Europe Weddings

We made it to Friday, lovelies! And if you’re like me, these warm weekends tick my wanderlust up to 10. Thankfully, even if we can’t jetset around the globe, there’s still beauty to behold like this spring engagement shoot in Paris, with stunning images from Greg Finck Photography. Très romantique! So feel free to get lost in the cherry blossoms below or in the full gallery. Au revoir, folks! 

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It’s not that easy to find awesome light in the City in March, but we were very lucky that day. It was a sunshiny day and we even had to wait for late in the afternoon to start shooting, as light was pretty harsh until 5pm. I really wanted to capture the blossoming cherry trees, as Candice has a beautiful cherry tree branch tattooed on her forearm. It means a lot to her and that’s the reason why I wanted to have cherry trees in the background, all in capturing some typical Parisian monuments.

Our walkaway took us from the Eiffel Tower, to Les Tuileries, where Candice&Pierre stopped to have a cup of Champagne. We ended up on Alexandre III bridge to admire the sunset on the Seine river and the end of a beautiful day.

Photography: Greg Finck Photography | Photography: Polly Alexandre Photography | Photography: Clary Pfeiffer Photography | Photography: Caroline Yoon Fine Art Photography

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ONGOING GIVEAWAYS

Enter the Invisalign Pin to Win Sweepstakes
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This week’s DISCOUNTS…
Fattie Pie
Free sample from Shine Wedding Invitations
Free  20-page 8×11 hard cover guest book from Shutterfly
Vino Backyard Designs
Squarespace
Zola

For our California brides… Discounts from Paperwhites Photography. Don’t forget to reserve your spot for Love and Lace Bridal’s upcoming trunk show!

For our Mid Atlantic brides… Discounts from Femina Photo + Design and Uber.

For our Midwest brides… Discounts from Bliss Weddings & Events.

For our New England brides… A special offer from Hyatt Regency Cambridge.

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And WINNERS…

Just sit with that title for a minute. An intimate winter wedding in Paris? I do believe that equals perfection. And from the looks of all the downright stunning images from One And Only Paris Photography, it most certainly does. Every image sitting in this gallery is frame-worthy to say the least, and you can get lost in the lovely right here.

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After discussing many options for our wedding (big, small, Australia, Europe, eloping..) we decided that all we wanted was an intimate and relaxed ceremony where all of our family could attend. We wanted the day to be about us and the promise that we’re making to each other – rather than table arrangements and co-ordinated bridesmaid dresses! We wanted to make sure that at least our immediate families could attend so location wise, it needed to be near Steve’s father in London as he did not fly at the time. My parents were already planning to visit us in London for Christmas; my little brother Sam was due to also be in Europe travelling & my older brother James studying so it made sense to hold the wedding at the end of the year and bring both families together for the holiday period. When we decided this, we had originally planned to host the wedding in London. We wanted a small ceremony followed by dinner, but when we researched locations and venues none seemed ‘good enough’ to warrant us having out wedding there – we’d either dined at the restaurants before, visited areas with work and so on.

One day Steve stumbled across Weddings in Paris blog, forwarded it to me and we were sold! Whilst Paris wasn’t particularly momentous to either of us then, the beauty of the city and that it is foreign feels ‘special’. It is a 2hr train ride from our home in London, the backdrops are just stunning for photography and as everyone says – it’s the city of love! Once we had made the decision that the wedding was to be in Paris, our smaller guest list was secured and we knew exactly the ‘type’ of wedding we were going to have. We never really thought to enlist the services of a wedding planner; with a degree in Event Management, wedding planning is something that I always wanted to do before I fell into Marketing, so myself and Steve set out to pull it all together in 8 months. We started by deciding what key elements we wanted in our day, and looked to real wedding blogs of marriages in Paris to get inspiration for locations and vendors. Then it was all about late nights spent on Google researching no end! We had a spreadsheet of all the elements that needed to be confirmed with a rough budget and just worked through that one by one by order of urgency. Some details were more difficult with no local knowledge of Paris & without speaking French but we persisted and at times enlisted the help of Parisian & French-speaking colleagues and friends to make key phone calls, but on the whole it was quite an easy process.

I was addicted to wedding blogs (SMP being a favourite!) and was glued to Pinterest for 2012. We loved reading about other people’s weddings in Paris, mainly elopements actually, and that’s how we fell in love with the idea of an intimate wedding. One & Only’s photography was also a constant source of inspiration. I loved the whole day! But if I had to pick just one moment then mine would be finally walking into the beautiful chapel and seeing Steve. It was such an exciting time knowing that the day we had planned for so long was finally starting, as well as our lives together. We had had so many last minute dramas in the week leading up to the wedding and they really didn’t stop until I arrived at the chapel (45 minutes late!); but from that point on the day was perfect and ran so smoothly; and as soon as I arrived to him I knew it would as nothing else really mattered anymore.

Advice to future brides planning a wedding in Paris: It takes a lot of time and planning; if you are not able to be there physically, or speak the language then it can be frustrating at times – but it is doable! If you’re not up for the challenge the enlist the help of Wedding Planner early on to make the most of their service (I suggest Fete in France; we didn’t use them but Nancy was very kind to suggest another venue for our evening drinks when our bar closed without notice a week before our wedding!). A lot of vendors will not be flexible so be very clear with your briefs (pictures help!) so that there is no confusion; and be prepared to take matters into your own hands if all else fails, for example – our wedding car hire company did not offer simple white ribbon decoration (just fake flowers which we didn’t want), so I brought my own & had my dad affix it to the car when it arrived!

Photography: Le Secret d'Audrey | Ceremony: Chapelle Expiatoire | Shoes: Valentino | Make Up: Sanni Sorma Makeup & Hair | Bride's Dress: Grace Of Westcott | Diner: La Tour D'Argent

Every “Will you marry me?” moment is beautiful in its own right, but when it’s set in a Montmartre cafe and captured by the amazing Greg Finck…let’s just say we’re a wee bit jealous. Filled with tears and joy (and some seriously stylish moments to boot!) there’s no reason to miss the gallery of goodies all snapped to perfection. Get started here!

