Engagement photoshoots in Paris are so special and I love photographing them. Couples come to Paris and are so joyful and happy, it’s so fun to photograph them and capture these precious memories from this time in their lives.
A Pandemic Era Love Story
I’d been contacted by Erica and Julien, a lovely couple living in Ontario, Canada, about photographing their wedding in a magnificent chateau in Normandy. We met on Zoom and it was such a wonderful meeting, the kind of meeting where you know you’ve connected with wonderful people. Julien is from France, originally, but has lived extensively in the US, and now, Canada. He works in the field of IT. Erica is a nurse, one of the most important jobs in the world.
Their love story started during Covid, in 2020. At one point, they were both at the park with their dogs. The dogs took a liking to each other and the humans did too. It was a love match for both! Is that cute, or what? The more I spoke with them, the more I liked them!
But before the wedding is the engagement. It just so happened this gorgeous couple would be coming to Paris, and said they’d love to have an engagement session. Erica told me she wanted the Paris shoot of her dreams, because she’d found the man of her dreams. Again, how sweet is that!
Engagement Photo Session at the Eiffel Tower
When in Paris, you must go to the Eiffel Tower, right? Some couples skip it all together, but for the sake of all things Parisian, we met at Trocadero, the area with a view of the Eiffel Tower, and then went to some of my favorite spots for a few Eiffel Tower shots (not too many were needed, Erica told me). The sun wasn’t out on this particular August morning, but that was fine, because it kept the temperatures just a bit cooler and with no sun, of course, there are no shadows or bright light on your face. Despite it being summer, a little cloud cover can be a great thing!
After the fun at the Eiffel Tower, we grabbed a G7 Taxi and headed over to the island of Ile Saint Louis. What is Ile Saint Louis?
Heading to the Island
Ile Saint Louis is one of two islands you can find in the Seine River. The island has four bridges.
It was not always known as Ile Saint Louis. First, it was the Ile Notre Dame, because it was owned by teh chapter of Notre Dame Cathedral. Hard to believe today, but the island was used to raise cattle, some fishing even took place. At first, rather rural, people began building there in the 1600s and the island was mostly residential.
I love photographing my clients on this island and the neighboring island, Ile de la Cite. There are often film shoots going on here, much of the first season of the Netflix show Emily in Paris was filmed on the island, and even today as we were walking around, there was 1950s scene with actors in period costume and 1950s picture cars for the HBO Max show about Julia Child, Julia.
There are all kinds of delights to be found on these two islands. Great cafés, and restaurants, of course, but also gorgeous doors, some cobblestone pathways, a glorious view of the Notre Dame Cathedral, now under renovation after the terrible fire of 2019, and much more. Its one of my clients’ favorite locations.
When in Paris…
Erica’s outfit was absolutely perfect for an engagement session. A fun white short sundress with romantic sleeves, perfect for Julien’s twirls. Strappy sandals, and little details like dainty drop earrings. Julien kept it classy and casual with dark pants and a lighter shirt. This couple is so in love, it was heartwarming. Their natural chemistry, warmth and happiness, made my job as a Paris engagement photographer, so easy!
We finished our morning with a cup of coffee at a cute-as-can-be Parisian café. What a great morning and wonderful time meeting Erica and Julien for the first time!
Karina Leigh Photography
I adore photographing joyful engaged couples visiting Paris, and I’d love to meet you too! Feel free to contact me below for all the details.
