Becky and Sean’s Dazzling Paris Elopement

Becky and Sean decided that a Paris elopement fit them to a tee. When planning their elopement, IW was a big source of inspiration.

“Intimate Weddings was very helpful to us. It allowed us to view many real weddings and elopements in Paris, as well as providing information on local vendors. That is how we found French Grey Photography and Events … It was great to find everything we were looking for in one vendor, including flowers, hair and makeup, photography, and car service. It made the whole process a breeze,” explains Becky.

Thanks to French Grey Photography for the stunning photos!

Becky, 34 & Sean, 32

Location: Paris, France

Wedding date: September 1, 2015

Number of guests: None

Wedding cost: $8,500 (not including air travel & wedding attire)

Wedding ceremony location: The terrace of our hotel room at the Shangri-La Paris

Wedding reception location: same

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

When discussing what we would want in a wedding, we both agreed that we would want something smaller and more intimate. However, we knew it would be almost impossible to narrow down the guest list without leaving out many family and friends. When the idea of elopement came up, we both became very excited about it. The relaxed and simple nature of it all was very appealing to us.

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

To be honest, it was far simpler than we would have imagined. Intimate Weddings was very helpful to us. It allowed us to view many real weddings and elopements in Paris, as well as providing information on local vendors. That is how we found French Grey Photography & Events. After viewing Brian’s beautiful photographs and Kasia’s tasteful wedding planning services, we knew it would be a wonderful fit. Their website made it easy to choose the perfect wedding package for us. It was great to find everything we were looking for in one vendor, including flowers, hair and makeup, photography, and car service. It made the whole process a breeze.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

The difficulty in paring down the guest list was what led us to deciding to elope. And in deciding for it to be just the two of us and keeping it as a surprise, we felt that no one would feel left out.

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

We honestly did not have any issues. We kept our elopement a surprise and shared the news with our family and friends when we returned home. Our family and some friends initially seemed a little disappointed that they didn’t get to be there, but ultimately have told us they feel that what we did was perfect for us.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

The relaxed and intimate atmosphere because it was just the two of us. While researching where to have our ceremony, we found that many venues (whether private gardens or small chapels) would cost over $2000 (USD) to reserve. So instead we decided to upgrade our hotel room for that day to a room with a terrace. The terrace, which had a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower, served as our ceremony and reception site. It made the day so easy and enjoyable having everything in one location. The ceremony felt so intimate and pressure-free. It alleviated any usual worries of messing up our vows or details not being perfect because it was just us. And the champagne toast was pretty fun, too!

What were the highlights of the reception?

After our ceremony, we were driven around Paris in a beautiful vintage car with a very charming driver to take photographs all over the city. We then returned to our hotel and had a tasting menu served on our terrace. We both really love good food and the meal was amazing. We played music and danced in between courses and then ended the night sipping champagne on the terrace and enjoying the view of the hourly light shows of the Eiffel Tower.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

Overall, the stress-free nature of the entire process. Our photographer and wedding planner made the process of planning our elopement from abroad so simple. We emailed back and forth a few times and Kasia even went to the hotel where we were planning to stay to talk to their wedding planner about ceremony site options. And since it was just the two of us, we were thoroughly able to enjoy the day. The opportunity to go all over Paris and take amazing photographs (in the garden, at a cafe, down by the Seine) was truly wonderful and we were really able to enjoy every moment of it!