Now that's a silly question! Who DOESN'T want to do engagement photos in Paris?
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| Note the sweet tradition of locks attached to the bridge, left by couples in love.... |
I travel a lot for my work, and a lot for fun. This couple travels more, much more. As I write, the bride-to-be is in Mozambique, and her fiance is in Yemen. The wedding will be in the Bahamas, and she is planning it all long-distance via email and phone from Washington DC, with a planner based in Boston. Really, these are people after my own heart!
We had discussed an engagement shoot in New York City, but Paris was actually the easiest place for the three of us to meet. I was on my way back from Morocco (fun travel!), and the bride-to-be was visiting her man in Paris (he lives there, she doesn't). Before packing for the trip, she took the wise advice of a stylish girlfriend from New York, and bought this lovely red raincoat, which couldn't have been more perfect against the backdrop of a typically overcast Parisian day.
We spent the day walking through some of places they love. We started in the Tuileries and ended by the Eiffel Tower before grabbing a Metro back to the lovely Crillon Hotel (I booked a room here, on sale via Tablet Hotels, in order to have a backup plan for a rainy day). We walked for about 6 hours that Sunday.
The biggest lesson I learned is that walking and taking pictures all day is EXHAUSTING. We were all pretty useless by the time we had dinner, even though we had stopped for lunch in a Brasserie, and champagne at a friend's rooftop apartment as well. We were smart to shoot on a Sunday, since the streets were far less crowded (even if the Eiffel Tower was a zoo), but even so, we only made it to about half of the places on our list. The last time I did portraits in Paris, it was on a couple's wedding day, and we had the advantage of a car and driver, but the disadvantage of shooting on a Saturday in July (traffic and tourists everywhere!). I can't emphasize enough how important it is to consider these kinds of variables when planning an ambitious shoot like this.
These two were such troopers and really great sports about the whole day. We had a lot of fun, and took all kinds of great photos. I love photographing an engagement session in a place that is meaningful to the couple. Lucky me that Paris was that place for this couple!
