalty.
The rooftop garden suite of THE PENINSULA PARIS offers a unique view over the city, including the iconic Eiffel Tower. Imagine having your Paris Elopement ceremony on this private rooftop.
Exquisitely Parisian, in the heart of the City of Light
The reason why we love the Hotel Lancaster, a 5 stars hotel at two steps from the Champs Elysées, is their very elegant and intimate style. The rooms are bright and make for perfect getting ready pictures.
Hotel Lancaster is in the heart of Paris. The Avenue des Champs Elysées and Avenue Montaigne are some of the top shopping streets in the city of fashion and style.
Hotel Le Meurice combines contemporary chic with exceptional 18th century opulence. Some say it embodies the perfect French palace hotel.
Le Meurice is ideally situated between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, next to the Tuileries gardens. The view from the suites on that side and especially from the rooftop is simply breathtaking.
Le Meurice has exquisite reception rooms for a charming intimate wedding reception in the heart of Paris.
Hopefully, you are getting married once, therefore a once in a lifetime meal is highly recommended. Obviously, in Paris you’ll be spoiled with tasty French cuisine.
The question is:
Whether you decide to have a morning elopement and celebrate with a lunch or get married in the afternoon finishing with a romantic dinner, here are our restaurant recommendations:
1
Cristal Room is a fine dining romantic restaurant in a beautiful mansion that belonged to a descendant of “Le Marquis de Sade”. The decor is charmingly exquisite and you can also visit the Baccarat museum while you are there.
2
Lasserre is a gourmet French restaurant, described by VOGUE as the most romantic restaurant in Paris. It is located near Avenue Montaigne and Champs Elysées and offers a very elegant and refined setting, with a pianist playing delicately out of sight.
3
L’Oiseau Blanc offers a perfect blend of French cuisine and breathtaking view over Paris. It is located on the 6th floor of The Peninsula Paris and it is best described as extraordinary and unique. The name of the restaurant, White Bird, comes from the plane that was used in one of the first attempts to fly across the Atlantic, from Paris to New York.
4
If you’d like a meal cooked to perfection and cruise around the River Seine, passing along famous Parisian monuments, then Le ,Calife is probably what you are looking for. A nice relaxing and smooth boat ride, you as a newly wed couple enjoying a romantic diner. What else is there ?
Wow, you’ve made it until the end. It means that you are serious about your Paris wedding.
