Anyone who knows me knows I love Paris. Any chance I get I try and find a way there, even in the Winter. When I tell people I try and travel there at least once a year, people look at me like “how can you do that?!” It’s honesty a lot easier than you would think! Flights are easy to find, especially in off peak months (never go in August because the whole town is on vacation). I like using Scott’s Cheap Flights or Skyscanner.

I have to say, planning an intimate elopement in Paris is much easier than you would think. The first step is finding a cute apartment on Airbnb. You want to find something with a lot of window light, maybe even something that has a balcony or overlooks the Eiffel Tower.

Next you’ll need to find a dress and accessories. Kara picked this dress with a cape that would cover her shoulders for warmth. It wasn’t supposed to snow the day of their elopement, but I think the cape actually helped keep her from freezing. If you don’t want to buy a dress, look at renting one. There are a lot of great places online that rent wedding dresses. Lael Rentals and Eleanors Bridal is just a couple I know and love.

I know there are many places to choose from when it comes to tuxedos, but you can’t go wrong with a black suit and bowtie, especially in Paris. I have worked with and highly recommend using The Black Tux. They have many options and great customer service. Remember my Ancient Spanish Monastery wedding I shot in May? We rented his burgundy suit from The Black Tux.

Next you can find a hair and makeup artist. If you love yours, which I do, you can fly them out or ask them for someone who they would recommend. Luckily Alisé loves to travel and she was also friends with Kara. Win-win in my book! Ask your hair and makeup artist what look they think would go with your dress. They should be able to do 2-3 looks for you and help you decide on your overall desired look for your big day.

The last thing would be to find a florist. When looking for florists, you wan’t to look at the range of bouquets and arrangements they can offer. If they only show tight, traditional bouquets, they may not be the best florist for you. Diversity is key! Yuki was absolutely incredible to work with. We showed her photos of what we wanted and she showed us some previous arrangements that she’d done that was really what we were looking for. And she also spoke English!

You should easily be able to plan an elopement for under 10k that will still be elegant and romantic without it looking like you’re on a budget. If you need help planning or need ideas on where to go, I would be more than happy to help! Just send me a message and we can start a chat. I love helping couple’s plan their elopement, especially in Paris!

The fabulous and amazingly talented Hair By Alisé helped with this elopement, along with Frankie and Maude and Yuki Yoshikawa.