As an elopement photographer in Paris, its my joy to meet couples from all over the world and capture their incredible elopement photoshoot that they’ll remember forever. Its such a joy to share in these very special moment!
A Tricky Start to Paris
Meeting this lovely couple was a long time coming. They were in Paris for an elopement photoshoot, to be followed by their official wedding ceremony at the embassy. We were due to meet in April, but then Covid hit, the world shut down and Europe’s borders were closed. Even to Europeans. As this beautiful couple live in Sweden, they had to change their plans. But love always, always wins, and when conditions improved, Filippa and Peter were able to have their wedding in Paris, at the Swedish embassy.
It’s an absolute dream to be married in Paris, and we were blessed with gorgeous late summer weather on Filippa and Peter’s wedding day. We met at the world famous Trocadero location for a terrific vantage point for the Eiffel Tower.
An Unusual Paris
It was almost surreal going to the Eiffel Tower, I’d only been a few times this summer, when in a normal summer I’d be there nearly every day. Some things had changed since the pandemic started, but it has more to do with the renovation of the Trocadero Gardens before the Olympic Games in 2024 in Paris, than the pandemic.
For example, my favorite crepe shop is gone. Although, there are others, so you certainly won’t go hungry.
But what I’m really missing is the Belle Epoque carousel. It is gone, I assume because of the refreshment of the gardens, although there is another carousel on the other side of the river, closer to the Eiffel Tower. Paris is an old city, but still, things sometimes change. Remember this when you’re looking on Pinterest!
Meeting the Beautiful Couple
It was so nice to finally meet Filippa and Peter in person! We had written back and forth so many times, but what a lovely couple, totally in love, and so happy to be in Paris, despite the pandemic. I felt like we were already friends, it was absolutely lovely to meet them finally!
The plan was to get some great shots of them before their wedding ceremony at the Eiffel Tower, then we’d head across the city to the gorgeous Luxembourg Gardens.
No matter where you are in the world, when you see a photograph of the Eiffel Tower, you know exactly which city the photograph was taken. Now celebrating its 131st year, the Eiffel Tower has become a world symbol of love, romance and all the best that is the City of Light. Almost everyone loves photos with the iconic Eiffel Tower in the background, especially those that are visiting Paris for the first time.
After creating beautiful art of Filippa and Peter at the Eiffel Tower, we headed to my favorite gardens in Paris. There are so many beautiful gardens, though. Here’s a quick list of the gardens I think are the most beautiful in Paris:
The Most Beautiful Gardens in Paris
5) Parc Monceau – located not too far from the Champs Elysees, this park, in an upscale neighborhood, has old (faux) Roman ruins as decor and is a lovely place to spend some time
4) Parc de Buttes Chaumont – this is the park nearest to my home, and it reminds me of a tinier Central Park in New York City. In nice weather, there are pony rides for kids, and tons of grassy knolls to relax and sunbathe. There’s also several good restaurants within the park itself.
3) Jardin des Plantes – this garden is stunning, and has the most plants of any of the Paris gardens, including some very good museums as well. Not far from Notre Dame, the Jardin des Plantes is fantastic all year long.
2) Tuileries Gardens – the most famous Paris gardens, right off the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe on one end and the Louvre on the other end. Beautiful gardens, places to eat, and a really pretty carousel.
1) Luxembourg Gardens – since my first time in Paris I’ve been drawn to this garden and I’m not sure why. It has one of the most beautiful fountains in Paris, and I love the big potted flowers, as well as the statues. There’s even a tiny vineyard and a replica of the Statue of Liberty in this garden. It’s a terrific place to rest and enjoy the sunshine.
My favorite spot to photograph couples in love in the Luxembourg Gardens is the Medici Fountain. It’s simply spectacular and a popular spot for people to relax and read a book.
Other parts of the garden are lovely as well. I love photographing couples with the flowers, when they’re blooming in their big cement pots, or in the autumn with the fall leaves.
It was really sad to say goodbye to Filippa and Peter, but they had their ceremony to get to!
To celebrate their marriage, they spent the rest of the weekend enjoying the many charms of Paris.
My heartiest congratulations to this amazing couple and thanks to them for choosing me to be their Paris photographer! It was an absolute honor!
Karina Leigh Photography
Capturing elopements in Paris is a joy and honor! I’d love to chat with you about your very special day in Paris, contact me to learn more.
