Kate & Mic | A springtime Paris vow renewal
Can you fall in love with your clients? You bet you can! I’ve been really fortunate in my career as a Paris vow renewal photographer to work with some of the most wonderful couples. I mean, really, really lovely human beings. Kate and Mic were one such couple and my affection for them and their love story runs deep.
What is a vow renewal, anyway? Why do people do it? Is it important, or does it seem frivolous?
Here’s my take on it. Vow renewals are important. Your love and life with your partner does not reach its peak on your wedding day! Many of us spend our entire lives believing that the only day that matters as a couple is your wedding day. Great, so you have a wonderful wedding, the party was great, but then what? Are you supposed to spent the next 10, 20, 30 years, not celebrating what brought you together in the first place?
Many couples get married, have families, stressful jobs, and barely have time for alone time, much less a vow renewal in Paris. But I believe that it’s absolutely critical to share special time with your partner, reinforce the bond that you have, and renew those vows going forward. How many times have we forgotten to tell our partner how much they really mean to us? A vow renewal in Paris doesn’t have to be anything fancy, you can make it as elaborate as you like. What’s important is that the two of you have time together, without distractions, to focus on what brought you together, to show your appreciation for one another, and to enjoy spending time together in Paris.
As a Paris wedding photographer, I can tell you that I tear up at weddings. The stories are so sweet. But, I can also tell you that watching a couple renew their vows produces just as many tears. Because now, years on, life has happened. Couples have had challenges, life isn’t always smooth. To have that special person by your side is worth celebrating!
On this day, we celebrated the love story of Kate and Mic. They looked like a million bucks, and look at Kate! She has her own amazing style–I loved her hat, and her boots were to die for. She infused her personal style into her vow renewal and it made me so happy to see her feeling so beautiful, because she is. Mic, of course, looked super handsome in his blue suit. I quickly, after meeting Mic, learned that he had an amazing sense of humor, too, and we spent much of our morning together in laughter.
We met at the Trocadero area across the river from the Eiffel Tower, early. If you go too late, it’s not the best experience, because it’s the most popular viewing point of the Eiffel Tower and therefore, often mobbed with tourists. The views from here are iconic, so it’s a great place to start.
Then, we walked across the street and down to the River Seine, my favorite spot in Paris to view the Eiffel Tower. It’s as close to the Eiffel Tower as you can get without being on it. At this time, Kate and Mic had their vow renewal ceremony, between them. Many couples love the services of an officiant or celebrant, and while that’s a great idea, it isn’t always necessary.
You can read vows to each other, that you write out ahead of time. You can find beautiful keepsake vow books on Etsy, and in this case, Kate and Mic read from a wonderful book called I Wrote a Book About Us. You can view this book on Amazon. Per Amazon’s site:
A Fill-in-the-Blank Gift Book for Someone Special
Record your uniquely wonderful love story in this playful fill-in book, and create a sentimental gift for your special someone. Sweet, meaningful prompts make it easy to create a keepsake that’s more personal than your standard gift. Keep it sweet, make it silly, or both — whatever reflects the personality of your relationship.
I had to keep from choking up, while I was far enough away to give Kate and Mic privacy, I thought this idea was very, very special. They laughed, they cried, it was touching and unique. It really gave them an opportunity to share all the things they love about each other, but maybe don’t say as often as they’d like.
After the ceremony, we headed over to the beautiful Louvre Museum courtyard, and then, to the garden across the street, the Palais Royal. I was dying to photograph Kate and Mic with the blooming magnolia trees. These trees are among the first to bloom in Paris at the end of March to the first part of April.
We had to so much fun together, but had one final stop. A cute Paris cafe, Cafe Saint Honore, and I’m not sure how we could have found a cuter one! Kate and Mic had something to drink and breakfast, and I, sadly, had to say goodbye, see you later!
Then, I rushed back to my office to start working on editing their beautiful images.
People like Kate and Mic don’t come around every day, they are so special, filled with love, joy, gratitude and really, really love each other.
I thank you Kate, and I thank you Mic, for selecting me to capture your very special day in Paris!
