Increasingly I work internationally for pre-wedding photography and destination weddings. Italy and France are favourites for pre-wedding and wedding photography, so I was delighted when Michelle contacted me to do a pre-wedding shoot in Paris. The time frame was going to be very tight with Michelle and her fiancé having only one day in Paris having flown half way across the world from Singapore to visit there and other destinations in Europe prior to their wedding. Add in to the mix unseasonably warm temperatures, jet lag and bright sunshine and it gives you a flavour of the challenges ahead! Michelle and ‘Jack’ had planned their day and opted for their own itinerary which took us around the streets of Paris and right over to Versailles (there is a whole other story about crossing Paris from Versailles in time for my flight that evening – at least Parisian security is slightly more sensible than the legendary Italian take on my camera gear which saved me a little bit of time!)
Meeting at Notre Dame I started with some pre-wedding photography shots of them along the Seine, before capturing some of my favourite shots around the Louvre – it’s a great place for reflections. The streets of Paris are always busy but I still found some quiet areas where they could just enjoy being together. The juxtaposition of Michelle’s brightly coloured parasol against the backdrop of the elegant architecture of Paris is fantastic and the café culture of the city provides ample opportunities for urban style shots. One area where I took particular advantage of the bright light was by taking Michelle and Jack under the arch of a bridge with Notre Dame in the background – the contrast of the darkness in the arch and bright light outside of the arch provided a perfect silhouette shot.
In many Eastern cultures the pre-wedding shoot will be done very much like a full wedding shoot with the bride wearing bridal dress. Michelle and Jack opted to do this. We had a short lunch and then Michelle had a change of dress ready for a pre-wedding photography shoot around Versailles. Although Versailles was exceptionally busy I did get some romantic pre-wedding photography shots of them around the gardens with the soft greens of the landscape taking the edge off the harsher afternoon light.
So what advice would I give to couples planning a wedding shoot in Paris? Here are a few of my own tips:
1. Be aware that Paris is ALWAYS busy!
2. Book well ahead whenever possible.
3. Trust your photographer to know the best locations to shoot – a good photographer will know when and where the best light, best backdrops etc are.
4. If you have your own itinerary that you want to do let your photographer know in plenty of time so that they can advise you on whether it will work.
5. Make the most of your day from a style point – destination pre-wedding photography is often in the most glamorous locations in the world so it’s a great excuse to dress up!
and finally above all enjoy the moment!
