Stunning honeymoon photo session in Paris
Wow, just wow. This couples honeymoon photo session will go down as one of my absolute favorites! As a Paris engagement photographer, I’m so fortunate to meet so many beautiful couples. I photograph them set against the beauty of Paris or Provence, as I live in both parts of France, for their engagement photos, anniversary, vow renewal, surprise proposals and also, a lot of couples who are already married. Some couples have been married for a very long time, others are more newly wed. Such was the case of Sarah and Fu, a gorgeous couple from Houston, Texas, USA.
Sarah contacted me about a couples photo session in Paris on their upcoming trip in April, which is a great month to come to Paris. The flowering trees start in early April and usually reach their peak in mid-April. This is the best time to see cherry blossoms, for example. Sarah and Fu were in Paris a bit later, but we still had some blooming trees.
Sarah and I discussed her wishes, as she’d been to Paris before and knew a little fo the city. She definitely wanted some photos at the Eiffel Tower, but also other parts of the city. So she booked my Emerald package, which is up to three hours.
THREE HOURS! Who in their right mind wants to “do photos” for three hours?
Hold up, it’s not what it seems. Paris is a very busy city, filled to the brim with tourists, which means we have to start early in the morning for the very best lighting conditions and to avoid some of the tourists. Because Paris is so busy, it also takes time to get from one place to another.
This is important to note, we’re not doing photos for a full three hours, but our travel time between locations will equal a total of three hours.
With this couple, we started at the Eiffel Tower area and photographed in various spots for about an hour. Then, we got in the car, using the private driver I recommend for the two and three hour sessions, and he whisked us over to the Louvre, which Sarah had requested. Then, I photographed Sarah and Tu all around the Louvre, including the glass pyramid and the courtyard. This was about another 45 minutes and we could have stayed a lot longer.
Then, we went for an outfit change. Usually, we do this at a cafe, but this couple’s hotel was super close to the Louvre, so the driver took us back to their hotel while they changed into a more casual outfit. Then we set out to explore the gorgeous Tuileries Gardens, in full bloom, and finally, a stop at a local colorful cafe for a wine toast.
When Sarah and Tu met me, I could not believe my eyes. Sarah’s gown was to die for. In a gorgeous shade of deep red, it was absolutely stunning. Her hair was beautifully styled in waves, and her makeup was beautiful, thanks to her professional makeup artist. She looked like a princess.
Tu is very handsome, a software developer by day, and I thought, he should be a model along with Sarah the rest of the time. Sarah is an optometrist, and clearly has a good eye for fashion (pun intended, but she really does have magnificent style).
Not only was it fun to photograph this stunning couple all around Paris, but they were fun to talk to, kind, funny, and really interesting. They had an easygoing, intense and sweet love, and were very comfortable, which sometimes isn’t easy. I know my clients are not professional models, and being photographed (especially “romantically”, like in a city like Paris) can feel odd. But I do my very best to make my clients feel comfortable and even have fun.
Sarah rented her gown in Paris, which is a great idea if you want to go all-out glam. The three hours we spent together flew by, and I’m so proud of the images I captured of this glamorous couple. Their beauty is clear in images, but emanated from the inside out. They were married in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic started, and having these images in Paris, effectively a delayed honeymoon, were so special.
Credits:
Photographer – Karina Leigh Photography
Hair/Makeup – Alesia Solo
Hotel – Hotel du Louvre
Cafe – Le Louis Philippe
