Back in April we flew to Paris to meet with our wedding coordinator, go over details with vendors, taste the menu choices with the caterer, and find the perfect pâtisserie to fill our dessert table. I had a hair and makeup trial scheduled with the uber talented Harold James, and thought it would be fun to do engagement photos with our Paris-based photographer, Greg Finck.

Greg suggested we start at the Palais Royal, one of my favorite places in Paris. (If you go there, get your butt over to Café Kitsuné). The weather report predicted lightening and thunderstorms between 4 and 6pm, but the clouds parted and made way for a golden afternoon.

I went for a more sultry hair and makeup look, accentuating my eyes and dark features. This was my first time with false eyelashes and I think I liked them a lot more than I expected. Both the dress and shoes I’ve had for several years, but thought they worked nicely with the setting and  J’s black suit.

Finished at the Palais Royal, we then hopped into an Uber van with the photographer and our wedding coordinator, Coralie (who by the way is amazing), and headed to our next location: the Pont de Bir-Hakeim.

The bridge is a very popular location for tourists. It has a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower, it’s been in a ton of movies, and it’s a great backdrop for photographs. There were quite a few shoots going on (the afternoon lighting was gorgeous), including a bride in full wedding garb who climbed into some flower beds for photos. It took some time to avoid rollerbladers and pedestrians, but our photographer managed to get only the two of us in the photos. Seriously challenging, considering he uses film and had no way of knowing how the photos looked before processing.

The weeks before our trip, there was a little resistance from my male counterpart (who hates having his photo taken). But after pointing out the serious lack of photos we have of the two of us together, he came around. I’m glad he did because we ended up having a lot of fun!

Thank you to our fabulous photographer, I will cherish these pictures forever!

Dress by Tibi, similar here; shoes by J.Crew, similar here. Suit by Hugo Boss.

Photography: Greg Finck

Hair & Makeup: Harold James

Coordination: Loli Events