Today is the day of Parisian romance on the LBB Blog, and I for one can’t think of anything more romantic that falling in love with your sweetheart in the City of Lights. Something about Paris is just SO romantic, so it is no wonder these two fell for each other while walking along the Seine. One and Only Paris Photography is back at it again this afternoon, creating images so beautiful they could double as art. Click here to see more!
When we started planning our wedding there was only one place we could imagine celebrating, Paris. Only two months after meeting, Lee surprised me with a trip to Europe. It was in Paris that we fell in love, spending our evenings walking along the Seine and dreaming about our future together. Over the next few years we returned several more times and when it came time, we knew that Paris would be perfect place to hold the elegant and beautiful wedding that we envisioned.
We were especially lucky to be joined by over 100 of our family and friends for the celebration! The week before the wedding was an important time for us to spend time with our guests in a welcoming environment. Thanks to dear friends, the owners of a small hotel on the Left Bank – the Grand Hotel Des Balcons, we were able to accommodate almost all of guests in one place. To welcome everyone to the city, we hosted a dinner at Le Train Blue in the Gare de Lyon train station. Everyone, young and old, enjoyed watching the trains coming and going while enjoying a lovely dinner.
Our wedding day was everything we had hoped for. We were married at the stunning Eglise de la Madeleine where a family friend, Father Brien McCarthy, serves as parish priest. Our siblings and a cousin agreed to perform our readings, and the ceremony was made personal and intimate by the words of Father McCarthy and the inclusion of one of my favorite songs from childhood, Simple Gifts. Following the ceremony we asked our guests to join us on the church steps for a group photo, which we cherish. Then we made our way around Paris taking pictures while our guests were treated to a bus tour of the city. Everyone was thrilled to have pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower, all dressed up (we suspect many of those pictures will adorn family Christmas cards this year).
At the conclusion of the tour, we rejoined everyone at the Hotel Crillon for a reception and a delicious dinner featuring all seasonal ingredients. To both embrace French tradition and add a familiar touch for our French guests, we chose a traditional croquembouche as our wedding cake. We had a perfect evening and we feel truly blessed that so many of our friends and family were able to travel to Paris to celebrate with us.
Photography: One and Only Paris Photography / Floral Design: Estelle Preston / Wedding Venue: Eglise de la Madeleine / Reception Venue: Hotel Crillon / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm / Hair and Makeup: Atelier Coco / Grooms Tuxedo: Hugo Boss / Shoes: Vera Wang