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Just before that, they contacted me to realize a couple session and capture some of the moments they lived, as a couple, in Paris. They really wanted to have that session in Montmartre, as this is the area where they had been living for the past year. I couldn’t really say otherwise as Montmartre is the place where I’ve been living in Paris for some years now, and I know the area pretty well. We met in a café around a glass of Chablis, and we took a date for that shoot.

However, some days before the shoot, Sebastien called me to announce me he had decided to propose to Tess during the shoot. He wanted to start by casual couple portraits in Montmartre, and would then take Tess to Café Francoeur, their favorite place in the area, and propose to her. He admitted he was kind of stressed by the idea to propose with a photographer around but I promised I would be very discreet. Tess didn’t have a clue about it.

We started the session a typical couple session, enjoying the nice view from Montmartre even though it was a cold winter day. We then went to Café Francoeur, where Sebastien had all planned. A waiter then brought Tess a gift. It was an antique book of Winnie the Pooh, Tess’ favorite. On the first pages of the book there were some private words, hand-written by Sebastien, which immediately led to Tess’ tears. I can only imagine the words of love that were written here. Then Sebastien put some earphones on Tess’ ears, playing a song special to them. I was sitting at a table nearby, and they were so much into emotion that they couldn’t even feel my presence. After the song, Tess’ eyes were full of tears, and that’s when Sebastien decided to propose. An intense proposal, where he took the ring he had hidden in his pocket. I think images speak for themselves.

This is honestly one of the most intense session I had the opportunity to shoot, and a very special moment to share with these two.

Photography: Greg Finck Photography | Film Scans: Richard Photo Lab

SMPers, this sweet autumn engagement is yet another reason why Paris is ALWAYS a good idea. Especially when you’ve got Catherine O’Hara Photography by your side! She shot these two sweeties in the City of Lights and you can swoon through every moment in the gallery right here.

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If you all enjoy viewing these photos only half as much as we enjoyed shooting them then I think that is a success! This was a truly magical shoot as the leaves and fall colors are just beginning to change in this most romantic city.

Photography: Catherine O'Hara Photography | Dress: Nanette Lepore | Dress: The Fifth Label | Shoes: Louboutin | Suit: Armani | Bag: Chanel | Belt: Marni | Blazer: Etro | Trench Coat: Gryphon

If I could roll everything I love into one perfect post, it would look exactly like this. It’s what happens when two madly in love sweethearts throw caution to the wind and elope in the City of Lights with Caroline Yoon by their side. And if a morning (virtual) escape to Paris sounds equally as enticing, you can join me right here.

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From the Bride… When Christian and I began planning our wedding, we knew we wanted our day to be simple, intimate and meaningful. Even still, I found myself burdened by the social expectations and conventions that come along with throwing a traditional wedding. At one point, I turned to Christian and said, “I wish we could elope to Paris.” His immediate response was, “Why can’t we? Let’s do it.” I was so touched by his openness and sense of adventure that, for the first time, I began to think that the wedding day we dreamed of was possible.

From there, everything fell into place in a serendipitous way. Choosing a dress became surprisingly easy. I eschewed traditional ball gowns as impractical for winter in Paris and instead selected a silk column gown that truly spoke to me with its sculpted clean lines and sense of restrained elegance. When the American Church in Paris told us that it was only available for the exact date and time that we were hoping for, we knew it was fate.

Our wedding day was like the city of Paris itself: austere, lovely, and mysterious. After a simple Protestant ceremony at the American Church in Paris, Christian arranged for us to be picked up by a vintage Rolls Royce to tour the wintry streets of Paris. Our dinner reception was held at the incomparable Four Seasons. Being in a foreign country made it easier for us to entrust ourselves to the moment and allow our wedding day to unfold organically. Some of our loved ones also made their way to Paris to celebrate our moment — a gesture that I will always treasure. As Ernest Hemingway memorably wrote, Paris is a moveable feast and the city will stay with us forever.

Photography: Polly Alexandre Photography | Photography: Caroline Yoon Fine Art Photography | Photography: Clary Pfeiffer Photography | Floral Design: Fleurs De Prestige | Wedding Dress: J.Crew | Ceremony Venue: American Church In Paris | Reception Venue: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis | Bride's Shoes: J.Crew | Makeup And Hair: Allison Depriestre | Bow Tie: Theory | Suit: Hugo Boss | Car Rental: Classic Rent | Groom's Shoes: Hugo Boss | Veil: BHLDN

I have a serious weakness when it comes to two things. One being love, and two being Paris. So when you combine my two favorite things in the whole wide world, I turn into a big ball of happiness. That happiness turns into sheer joy when we get see it all come to life through images as beautiful as by Marjorie Prvl Photography. It’s image after image of pure gorgeous, and it’s all waiting for you here.

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From Marjorie Prvl Photography…My name is Marjorie Preval and I’m a photographer based in Paris, France and New York. I recently had the pleasure to shoot an engagement session for a fellow wedding photographer, CJ and her french fiancé Adrien in Paris this past December. She expressed desire for a simpler shoot so I took them to some of my favorite locations in my arrondissement. Before I met them I was directed to a site they have up for upcoming wedding and I was inspired by their story. On said site there was a photo taken the night they met and I loved it so much that it inspired the general feel of the shoot, sweet and full of love. We were blessed with some of the most amazing weather Paris could give us mid-December and spent a morning walking from arrondissement to arrondissment taking Paris in while taking photos. I’m lucky that I get to photograph people in love in Paris, where every corner is postcard worthy.

