Our photos of Kea and James’ Paris destination wedding were published in the print version of Brides magazine back in August. Just recently, they published more pics in brides.com real weddings. The post reminded me how good Kea’s Monique Lhuillier gown looked set in the city of love.
Kea’s bridesmaids helped her get into that dress in a high suite at the Raphael. The view of charming, blue-slated Paris-rooftops served as a beautiful reminder they were about to go to s wedding ceremony in the world’s most romantic city.
They were even more awed by the intimate domed chapel where that ceremony took place. As a photographer, I was struck by how stunning the bride looked when her veil was backlit by sun coming through the chapel doors. Even though I had anticipated that shot and placed myself in the best spot to take advantage of the lighting, I was impressed by the bride’s literally glowing entrance.
After the ceremony, the couple wanted to spend only a short time getting photos out in the city. They already had photos of themselves in beautiful Paris locations since we were also the photographers for their engagement photo shoot.
James is a car buff who runs a Porsche restoration shop in his home town. Naturally, I had to show him how well their hired, vintage Rolls would photograph in a Paris square. The ornate lampposts in the background are from the same era as the car. From there, we stopped for a few pics by the Eiffel Tower before speeding off to their reception.
Their evening had a retro band, charming dining room, and whimsical lighting. The traditional guestbook was replaced by the lipstick mirror. Guests could leave kisses and messages on the mirror in their favorite shade of red. Even the bride got in on the fun. Our photo version of this alternative guestbook contains not only writings to serve as memories, but also images of the guests who wrote them.
To end the magical day, guests lit up the Paris night with a sparkler sendoff, lining the path to the newlyweds’ vintage Citroen getaway vehicle. (I told you James was a car buff.)