Life is about celebrating the wonderful moments, and capturing them to cherish forever is always a wonderful idea, especially when you’re coming to Paris, France. That’s why I was so delighted to be contact to capture this gorgeous springtime anniversary photoshoot. Even under gloomy Paris skies, it was an amazing morning!
First Contact with the Couple
As an English speaking Paris photogarpher, I love photographing couples in Paris, and especially anniversary photoshoots, celebrating love and light! There are so many special moments in life, and celebrating a wedding anniversary is one of them. Paola, a lovely lady from Texas, contacted me about a Paris anniversary photo session for her and her husband, Matthew. They’d been married two years earlier, and would be in Paris on their anniversary day. What better way to celebrate than in Paris?
Paris Gloom is Real
The day we met it was chilly and a bit dark and gloomy, in fact, the Eiffel Tower, the top of it, was obscured a bit with clouds. What’s odd is that the day before had seen record temperatures, summertime temperatures in April. This is how Paris is, one minute it can be sunny, then some rain, then some sun again. Cloudy and a bit gloomy are normal to me now, and in fact, preferable for photos as while bright blue skies are beautiful, squinting in the sun is not, and the clouds help soften the light, which is strong in early spring. But it doesn’t matter, because Paris is still gorgeous in all weather and you can create beautiful photos to remember your time here.
Trocadero, Our Meeting Point
Paola and Matthew arrived at Trocadero, our meeting point, with famous views of the Eiffel Tower from across the way. They both looked simply stunning, with Paola in a hot pink gown and Matthew in a baby blue suit. As it was a little chilly, I kept my regular banter to a minimum to start, and then we walked around various areas at Trocadero, which is the busiest place to view the Eiffel Tower, in the afternoon thousands of people gather here. But in the morning, it’s a lot more peaceful and enjoyable, so even if you’re not a morning person (I’m not), it’s a real treat to get here before the thousands of tourists arrive.
Trocadero was in the process of construction for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, where they’ll host several events on the grounds. We were still able to create some pretty art here, but there are lots of places Eiffel Tower views, and we set out to explore them. First, we popped by the little peek-a-boo street of Avenue Camoens, with its stately architecture and a magical view with part of the Eiffel Tower.
Photo at Bir Hakeim
From there, we headed over to the bridge known as Bir Hakeim, a double decker bridge with a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower from the west. Because it was a relatively quiet morning, I photographed Paola and Matt at some of my favorite spots that I haven’t photographed in a long time, and it was so fun!
I learned that Paola and Matt love to travel, and this was just the beginning of their three-week European adventure. They were to visit Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, and also travel around Italy, before returning again to Paris. They were so sweet, so full of energy and light, it was such a pleasure to be around them!
As time went on, the weather warmed a bit and while the sun didn’t come out, it was super pleasant to be outdoors. We hopped in a taxi for a ride across town to begin our second location, and this is one I was really excited about. As much as I love the Eiffel Tower, there are so many quaint and charming parts of Paris to discover.
Gorgeous Place Dauphine
We stopped at Place Dauphine first, a gorgeous square that looks like a movie set. In fact, it has been a movie set, for the movie Midnight in Paris, for example. This movie, starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, along with French actor Marion Cotillard, shot all over Paris, and there was a great scene shot at Place Dauphine.
In season, Place Dauphine is covered with tables that spill over from the nearby restaurants. There are so many cute angles to photograph couples. The next stop was the riverside area, complete with charming cobblestones, again, used for the poster of Midnight in Paris. Owen Wilson, who plays Gil, walks here contemplating his life. I love this area because of the background. On the one side you have Pont Neuf, with its interesting carvings of faces, the oldest bridge in Paris. On the other side you have some cute Parisian architecture, plus the river and cobblestones, making it oh-so-quaint.
One thing it isn’t, though, is comfortable to walk on in heels, so make sure you bring a pair of flat shoes wtih you. Our tour of Ile St Louis continued with a walk over to the venerable Notre Dame Cathedral. At this time, still under construction after the devastating fire of 2019, the front of the cathedral is still pretty and part of the Parisian landscape.
Roaming Around the Left Bank of Paris
After exploring Place Dauphine, we headed over to the Latin Quarter and Ile St Louis, near Notre Dame Cathedral, this is one of the most charming and oldest neighborhoods in Paris and is a delight to walk around!
Our time together was so fun, but I couldn’t keep Paola and Matt forever, it was their anniversary after all, and they had things to do. We finished on Rue Le Regrattier, which for some reason, is one of my favorite streets in Paris to photograph. On this street you’ll also find a lot of grand old homes, called hôtels particuliers. Not to be confused with hotels used for lodging, some famous names called these hôtels home, and a walk around the neighborhood is satisfying.
The time came to say goodbye and I was so sad, because it does not get better than this. Photographing a beautiful couple so in love, in Paris, it’s a dream come true.
Happy anniversary to Paola and Matt, and wishing you so many more wonderful adventures together!
I’m Here to Help
If you’d love to capture your anniversary or any other special moment while visiting Paris, please reach out and I’ll be glad to help you!