From the Bride-to-be…I never in a million years thought I would meet the one in New York City, but one day I did meet my prince and he just so happened to be from France. That’s right, a handsome french man! The time came when he wanted to bring me to France for the first time to meet all of his extended family, and thankfully he planned for us to stay in Paris for a week. Even though we were going in December and I knew it would be freezing, I desperately wanted to have a romantic French photo session in Paris to remember my first time in Paris and my first trip to France. Once I saw Marjorie’s website I knew she was the one we should work with abroad, and we had such a fun afternoon hopping all around Paris exploring new places and spaces throughout the session. Marjorie was a pleasure to work with, and we are so excited to have our session in France to look back on all our fun memories traveling abroad together for the first time.

Photography: Marjorie Prvl Photography

If I could infuse any inspiration into my imaginary “re-do” wedding – it would most certainly be this stuning shoot. A modern take on Parisian glamour with gold and twinkling lights everywhere you look. Of course I’d have the amazing Greg Finck capture the whole shebang, and with any luck, my wedding gallery would look exactly like this.

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From From Art Director La Fiancée du Panda… We had been thinking for quite some time about doing a wedding inspiration photoshoot which would be really different, very modern, and could inspire brides and grooms in search for a new form of urban romanticism. It finally all came up together in a matter of weeks when we envisioned a mix of black and white geometric forms with an arty feeling, wild flowers, and a touch of gold to add in some glamour. We worked a lot of inspirations and ideas with Les Cocottes Events design, and the result came out beautifully.

Atelier 154, in the heart of Paris, was the perfect setting for this. Stephane, a specialist in vintage industrial design, has set his showroom there in a XIXth century fabric in the 11th district of Paris, near République.

The team was absolutely perfect. Not only are they incredibly talented people, but they are also fun and great to work with.

Photography: Greg Finck Photography | Event Design: Les Cocottes Events | Florals: Flowerjugs | Invitations: Akrolab | Bride's Shoes: Dessine Moi Un Soulier | Food: Pâtisserie Choo | Make-up: Marie Bressant | Groom's Suit: Savile House | Art Director: La Fiancée Du Panda | Gowns: Rime Arodaky | Hair Accessories: Rhapsodie | Industrial Loft: Atelier 154

In my book, there’s nothing better than an engagement sesh in the City of Lights. But add Katie Donnelly into the mix, and you better believe I’m smitten as can be. Refill that coffee and have a look for yourself in the full gallery right here!

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2 weeks later on the morning of the engagement session we woke up to the perfect Parisian day after weeks of only rain. We had decided earlier that we weren’t going to do the “classic” Paris engagement session with the landmarks but instead, have the city as the backdrop and the “Parisian” feel. In the end, the session was a total success and every time I look at their photos I can still feel the love and happiness that surrounds them.

Photography: Katie Donnelly Photography | Striped Dress: Madewell

If you are interested in seeing my dream wedding, in my dream city with my dream photographer – you are looking at it right now. And if you were drooling over part I of the Parisian party, you are going to fall out of your chair for part II. Because what’s happening in this post is nothing short of magic, and it’s all made even more beautiful by the stunning work of KT Merry. See every chic moment here.

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From the Bride (cont.)…After the ceremony and family pictures were finished, guests boarded a private, champagne-stocked, double decker bus. This took them all around Paris to the major sights – we were told this was one of the highlights of the entire trip! This gave us time to wander the city taking bridal portraits.

Our reception was broken into 3 different segments, and a different room for each part of the evening. All three rooms were connected by french doors. Cocktail Hour was held in the Marie Antoinette salon (where she took piano lessons) and included champagne colored sequin linens, a vintage French jazz band, glossy white signature signature bubbly bar featuring sugar-rimmed cocktails and frozen fruit skewers. Some of our amazing hors d’oeuvres included parmesan and truffle oil frites, raspberry and brie grilled cheese with butternut squash soup and pumpkin terrines. The balcony off of the salon had amazing views of buzzing Place de la Concorde and the Eiffel Tower. Guests located their seats via a custom designed seating chart – a tall wall of greenery (boxwood, ivy, moss) displayed antique gold gilded mirrors with lightbulbs (like you would find on the carousel in the Tuileries) and ornate white calligraphy.

Dinner was a multi-course tasting menu held in the Batailles Salon, and started off with an amuse bouche of deconstructed french onion soup, which the chef came out to explain to guests in French, accompanied by an English translation. I loved that it felt like such an intimate, foodie dinner party…with a Michelin starred chef! First course was Canadian Lobster in a Vanilla Beurre Blanc Sauce, then refreshing Apricot Sorbet Intermezzo followed by the Main Entree – prime cuts of beef with color blocked vegetables.

After dinner and toasts were complete, everyone moved into the 3rd and largest salon (Aigles) for dessert and dancing. The Laduree Dessert bar was a huge hit, which featured a large gold leaf tower of dark chocolate macarons, complete with sparklers coming out the top during cake cutting. Other highlights of the reception included Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ playing on the big screen as a backdrop to set the mood, our first dance to La Vie en Rose, dancing with our parents, and our family surprising us with a hilarious secret video they had filmed at Versailles the previous day.

Other Events: I rented a lovely private Paris apartment for the week next to Opera Garnier, where I stayed with my mother and my bridesmaids. To kick off the festivities, we hosted a welcome dessert reception at the apartment the first night all guests were in town, featuring a private chef who made the most delicious dessert crêpes and did an interactive cooking demonstration. He also set up a beautiful table in the dining room with a lavish cheese, fruit, wine and espresso display. There were tons of candles scattered on tables, mantles and in fireplaces, and my hubby to be picked up the biggest, most gorgeous hydrangeas at a nearby flower shop to decorate the apartment for the party. The next day, we coordinated a group day trip and excursion to Versailles and returned just in time for our wedding rehearsal, followed by a rehearsal dinner on a private floor of Le Pharamond – a cozy 18th century belle époque style bistro in Les Halles district that used to be frequented by the likes of Ernest Hemingway. The rain that night made it even more romantic…(think Midnight in Paris) but I am so glad I woke up the next morning (wedding day!) to birds chirping and 73 degrees of pure sunshine…magic. The day after our wedding, Eric and I hosted a farewell breakfast for our guests at Cafe Marly at the Louvre – the cafe overlooks the famous glass pyramid in the courtyard and also has huge windows to sculptures inside the museum.

