Who doesn’t dream of saying “I do” in Paris? It’s the city where all romantic fantasies come true and to start your happily ever after there is what wedding wishes are made of. But for these two, it wasn’t just a dream; it was real life. Zen Film Works captured it all as it unfolded, from the balcony of their Parisian hotel to the special moments all over the city of light, photographed by Claire Morris (see those all in our gallery right here). It may only be Monday but with a film like this, champagne is needed. So pop a bottle and enjoy!
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From the Bride… Marc and I both grew up in South Jersey but it wasn’t until we both relocated to Bucks County that we actually crossed paths. We met at his restaurant, La Stalla located in Newtown, PA in November 2012. We got engaged one year later. Marc proposed on the anniversary of our first date in the same location of our first kiss, Rittenhouse Square Park in Philadelphia, PA.
Marc is the owner of a family style Italian restaurant that hosts special events and weddings almost every weekend of the year. I am an event planner at the restaurant and a amateur photographer. We wanted to do something different and outside of the box. Not the typical cookie cutter wedding that we so often plan/attend. We wanted our wedding day to be about us. We knew that if we had a wedding at home, we would have a huge guest list and it wouldn’t be what we wanted. We wanted it to be intimate, romantic and picturesque.
I fell in love with Paris when I visited twice before in years prior. Marc had never been to Europe but I knew Marc would fall in love with the City of Love as soon as he arrived.
I searched on social media sites to find the perfect vendors for our special day. Instagram, mainly, led me down the right path. I used hashtags to find the perfect place, photographer, videographer…..HASHTAGS….lol only in 2016!
I emailed Billy from Luxe Paris and he replied immediately suggesting that we do a FaceTime consultation. I knew within minutes that he was the right fit for us. English speaking and originally from New York, he understood exactly what we had envisioned. I had already picked out the photographer, Claire Morris and film maker Chris from Zen Film Works and I knew that Billy worked closely with them. That made me feel more comfortable. It gave me assurance that I was in good hands and that they all worked together well.
Billy was going to be out of town the day of our wedding so he sent Annouck to oversee the day. She was an angel. She was our officiant for the ceremony and my best friend for the day. We had a FaceTime meeting with her a week before the wedding to get to know one another. Sami was my hair and makeup artist. We also had a FaceTime meeting to go over the details and visions I had.
The day went so smoothly thanks to this amazing team. You would think that being so many miles away from home and not having any family and friends with you on the most important day of your life would feel lonely and uncomfortable. Not with this crew. They were so warm and friendly, we truly had a great day. Billy had arranged for everyone and everything be delivered to my hotel room. I had a handful of pictures that I knew I wanted to mimic from Pinterest. So Billy had arranged for all of the ‘props’ be delivered. The best champagne France had to offer, a tray of macaroons, ribbons and a mini Eiffel Tower. I also pre ordered a “we eloped” sign from Etsy.
The ceremony was held on the balcony of our suite overlooking the Eiffel Tower, just as the sun set, the lights of the Eiffel Tower went on. The ceremony was followed by a champagne toast and some delicious cake!
Then off the an amazing dinner at a 3 Michelin star restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel, George V.
And we rented a Rolls Royce to chauffeur us around Paris to take pictures at various locations!
Photography: Claire Morris | Cinematography: Zen Film Works | Event Planning: Luxe Paris Events | Celebrant: Anouck Mugnier | Venue: Shangri La