With their European vacation already booked, Ashely and Chase decided to make the most of their 36 hours in Paris by eloping in front of the Louvre. Without the added stress and pressures of a wedding to contend with, the couple felt free to celebrate their love for each other and their union in the way that felt most right to them – by popping champagne, eating macarons, and dancing around their hotel room!

A huge thanks to Brant Smith for sending over the photos and letting us share in Ashley and Chase’s joyous day.

intimate-paris-wedding-ashley-and-chase-35307

Ashley, 28 & Chase, 32

Paris, France

Wedding Date: January 20, 2015

Number of Guests: 0

Wedding Ceremony Location: The Louvre

Wedding Reception Location: None

intimate Paris elopement

 

The Eiffel Tower

bride in car

Bride and groom holding hands

detail of bride's gown train as they walk

Bride and groom kising

bride and groom kissing in front of Eiffel Tower

bride and groom silhouette at sunset

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

Our relationship is built on trust, love, humor, and most of all simplicity. As fast paced and overwhelming as our lives can be, we always find our grounding within each other. We celebrated our love for each other and our future life together without the added stress and pressures we felt would take away from the simplistic values that we share.

Paris street

bride's shoes on windowsill

dress hanging up

bride getting her make-up done

bride getting her make-up done

bride getting her hair done

bride putting on bracelet

bride putting on earring

bride putting on jacket

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

I had wonderful recommendations from our photographer Brant Smith. I am also a logistics machine, so we honestly didn’t have any.

groom tying his tie

groom buttoning his jacket

groom adjusting his jacket sleeves

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

When we decided to marry in Paris it was only a few short weeks before our planned vacation to Europe. With the last minute timing and extremely short visit to Paris, – 36 hours – it made it nearly impossible to accommodate guests.

bride walking to meet her groom

bride riding in car

bride getting out of car

first look session in front of Eiffel Tower

first look session in front of Eiffel Tower

first look session in front of Eiffel Tower

first look session in front of Eiffel Tower

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

We were firm with our decision to marry in Paris and told our close loved ones as soon as possible after we decided. We asked our family and friends to help us prepare for our day and be as involved as they would like to be. From the lovely bridal shower to the hand tailored suit, our family and friends could not have been more supportive.

bride and groom walking to the louvre

bride and groom getting out of car

bride and groom walking to the louvre

elopement ceremony at the Louvre

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

Because it was a crisp January afternoon, the courtyard of the Louvre felt private like it was reserved just for us. My personal highlight is that I have never seen my husband smile so big.

elopement ceremony at the Louvre

elopement ceremony at the Louvre

elopement ceremony at the Louvre

bride giving ring to officiant

bride puttingring on groom's finger

elopement ceremony at the Louvre

What were the highlights of the reception?

We didn’t have one, but we did pop bottles of champagne, devour macarons, and dance around our suite to the French radio stations.

Bride and groom walking away from the Louvre

elopement portrait

Paris wedding portrait

Paris elopement portrait

bride and groom walking by the Louvre

wedding portrait in Paris laneway

wedding portrait by locks of love

bride and groom putting lock on locks of love bridge

wedding portrait in front of Eiffel Tower

wedding portrait in front of Eiffel Tower

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

Our day wasn’t spiked with seating chart blunders, linens that just didn’t quite match the centerpieces, or a little too tipsy bridesmaid. We didn’t need to cover our ears from noisy complaints or whining concerns. My hair fell out of place and a button on my dress popped, but there were no Aunt Anna Wintours to judge me, just a loving husband to brush my hair behind my ear and pinch the back of my dress to hold me together.

eiffel Tower at night

paris bistro

Paris Bistro sign

Paris Bistro

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Know that having an intimate wedding does not mean sacrificing special moments with your family and friends. You can involve them in your planning as much as you like.

bride and groom kissing in Paris bistro

Vendors:

Photography: Brant Smith Photography. We can’t say enough about him; he is amazing. The photos are stunning! He knew the best places to shoot and was very flexible with our requests. He made our day perfection!

Hotel: Renaissance Paris Le Parc Trocadero. The suite was beautiful and the location was excellent. They wrote us a sweet welcome note and congratulations note. They had champagne waiting in the room for us each night. We felt extremely well taken care of.

Hair and Makeup: Allison Depriestre. She was very sweet and very professional. She did a great job.

Car Service: Blacklane Service. A new 7 series picked us up right on time and at an unbeatable price.

Officiant: Une Belle Ceremonie. Professional and pleasant.