Carson & Nicolas | Bright September Engagement Session in Paris
Weather in Paris, warm and sunny, all the time, right? A lot of people don’t realize that Paris doesn’t, in general, have good weather. I’m not sure where people get the impression that it’s sunny and warm much of the year, but nothing could be farther from the truth. It does rain year-round, mostly in autumn and winter, but showers can occur anytime. If you’re looking for warmer weather and sunshine, the the months of June, July and August are your best bet. You’re not guaranteed to have summery weather, some Paris summers I’ve still been wearing my wool coat in June, but it’s a better bet than other months.
So, June, July and August are the best months to visit Paris, right? No! They are best if you are hoping for summer weather, but one of my favorite months in Paris, going back years, is September, particularly early September. Right after the August holidays are over, and Parisians return to the city to work and school, there is a new energy you can feel. Also, the weather can be quite lovely, and this beautiful engagement session benefitted from this beautiful September weather!
Carson and Nicolas are a bright and beautiful young couple, living in Dallas, Texas. Carson is attorney and Nicolas is in real estate. Fresh off their statewide surprise proposal, they headed to France with family for a wonderful holiday where they’ll visit not only the major attractions of Paris, but also a visit to Versailles, Normandy and Mont St. Michel. Mont St. Michel is a really amazing abbey in Normandy, and well worth a visit.
But on this day, it was all about seeing Paris together and capturing Carson and Nicolas’ engagement! We decided to meet super early, at 7:00 am, to get some beautiful natural light and beat some of the crowds. The couple took advantage of a fantastic private driver, who scooped them up at their Airbnb and dropped them at Trocadero, with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. The traffic on this morning was uncharacteristically light, so they arrived ahead of me and we enjoyed the sunrise together. The sky was a magnificent pink, it was unreal! It’s not very often you get to witness a pink sky in Paris, so it was a special treat.
Trocadero is the main gathering spot for people to relax and view the Eiffel Tower, so in the early morning, cleaning crews are hard at work as the area tends to get a bit messy. There often is construction this area as well, and at this time, also on the bottom of Trocadero, where you’ll find the magnificent fountains, called the Fountain of Warsaw. We arrived just in time for the first “water show” of the day, the canons fired out the water and the fountains started running, it was so pretty! From here, we went to one of my favorite spots, a walk along the banks of the river Seine. If it’s sunny, the light here in the early morning is so pretty, and this day did not disappoint. It was also calm and serene on this spot.
From here, we finished up our Eiffel Tower tour with the famous double decker bridge of Bir Hakeim. It’s tricky to photograph here, because as it’s a bridge, there are cyclists, walkers, people in their cars going to work, and all kinds of photo shoots happening. On this particular day, there were two women doing dance pole routines for their Instagram reels. It’s never boring in Paris!
Now it was time to head across town. Next stop was the Tuileries Gardens, a major garden that is so pretty in the early morning light, I almost shed a tear I was so happy. With the stunning backdrop of the Louvre Museum, coupled with the colorful flowers, it’s a really amazing spot for engagement photos in Paris. I have several key spots I love to take my clients to in this garden, it never disappoints. The only thing to keep in mind is that the ground here is a little dusty, so you’ll have to dust off your shoes when you get back to your hotel.
Just down the way from the Tuileries is the Louvre. A famous museum since the late 1700s, people even in the morning were already in line to visit. If you’re an architecture fan, you’ll love the courtyard. I captured sweet moments between Carson and Nicolas, they are just perfect together, and were so very lovely to talk to! I learned that Carson had studied in Lyon for a time, too and had done quite a bit of travel in Europe. I love talking travel with my clients, it’s one of the things that really binds us and I love to hear other people’s impressions of places I’ve been.
After the Louvre, our final stop was my favorite neighborhood in Paris, the neighborhood around Notre Dame Cathedral, known as Ile St. Louis. This is a neighborhood that while modern, also makes you feel like you’re stepping back in time. We even found a cute blue car on our walk, and again, the light this morning was truly something special. I love to show my clients this side of Paris, its so cute and charming and perfect for engagement photos.
All wonderful things must come to an end at some time, unfortunately. The truth is, I could spend all day photographing my clients, but I know they have more of Paris to see and do, so it was time to say goodbye to this beautiful couple. I feel so honored that they chose me to capture their engagement in Paris, it’s a September day I won’t soon forget!