The Honeymoon: We stayed in Paris an extra night and had dinner at Jules Verne on top of the Eiffel Tower (bucket list item!) and then traveled around Europe on a Eurail pass to Switzerland, Italy and Spain.

Photography: KT Merry | Videography: MG Image | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang Via Vera Wang On Madison Ave., NYC | Florist: Soly Flor | Stationary: Little Bit Heart | Ceremony Venue: Chapelle Expiatoire | Reception Venue: Hotel Crillon | Brides Shoes: Sergio Rossi | Planner: Julie of Strawberry Milk Events | Hair: Sonja Stein | Calligraphy: Trial By Cupcakes | Groom’s Shoes: Ferragamo | Grooms Attire: Hugo Boss | Ceremony Music: Ivana Strings | Band : Jazz Around Midnight | Linens : La Tavola

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I’ve often wondered what happens when a wedding planner ties the knot – and this, my dears, is it. I’m talking the most romantic Parisian affair you’ll ever, ever see planned by that amazing Julie of Strawberry Milk Events. She brought the most talented vendors in all the land, with KT Merry to capture every second. You can spot this drool-worthy day in the fall issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, but if you’re longing for more, not to fret! Part II is coming up next!

From the Bride…Why Paris: I am a wedding planner/designer based in the DC area, so I wanted to do something completely different and unique for our wedding. I plan/design big, local weddings more weekends than not, and as we started planning our own nuptials I quickly realized there was an underlying pressure to top every wedding I had planned to this point. I also realized since I have so many great vendor relationships, however would I ever pick my favorites? And the fact that I had already worked in most of my favorite local venues – well, it made the decision easy. We established that we wanted an intimate destination wedding that would be an experience for our guests, and really be about bringing two families together. Not about putting on the best wedding show. Paris was actually the first place I thought of – it’s my favorite city in the world, ultra romantic and I grew up traveling there annually. Initially we dismissed it because of the distance and cost to travel for guests. We then started considering US destinations so it would be easier for guests to travel, but after a few months of searching and not falling in love with any particular destination or venue, we felt we were really left with one option. To follow our hearts to Paris, the city of love – and and my favorite city in the world. We knew not everyone could make it (including my grandmother) and we struggled with that for awhile. But after she told us we’d be crazy for NOT going, and that’s what she would have done if she could do it over, we were decided.

After deciding on Paris, I quickly started scouting venues online. About 20 venues into my search, I found the Hotel de Crillon. When I pulled up their website and saw their reception space, I froze in my chair. My jaw dropped, heart started beating a little faster and I couldn’t help but tear up (I’m such a wedding planner – I didn’t tear up over my dress, just the venue!) I had never seen anything so beautiful, so romantic, or so perfect for our wedding. Everything from the soft gray curtains paired with the just right amount of gold gilding, to the beautiful original herringbone floors, from the moldings and amazing antique crystal chandeliers to the tall ceilings and natural light pouring in from the french doors leading out to the balcony with views of the Eiffel Tower. It was stolen straight from one of my sweetest dreams. It was as if everything floating around in my head that I wanted for our wedding, was suddenly staring back at me on the screen.

The Invitations: I was inspired by the beautiful ornate doors of Paris that you find at every turn. I worked with one of my go-to local stationary designers, Little Bit Heart, to custom design a blush and gold foil invitation suite featuring laser cut doors out of rose gold glitter paper. The doors were tied off with gold thread and a small brass skeleton key charm. The envelope liner was a commissioned drawing of Versailles Palace from an artist in Australia, whom I found on Etsy. The clock in the drawing was set to 3pm, our ceremony start time. Custom watercolor stamps of the Paris skyline, beautiful calligraphy by Trial by Cupcakes and a giant wax seal finished the set. The wax seal featured the floral emblem that we also incorporated into our gold foil inserts, an architectural detail carved into the chapel we were married at and also hand-painted on the ceiling of my grandparents home.

Wedding palette: lucite, sparkle, blush, gold, grey.The Design: I wanted the wedding to be glamorously Parisian and classically sophisticated, but not typical. I love french decor and serious ornate architecture – I thought it would be great to balance the traditional look of our chosen historic venues with some unexpectedly modern and whimsical elements such as lucite chairs and chevron patterned sequin linens. The back story to our wedding decor is that I’m a bit obsessed with Marie Antoinette…specifically, Sofia Coppola’s version featuring Ladurée and candy-colored costumes. However, the whole Marie Antoinette themed wedding became a very popular trend a few years back and therefore I dismissed it as something we would ever incorporate into our wedding decor. As a wedding planner whose job is to stay on top of the newest trends, I felt like I needed to come up with something that hadn’t been done a million times already. However, after learning about the history of the venues we selected (yes – I learned about the Marie connection AFTER I fell in love with the venues!), there was no way I could get around embracing it. It was definitely meant to be. (And how appropriate that the queen of fashion inspired our wedding day, considering it took place at the end of Paris’ fashion week?)

The Marie Connection: We got married at the Chapelle Expiatoire, which is a quaint chapel in the middle of a beautiful elevated park in the center of Paris. The Chapel was built in 1816 in honor of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI – they were actually buried there for a short time. Having our intimate ceremony in such a grand venue so rich in history felt truly amazing. The very salon our reception was held in at the Hotel de Crillon is where Marie Antoinette used to take piano lessons, and the square in front of the hotel (Place de la Concorde) is where she was guillotined (morbid but true!) I planned the wedding from a distance, with the exception of one long weekend in Paris in July where I had the chance to do a tasting at the hotel, select rentals, and meet with florists and have a hair/makeup trial. Of course, the most exciting part was finally seeing the venues (which we had already booked) in person! There is always a chance that things are a bit more polished in pictures (especially with historic venues) but amazingly all of these venues looked identical in person to the photos I had seen.

