Paris, France. The city of love. The city where I became Mrs. Love.
Disclaimer: This will probably be my longest entry, but it is stuffed with LOADS of information. Feel free to skip to what interests you or grab a seat and browse the entire thing.
When my husband proposed he already had the date set and the venue picked out. All I had to do was plan an international destination wedding- No biggie right??
He proposed in March of 2021 so that left a little less than a year to plan. Over the course of that year I spent HOURS scouring the internet for all things Parisian travel related.
I read stacks of books, watched hundreds of YouTube videos and TripAdvisor was basically my browser’s home page. This is a VERY shorthand version of the trip and probably skips more than it mentions, but let me share a few pieces.
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I wanted to experience every bit of Paris I could while we were visiting so I booked 3 hotels in 3 different arrondissements for the duration of our stay.
HOTEL #1 – Hotel Le Derby Alma , Located in the 7th Arrondissement
The 7th arrondissement was the perfect place to start our trip because it is home to some of the biggest landmarks and museums Paris has to offer. This location puts you within walking distance of those landmarks and plenty of street cafes and shops.
This hotel had the friendliest staff and the best location of the three hotels we stayed at.
HOTEL #2 – Sonder Atala Champs-Élysées , Located in the 8th Arrondissement
The second hotel offered a more intimate stay because it is tucked away in a quieter part of town with stunning views.
I loved this hotel because it had beautiful views and provided some of my favorite moments. The night before my family flew back home we were all able to sit on the balcony talking until 3 in the morning while looking at the Eiffel Tower in the background. I also said my vows at this hotel. We wanted a private moment to exchange vows and opted to do a first look/ vow exchange in the garden rather than at the ceremony.
HOTEL #3 – Hotel Trinité Haussmann , Located in the 9th Arrondissement
The last hotel was in the 9th arrondissement. I chose this location for two main reasons; First, it put us back within walking distance for numerous shops, restaurants and landmarks to finish out the trip. However, this arrondissement has more of a local neighborhood feel that we may not have been ready to hop into fresh from the plane. Second, it was near Gare du Nord train station. I planned a surprise trip to Amsterdam in the middle of our stay and wanted to be close for departure.
Some of the best pasta we had during the trip came from nights when we just walked around the streets in this arrondissement. There were street markets filled with breads, meats and cheeses and shops with sweets and wines all throughout this area. It also has the Moulin Rouge and Galeries Lafayette mall within walking distance.
We had access to a flood of different flavors in Paris. We tried French food, Parisian street food, and cuisines from all around the world. The charcuterie boards are unmatched, the fresh bread is phenomenal, and the variety available was amazing.
Now, I’ll be completely honest. The further we got away from the Eiffel Tower, the better the food got. It was very overpriced for what was served and the flavors were a little bland near the Eiffel Tower. However, don’t let that deter you from eating near the more touristy parts of town. We were still able to grab delicious dinners, just on a hit and miss basis.
For our wedding reception I reached out to a restaurant named BON. We ended up working with them to create a menu for our reception that allowed each guest to have a 4 -5 course meal. I didn’t get great pictures of everything because this whole day was a whirlwind but here are the menu options we selected and the few pictures I did get.
| – Starters – | – Entrees – | – Sides – | – Desserts – |
|---|---|---|---|
• Mixed Dim Sum: 2 Peking Duck ,2 Kung Pao Chicken, 2 Ha Kao Shrimp __________ • New Style Salmon __________ • Semi-cooked Tuna in sesame and basil __________ • Papaya and Shrimp Salad | • Tigers Tears: Filet of beef marinated, grilled and thinly sliced. __________ • Black Cod c’est BON: Cod marinated in a soy sauce, sweetened in sake vinegar and caramelized __________ • Salt & Pepper Prawns | • Laos Rice with shrimps and herbs __________ • Rice in Lotus leaf __________ • Steamed vegetables, ginger, and coriander | • Profiteroles Bon Ty – chocolate, vanilla, coffee __________ • Red fruits, meringue, whipped cream __________ • Coconut soup w/ fresh mango and passion |
I was able to try EVERYTHING on the menu. That’s right, every single item. They were all so delicious but my favorites from each category were the tuna, black cod, Laos rice and coconut soup.
Bon also provided a traditional French wedding cake for me!
Most of our outings were booked through Viator or Airbnb. I could write a completely separate post to detail why I love these two sites for bookings. If you aren’t booking (or at least looking) here….you should be.
• Visited the Eiffel Tower
• Took a Siene River cruise to see all the sights by water
• Walked the Paris streets, sampling foods and wines along the way
• Sat on cafe patios and people watched while enjoying a meal
• Ordered a charcuterie board every opportunity we came across
• Took a class and made perfume- My wedding signature scent
• Watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night
• Caught a high speed train to Amsterdam
• Accidentally learned how to navigate the subway/metro system
• Spent 5 hours in the Louve
• Walked down the aisle to a violin cover of Cold Play- Yellow
• Left a lock with our names and wedding date
• Learned I am NOT a fan of Aperol Spritz
• Found a local bar that took us in like family
• Shopped the Galeries Lafayette
• Had the best cake of my life from a bakery in the 4th arrondissement called Bontemps.
• Took a city tour in a vintage traction car for wedding photos
While my wedding was everything I could have imagined if I re-did my Paris trip I would flip flop my European destinations. I enjoyed Paris but the 2 days we spent in the Netherlands left me wanting more. I would stay there and take the train to visit Paris.
I would also love to see more of the 4th arrondissement. We found this hot spot on our last full day and didn’t get to explore completely but it had a much younger vibe. There was a street art fair going on when we passed through. Busy streets with kids playing soccer, street performers, and some of the most addictive food we found came from the 4th.
Easy Ice Box Pie
Breakfast Berry Bread Pudding
