A Paris Elopement
A Story away from Cliches and Souvenir Shops
Be inspired by a cool wedding editorial in Paris, featuring vintage veils, a textural bouquet, and the picturesque streets of the city of love.
There’s a version of getting married in Paris that most people never see.
Not the one that rushes from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre with a checklist and a tight timeline.
Not the one built for an audience. But something quieter. A morning that begins slowly.
Coffee in a small café before the city fully wakes up. Walking without a plan.
This is where Paris elopements and intimate weddings begin to feel like something else entirely — not just beautiful, but honest.
With the beautiful Parisian architectural backdrop, Victoria van den Hoven wanted to celebrate a relaxed, yet style-led wedding elopement. The creative team roamed around the picturesque streets, admiring the cool corners of s city often devalued by cliches - mirroring how Victoria van den Hoven loves to spend her wedding days with real couples.
Using modular pieces from Lulu Mix & Match, artisanal jewelry by Mia Korotaev and shoes by Malone Souliers, styled by the photographer, the bridal look was kept fun with a hint of je ne sais quoi. Combining the effortless style of an elopement wedding with the artistic non-chalant vibes of the Pigalle district of Paris, and the modern elegance of Hotel Rochechouart was the perfect pairing for this relaxed day.
A Paris elopement often unfolds more like this:
You get ready slowly, maybe in a small apartment with light pouring through tall windows
You meet each other without an audience
You walk through the city — not to anything, just through it
You exchange vows somewhere that feels right in the moment
You sit down for a long lunch or dinner, without watching the clock
There’s no need to fill every minute.
And because of that, the moments that happen actually stay with you.
You can:
Host a dinner in a small restaurant where everyone actually talks to each other
Spend real time with each guest instead of moving from table to table
Let the day breathe instead of compressing it into a strict timeline
There’s a kind of luxury in that — not the obvious kind, but the kind that comes from not having to rush.
If you give it time, it gives something back:
Early mornings where the streets feel almost empty
Soft, changing light that makes even ordinary corners feel cinematic
Spaces that don’t need decoration — they already carry history and texture
You don’t need to build an atmosphere here.
You step into one that already exists.
A Different Approach to Photography
For this kind of wedding, photography has to work differently too.
It’s not about directing every moment.
It’s not about recreating something you’ve seen before.
It’s about paying attention.
Noticing when you reach for each other without thinking
Letting moments unfold instead of interrupting them
Knowing when to step in gently — and when to step back completely
The goal isn’t to make the day look perfect.
It’s to let it feel like yours, and to document it in a way that still feels true years later.
Small Weddings in Paris Feel Different — In a Good Way
If you bring people with you, the dynamic changes — but in a way that makes things easier, not more complicated.
There’s time to actually talk.
Time to sit down together.
Time where nothing is happening, and that’s completely fine.
I’ve seen couples have dinner that lasts hours because no one wants to leave the table. I’ve seen speeches happen spontaneously, halfway through dessert. I’ve seen plans quietly disappear because something better unfolded.
You don’t need a packed timeline to make a wedding meaningful.
You just need the right people, and enough space for the day to breathe.
The City Does a Lot of the Work for You
Paris has texture built into it.
The worn stone. The uneven streets. The way the light hits buildings in the late afternoon and turns everything softer.
You don’t need to decorate anything. You don’t need to create a setting.
It’s already there.
What matters more is how you move through it.
If you rush, it feels like any other busy city.
If you slow down, it starts to open up.
If You’re Thinking About It
You don’t need a perfect plan to get married in Paris.
You don’t need to do it right.
You just need to decide what actually matters to you — and be honest about that.
For some couples, that still means a big wedding, and that’s a beautiful thing.
For others, it looks like this:
A city.
A day without pressure.
And the freedom to experience it in your own way.
If you’re considering a Paris elopement or a small wedding in France and want it to feel like something real — not staged, not rushed — you can reach out anytime. I’m always happy to talk things through, even if you’re still figuring it out.