Wedding Day Highlights: A violinist stood on the front steps of the chapel serenading arriving guests with typical french ‘chanson’. Even though we were in Paris, I had to have my classic Father of the Bride moment so the bridesmaids walked into “Chapel of Love” – but the string/instrumental version. Our recessional was to another American wedding classic, “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry.” After the ceremony, the string trio moved outside and played instrumental versions of more current pop songs, while a rather regal looking butler in 18th Century costume poured guests velvety European drinking chocolate in vintage porcelain teacups on the lawn.

My absolute favorite moment of the day was walking into the church with my dad, seeing all our closest family and friends who had traveled so far, the lucite chairs sparkling in the sunlight that was streaming in, and the gorgeous oversized orchids dripping at the altar. Then seeing my best friend, waiting at the end of the aisle for me – all to the tune of Canon in D (which means so much to my family – my parents played it all the time when my mom was pregnant with me.) It was such a surreal moment that couldn’t have been planned more perfectly, I couldn’t help but get a little weepy.

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Photography: KT Merry | Videography: MG Image | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang Via Vera Wang On Madison Ave., NYC | Florist: Soly Flor | Stationary: Little Bit Heart | Ceremony Venue: Chapelle Expiatoire | Reception Venue: Hotel Crillon | Brides Shoes: Sergio Rossi | Planner: Julie of Strawberry Milk Events | Hair: Sonja Stein | Calligraphy: Trial By Cupcakes | Lighting: AZ Diffusion | Groom’s Shoes: Ferragamo | Grooms Attire: Hugo Boss | Ceremony Music: Ivana Strings | Band : Jazz Around Midnight | Linens : La Tavola | Makeup: Sanni Sorma | Server In Costume At Ceremony Site: Les Menus Plaisirs | Taxi: Classic Rent

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If you’re not ready to swoon today, you might want to navigate away from this page. But I strongly suggest you don’t. Clear your schedule, and cozy in because this highlight film from Lifestage Films is one that will make you as happy as you possibly could be today.

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From the cinematographer… Matt and Lisa are two professional wedding photographers who met by chance one day and found an immediate connection. Lisa had always dreamed of going to Paris, and her dreams came true in more than one way when she married the love of her life, Matt in sight of the Eiffel Tower at the St. James Hotel. The ceremony included only the couple, the photographer, videographer, and enraptured on-lookers who thought they were famous! They celebrated with the tradition of adding a personalized lock to the Ponts des Arts, throwing away the key in the river, and took a boat cruise that ended with a spectacular light show!

Some of the highlights of the wedding was the bouquet Lisa made herself from flowers she bought from a roadside vendor, the photo shoot that took place all over the streets and squares of the city, and Lisa’s diamond encrusted mini camera!

Photography: Vesic Photography | Videography: Life Stage Films | Ceremony Venue: Saint James Paris | Reception Venue: Bateaux Parisiens

It goes without saying that I love weddings, but weddings in Paris? Well that takes my love to an entirely new level. It beautifully combines two of my favorite things automatically putting us in fairytale territory. Kristin La Voie Photography was on hand to capture every gorgeous moment, and you can see them all here.

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From Kristin La Voie Photography…I am so excited to share with you this perfectly romantic and elegant Paris Wedding! The reception was to DIE for, taking place at Chateau Esclimont, just outside of the city. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate in a CASTLE?! The beautiful blush and pink colors, paired with the French countryside, and an absolutely adorable head over heels couple, makes this wedding oh so picture perfect!

Anahit has been a die hard SMP fan since the beginning of her wedding planning. Finding inspiration from your posts, she infused her countryside wedding with a gorgeous color palette of blush pinks and grey with the bridesmaids mismatched dresses, flowers, invitation suite, and more. Their wedding was so stunning, that when we entered the property of the Chateau it took everyone’s breath away! It was a total fairytale wedding.

Photography: Kristin La Voie Photography | Flowers: O Dela des Fleurs | Dress: David's Bridal | Rings: Jared | Makeup: The Makeup Therapist | hair: Lexi Derock | Chateau: Chateau d'Esclimont

This might be my favorite shoot of all time. Scratch that. This IS my favorite shoot of all time. Why? Because when a team of industry experts are able to create bridal inspiration that’s rustic yet modern, layered yet clean, fall themed yet perfect for ANY time of year, well – that’s something worth celebrating. With design by Majeniam blooms from Roses By Claire and photography by Greg Finck, I can promise you your Friday evening will be well spent right here! PS – this week’s winners are waiting down below! xoxo

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From Greg Finck… We all expect fall to be a sad season. Part of you dies each year when the leaves fall from the trees and the branches are bare against the wind and the cold wintery light. The end of the wedding season. Until spring, when life and love start again.

This is our expectation but this is not what really happens. Autumn is my favorite season, with perfect razing light, golden colors in the trees, and Chai Lattes near the fire place. We wanted to address the beauty of fall, the pastel colors, the feathers as a symbol of the falling leafs, the homemade dulce de lecche, the hazelnuts, the chestnuts and the walnuts, the wood. Everything gathered in a jewel of bridal beauty. The mood for this shoot is the result of a great team work. This is our vision of fall season applied to wedding inspiration. This is Fall in Love.

Photography: Greg Finck Photography | Florals: Roses By Claire | Gown: Rime Arodaky | Cake: Sugar Plum Cake Shop | Make Up: MyBeautyCorner | Calligraphy: Majenia | Production, Art Direction & Styling: Majenia

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And now, a few extra fun discounts from….

Love by Lynzie Weddings + Events
Mugshots Photography
PF Films
Toronto Bridal Style
Unique Visions Studio
The Georgia Club
Four Nineteen Weddings
Fourth Love
Lauren Michelle
Pear Tree Greetings
Postable
Smock Notebooks
Lookmatic

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Last chance giveaway reminders for…

$250 to Wedding Paper Divas
$100 to Paper Source
$250 in Bridal Accessories from Ceremony

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Plus this week’s lucky winners!

Congrats to Allyson Gamble on snagging her dream dress in Allure Bridal’s Win Your Gown Contest!

Another congrats to Patricia, who won Target’s KitchenAid Stand Mixer giveaway!

And last but not least, hooray for @townshae, the winner of a $500 BaubleBar gift card!

Tonight I am going to have a little conversation with my honey about eloping in Paris.  A little convo about jumping on the next flight across the Atlantic, calling a fabulous team of vendors (ahem, MON PLUS BEAU JOUR and Chapel Expiatoire) and basically recreating every.last.moment of this gorgeous Parisian affair captured by French Grey Photography.  Because when it comes to perfect ways to say “I do,” this darling celebration just about takes the cake.  See it all in the full gallery.

From French Grey Photography… Sara and Phil’s romantic Parisian elopement was breathtaking and filled with beautiful touches carefully planned by the creative team at MON PLUS BEAU JOUR.  The Saint James Hotel in the heart of the 16eme in Paris made a stunning backdrop for the preparations of the bride. While the beautiful Chapelle Expiatoire was the perfect romantic spot to hold the ceremony and the private string quartet filled the volumous space with the beautiful sounds of Mozart. The couple were so much fun to shoot and it was real pleasure to capture this all important elopement for them in Paris.

Photography: French Grey Photography | Wedding Planner: MON PLUS BEAU JOUR | Hotel: Saint James Paris | Chapel: Chapelle Expiatoire

Romance and Paris go hand in hand like chocolate and peanut butter, Bogey and Bacall and glitter and, well… anything.  So to say we got a little amped up to dive into this stunning shoot from Luxe Paris Events, Le Secret d’Audrey and One and Only Paris Photography is the understatement of 2013.  Because anytime a fabulous team of vendors pairs up with the City of Light, it’s bound to be a swoon-worthy, gorgeous-filled gallery.  Join me there for every ounce of pretty.

From One and Only Paris Photography… In the comfort of a private apartment Billy designed a beautiful wedding. As a stylist at heart he did an amazing job creating a stunning table covered in flowers.  You can elope and go for a very intimate celebration and still decide to surround yourself with the best Paris has to offer.

From Luxe Life Events… There is something remarkable about the movement and structure of couture which is what inspired this shoot. I love the idea of taking something that cannot move on its own and giving it life and was inspired by this very characteristic of the dress we used and wanted to recreate it in the design of the table. I love “flower structures,” and “flower cascades,” and therefore found myself creating a table base solely of white and blush hydrangeas, peonies and roses that seemed to fall from the arrangements on top. I believe in the beauty of simplicity therefore using a monochromatic color scheme felt natural. The style of the shoot was a juxta-position between old world Paris and a more modern aesthetic. It’s for this we chose ghost chairs, Louis XIV in shape but modern through the use of the acrylic material and a glass top table rather than a more traditional look with chair covers and heavy table linens. For the candles, I always opt for tapers (when possible) because I think the overall look is much more romantic. Vintage candelabras were sourced through a flea market in Paris and cost very little. Details like this really bring the whole look together. To recreate a similar look I suggest using a monochromatic color scheme such as this and source old world objects (such as the candle holders) and use them with the newer items to get that chic juxtaposed look. 

Photography: Le Secret d'Audrey | Photography: One and Only Paris Photography | Dress: Paolo Corona | Wedding Cake: Paris Luxury Cakes | Jewelry: Stone Paris | Event Planning And Flowers By: Luxe Paris Events

Have I mentioned I love Paris before? Because oh, I love it. So when I come across a wedding in my favorite city in the world, I always stop and take note – and when that wedding is captured by One and Only Paris Photography, I just know it’s going to be jaw dropping. Well, this one is jaw dropping and then some. It’s elegant and perfectly Parisian, and there is even more to swoon over in the full gallery.

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From One and Only Paris Photography…When Sarah and Jay were searching for the perfect destination to celebrate an intimate wedding, Paris instantly came to mind. Not only was Sarah born and raised in Paris, but a large part of her family resides in France. They realized planning a destination wedding from Canada would not be simple. However, after contacting the priest that married Sarah’s parents, and getting him on board for the ceremony, the wedding planning began.

After seeing One and Only Paris Photography’s blog of beautiful and intimate weddings, Sarah realized that elegance and sophistication could still be attained through a destination wedding. It was important for Sarah that the wedding highlight emotional and intimate moments with the couple, and their closest friends and family – and One and Only Paris Photography and My Loveberry delivered! All of the wedding vendors were phenomenal and truly made Sarah and Jay’s wedding day unforgettable. Sarah’s favourite moment was entering the reception venue with her husband, glancing across the salon at all of her friends and family who had travelled from far, and surprising them with a romantic rendition of the Waltz.

Photography: One and Only Paris Photography | Videographer: My Loveberry | Planner: Clockevents | Florist: Bret Capricorne | Cake: Sugar Plum Cake Shop | Ceremony Venue: Eglise Copte Orthodoxe Ste Marie St Marc | Reception Venue: Westin Jersey City Newport | Hair & Makeup: Murielle Palace And Poudremoi | DJ: Master Dj Company | Band: Octave & Anatole | Classic Car Rental: Classic Rent

My love affair with Paris has been life long. But I’m here to say it has officially been trumped by my love affair with this Parisian wedding, which pairs beautifully my favorite city with my favorite thing. You might remember it from our second SMP Fashion & Beauty Magazine, but if not, prepare yourself, because ladies and gents, it doesn’t get more gorgeous than this. With images from Clary Pfeiffer so pretty I want to hang them on my walls, and style that is purely perfect – this, my lovelies, is as good as it gets. See even more here.

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From the Bride… Combining our love of travel and desire for an intimate affair in a beautiful setting, a destination wedding in Paris seemed the perfect choice, and not least because Paris holds a special place in our hearts – it was the first city that we had visited together as a couple and we knew we would be back on our first trip as husband and wife.

Bevan and I always dreamed of getting married in a church and we chose The American Church in Paris, located in the heart of Paris, for its beautiful gothic architecture. We wanted our intimate ceremony to be personal and meaningful so we opted for personally-written vows as well as traditional ones, and had a dear friend recite my favourite poem, “I carry your heart with me” by E. E. Cummings.

We wanted to treat our guests to an amazing meal and knew Hotel Le Meurice, home to a 3 Michelin star restaurant, was the venue for us. The landmark hotel has not only an incredible menu but also a breathtaking reception room – the Pompadour Salon. It was the timeless Salon itself on which we based our wedding colour palette of gold, champagne and ivory. To complement the Salon’s ornate gold panelling and chandeliers, the dinner table was lined with candlelit candelabras, cream peonies and David Austin roses, as well as place cards in gold frames. We honoured our families by displaying their wedding photos on a feature table in the Salon. To embrace the French tradition, we chose a traditional croquembouche as our wedding cake – with sparklers and all!

Designing our wedding stationery and monogram was a labour of love and it was an amazing feeling to see all our ideas and hard work come to fruition. In keeping with our wedding colour palette, we chose to print our stationery in raised gold ink and on ivory stock card.

My very sweet and talented mother made our flower girl’s dress as well as my “something blue” – an ivory lace garter with a delicate blue ribbon bow. My “something borrowed” was the dressing gown that I wore on the morning of our wedding day, which my sister had worn on her wedding day ten years earlier. My “something old” were vintage crystal earrings that Bevan had gifted to me for my birthday and my “something new” was my parents’ wedding gift to me – a diamond bracelet.

We wanted to leave something special of ours behind in Paris to find many years later so we engraved the words, “I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart”, along with our monogram, names and wedding date, onto a padlock which we attached to a railing on the Pont des Arts. In keeping with the love padlock tradition, we threw the keys into the Seine river as a gesture of our commitment to each other. We plan on returning to the bridge on our anniversary to find our padlock!

As for my dress, I knew I wanted it to be traditional and befitting of a black tie affair, but it also needed to embody my personality as well. I chose Vera Wang’s “Emmeline” for its ballgown silhouette and beautiful layers of tulle and organza as well as its stunning metallic gold hand-painted floral detailing on the skirt. To make the dress my own, I had the bodice altered into a sweetheart neckline and added a french and italian lace bolero to complete the look.

We chose to have a private first dance following the reception. We danced under the stars on a terrace at the hotel with the most incredible view, overlooking the City of Lights. There was no band and no music. It was just the two of us, quietly singing and humming to each other. It was perfect.

The most memorable part of the day for me was the look on Bevan’s face when I walked down the aisle towards him. His eyes were full of love and pride and he had tears running down his face. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

I had envisioned our wedding day to be a celebration of love and family over a candlelit dinner, with the most important people in our lives, seated at a single table, eating, laughing and sharing memories of the years gone by. The magnificent chandeliers atop the table, the lobster and foie gras, the elegant backdrop reminiscent of another era, my favourite flowers, and 15 of our nearest and dearest dressed to the nines, were more than we could have ever hoped for. Our wedding day was truly the happiest day of our lives.

Photography: Clary Pfeiffer Photography | Cinematography: Studio Artifice | Ceremony Venue: American Church In Paris | Reception Venue: Hotel Le Meurice | Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Hair and Makeup: Lexi Derock | Bouquet floral design: Sol Y Flor | Bridal car: Anciennes de Prestige | Bride's Bolero: Angelika Liv | Brides Dress and Veil: Vera Wang | Designed by the Bride and printed by Thermowest: Thermowest | Groom Tuxedo: Z by Zegna | Reception floral design: Hale Koa phineas Estate

This, my friends, is exactly the reason why Paris engagement sessions are beyond beautiful.  The reason why one uber-gorgeous couple after another flocks to the City of Light to snap up their pre-wedding bliss in the unofficial land of love.  Put simply, it’s a city that makes for one seriously show-stopping backdrop… and this beauty captured by Sansaara Photography?  All kinds of awesome.  Click here for sooo much more.

From Sansaara Photography (Bijal and A.Y. Shah)… We had the enormous good fortune to photograph Anne and Michiel in Paris earlier this year. It was unusually cold for May, but as you can see from the images, they could not have cared less. We walked about the streets around the Latin Quarter and then made our way to the Pont Des Arts. It may be thoroughly cliche to put a lock on the bridge, but almost nothing else in Paris will make two people madly in love smile more. All images were captured on our medium format film cameras.

Photography: Sansaara Photography (Bijal And A.Y. Shah)

Destination weddings are pretty amazing just in their own right, but when you throw in the fabulous One and Only Paris Photography and the world’s most romantic city (Paris, of course), it takes it to entirely new level of awesome.  This, lovelies, is a wedding that seriously bursts with romance, from the stunning bride and groom (she’s seriously rockin’ that Vera Wang) to a mesmerizing ceremony overlooking the Eiffel Tower to one moment after another of pure, unadulterated pretty.  See them all right here.

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From the Bride… Ramin proposed the day after our 12 year anniversary (we’re high school sweethearts!). We went up north to a ski resort for the weekend and he popped the question on top of the hill with no one around us! He pulled aside saying that he had to fix the bindings of his boots. He asked me to pull on his boot strap and it didn’t phase me that he was already down on one knee. He turned my attention to something in the snow and there was the box! When I opened it, the ring was inside.  The name of the ski hill was ‘memory lane’ – my heart melted.

We’ve always wanted a small destination wedding. After going over many locations, we finally decided on Paris! It’s classic, romantic and beautiful. Ramin used to live there as a child before coming to Canada. We both speak French and fell in love with the city when we went earlier in our adults years. We kept it very intimate and had only our close 30 family and friends present. It was perfect and comfortable for everyone. After the wedding, a bus picked us up and we partied at VIP til 6am! (Rihanna made a surprise appearance! – couldn’t get a photo with her:( )

I planned the entire wedding MYSELF, just me and the internet! I initially wanted to hire a planner, but got too caught up in the process that I wanted to do everything myself, and it was very enjoyable! I did a lot of research ahead of time and knew which vendors I wanted. I scheduled a visit in October 2012 for meetings and to check out the location. It was hard staying calm before the big day because I wanted everything to be perfect, but nothing is in our control sometimes! (It rained out our wedding day, but hey we made the best of it and it made for great lighting for pictures!)

My advise for brides planning a wedding in Paris or any destination is to do your research well in advance! Start making a list of the ideas, themes and locations you want and then start to narrow your choices down to your top favorites. Be okay with the fact that not too many people will be able to attend if you are planning a wedding overseas. If you were like us and wanted something small, invite your near and dearest only. We kept it real and what really mattered – the love of two people. Sometimes big weddings take away from the couple and it becomes a party for everyone else. Stay true to what YOU want, (not what others want) and you will not have any regrets.

Photography: One and Only Paris Photography | Dress: Vera Wang | Invitations: Allison Gertridge | Reception: Yacht De Paris | Shoes: The Bay | Jewelry: Cartier | Rings: Custom | Makeup: Sanni Sorma Makeup & Hair | Hair: Pia Paysant | Bow Tie: Tribut Ives Saint Laurent | Groom's Suit: Z by Zegna | Groom's Shoes: Enrico Piaceri

Two words can sum this beauty up in a nutshell: Paris and Fashion. It really needs no more of an introduction except to gush about the amazing vendors involved in this dreamy destination shoot. With Carla Ten Eyck behind the lens, design details by Jubilee Events and fashion styling by White Dress by the Shore, it’s the perfect pairing of romance and gorgeous, gorgeous fashion. But the best part, this little shoot is baring gifts of the giveaway kind. Scroll below for all the juicy details and catch even more Parisian imagery right here in the full gallery.

It was such an absolute dream to do a fashion shoot in Paris! As it is coined both the “city of light” and the “city of love”, we tried to capture both elements through our shoot. Our vision was to show a love story unfolding through the historic sites and streets of Paris. We were inspired by the Parisian architecture, subtle and soft colorings of the buildings, the red metro station signs, and the renowned La Maison Rose, a cafe in Montmartre. We specially loved the idea of color on color– and chose to do a lot of “pink against pink” and “red against red” for monochromatic feel.

We posed our couple at one of the romantic locations along the Siene river, Le Ponte Neuf, and had them snuggle amongst the ‘locks of love’. To show the more romantic side of Paris, we selected a Hayley Paige ball gown in a soft blush tone with oversized flowers delicately surrounding the billowing skirt. The bride groom wore a grey 3 piece suit from Valentino Tailors. We shot the couple both in front of the Eiffel Tower and throughout the streets of Montmarte, an artist colony with sweeping views of the entire city. We finished the shoot with the couple nestled outside of a Paris café, seemingly in their after party attire. The groom had loosened his tie and the bride had changed into an crème cashmere shell from J.Crew with a custom designed tulle knee length ‘Carrie Bradshaw’ inspired skirt and sparkly rose gold Badgley Mischkas.

We brought in the talented watercolorist and paper artist Kristy Rice of Momental Designs to create a custom suite for our Parisian styled shoot. The soft pearlesque pink paper, hand lettering of the names, and hand painted floral accents in shades of pink and red were the perfect accompaniment to the fashion chosen by Beth.

As shooting in a foreign country always lends an element of surprise, we scoured Montmartre for props while shooting. We found delicate macarons in shades of pink, fluffy meringues in the flavor of vanilla (they seriously tasted like marshmallows!), and raspberry gelato freshly scooped into a cone. Since Montmarte is known for it’s street artists, we commissioned an artist in the square right outside of Sacre Coeur to cut Silhouettes of our couple– and believe it or not– his scissors sliced through the paper just one time and voila! We found flowers from a local florist and put together our own bouquet and nosegay filled with roses, wax flowers, and a sprinkling of whatever else we could find.

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This Parisian photo shoot just so happens to be a snippet from the second book in The White Dress series, The White Dress: Destinations, co-authored by all of the talent above.  The first book, The White Dress In Color was just released and is currently available in bookstores and at Amazon.com. So to celebrate, Carla Ten Eyck , Jubilee Events  and White Dress by the Shore are giving one lucky reader a signed copy!

The Prize: One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of  The White Dress in Color: Wedding Inspirations for the Modern Bride

To Enter: Leave a comment below with your dream White Dress style. Example: My White Dress is vintage and sassy

To Win: The deadline to enter is Thursday, November 21st at 11:59 pm EST. One winner will be drawn at random and announced right here on Friday, November 22nd.

Terms & Conditions: Can all be found right here.  Good luck loves! xoxo

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck | Design: Jubilee Events | Event Planning: Amazon | Styling: The White Dress by the shore | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Hair and Makeup: Yoshiko Haruki | Suit:: Valentino Tailors | Blush Ballgown: JLM Couture, Inc | Earrings: Maria Elena | Earrings, Bracelet & Cocktail Ring:: Haute Bride | Headband: Maria Elena | Ivory Cashmere Shell: J.Crew | Macarons: Biscuiterie Montmatre | Paper:: Momental Designs | Tulle Short Skirt: Modern Trousseau