We’re seeing more and more couples book a photographer to capture professional images on their honeymoon and we are absolutely loving it! Whether you hire your wedding photographer to join you on part of your honeymoon adventure or you hire a local photographer, it’s never a bad idea to capture memories of your first trip as a married couple. They will be keepsakes you will cherish forever. If you’re looking for that sign to book a honeymoon photographer, let this blog post inspire your “yes”!
Why did you hire a photographer for your honeymoon?
We actually didn’t! Randomly enough, we met our photographer, Lauren Pippin in line at the Denver airport. We continued our conversation on instagram once she saw our wedding sneak peeks photos posted from wedding ceremony photographer, Macy Frances. She asked if we wanted to join her for a honeymoon photoshoot around Paris and the Eiffel Tower. 12 hours later, we were skipping around the 7e arrondissement and snapping pictures with Lauren and her husband. It was SO much fun and so spontaneous; the pictures came out insanely good!! I do encourage all couples to get honeymoon photos though, we are so happy we did it and now we have them forever!
Tell us about your honeymoon!
We went into our honeymoon without planning too much. We knew we wanted to relax, explore and eat amazing food! We explored a new neighborhood every day and visited our favorites numerous times. We added some museums to our agenda, partnered with some nice dinners and lunches. We did need reservations in advance on some nights for the more popular restaurants, though. Honestly, that was all we had planned! We wanted to keep the days open ended so we could stroll and shop and to pop into cafes anytime we wanted for an afternoon pick me up. It was so nice to not feel pressure on timing or have to run out of the hotel room to keep to an itinerary, especially after the wedding. We could relax, sleep in and go at our pace. We lucked out with gorgeous weather so most afternoons we were found outside street side at a cafe, in the Tuileries Garden by our hotel, or sitting along the Seine. It was amazing.
Did you leave immediately after your wedding? Delayed honeymoon?
We left the day after our wedding in the evening which gave us time to meet back up with friends, recap and recover for a little bit. It was a great decision!
Why Paris?
Why not! It’s the city of love, with absolutely gorgeous architecture and amazing food and lots of things to do. You can’t go wrong! The city is full of history and with truly so much to explore. It’s so easy to fill an entire week’s itinerary with things to do. The lifestyle and pace there is so easy to get sucked into, the fashion is iconic and exploring all the different neighborhoods and city squares was our favorite thing to do.
What hotels did you stay at? Which were your favorite and why!
We stayed at the Hotel Regina in a suite with Eiffel Tower views all week. It was truly a splurge and honestly so worth it. We felt so taken care of, safe and very pampered. Highly recommend as it is very central to everything.
Top 3 activities you did on your honeymoon!
Dinner cruise on the Seine – absolutely SO worth it. The boat company was “Ducasse sur Seine” and can’t I recommend more. It felt like we were eating Michelin Star rated food; each of the 5 courses was very gourmet. It was truly spectacular and to see the architecture and the sights along the river, especially as the sun went down. It was so beautiful! The cruises ended right at the Eiffel Tower, so we were able to take some amazing pictures with everything lit up.
Museums/Learning History – Paris is a deeply historic city that has world famous monuments and museums. We made sure to visit The Louvre and Versailles, as well as many of the famous city squares. Place du Tertre in Monmartre was a personal favorite of ours. It was very easy to take in the history and the architecture of the city by simply walking around or renting scooters. Immersing yourself in the history and art of such a famous and beautiful city was such a great way to learn and appreciate it so much more!
Explore – The best part of the honeymoon was to explore the city, the neighborhoods, the gardens and parks, and take everything in! We got lost so many times just wondering around and going down random streets and alleys. We walked EVERYWHERE and every corner I caught myself saying “WOW this street is so cute!”.
Top 3 places you ate!
Le Bon George – A super cute, rustic restaurant with very close tables, felt like I was back in NYC. They serve traditional French cuisine with changing menus and the wine “bible” was to die for. The staff was super attentive and helpful in helping translating the menu and o offer help when needed. Exceptional restaurant, must go!
Angelina Paris – This might be super touristy of us, but honestly the food and pastries were to die for! This is obviously a must do that should be on everyone’s list, but the food was divine. We went for breakfast and have had the fanciest avocado toast I’ve ever seen as well as an omelet that melted in your mouth. The breakfast platter also came with pastries and toast. We also got the Monte Blanc and WOW, best pastry ever.
Girafe Restaurant – This iconic restaurant that overlooks the Eiffel tower. It is on the pricier side as you are paying for the view, but I would drop stacks on it over and over. To match the view, the food and staff were outstanding. We ate a light lunch and grabbed some cocktails that were so yummy and well made. We order the oysters from Normandy and the shrimp that were caught in Madagascar. Insanely delicious, gourmet food. Highly recommend for a special occasion/splurge meal.
Tip for future couples planning their honeymoon
My biggest advice with planning your honeymoon is go somewhere where YOU want to go to. I feel like a honeymoon is such a hyped up type of vacation where you need to go somewhere crazy exotic thats super expensive in the middle of the jungle for 3 weeks and make it like a “once in a lifetime” trip. So untrue! Don’t feel pressure and do what the couple wants! Go somewhere you’ve already been, go to a new city in the US, do an adventure, visit a beach, visit 1 place, visit 10, but don’t feel pressure to put so much thought into something extravagant. You are planning a wedding and adding a fully planned vacation on top of that is so overwhelming. Plus, you will have a lifetime of “bucket list” trips ahead of you! This trip should be about relaxing with your new spouse and making special memories together.
Any packing tips? Must-have items to pack on your honeymoon!
Bring diverse clothing, you never know when the weather can change! It was also really nice to have a wardrobe change before dinner. Gives you a nice little break to rest your feet and to shower before you head out to eat.
Bring comfortable shoes, not every day needs to be a runway!
I always pack my own hairdryer because its really good and cuts down dry time instead of risking it with what the hotel has.
Leave extra space because you will definitely buy souvenirs and more items!
Research in advance ways to/from the airport, transportation methods in that area and book/pay in advance. This guarantees your spot for whatever you need.
Have everything you need at the ready; passport, ID, Covid vax card, be prepared to whip it out and move fast!
Pack a small bag in your carry on for overnight flights where you can take out of bag with you into the bathroom and have everything u need for a “decent” nights rest. See our blog “How to Prep for a Long Flight Abroad” for more tips!
Bring snacks!!! We flew Air France and honestly the staff was amazing, but the food was not. We didn’t love the options we were given and were so hungry during the entire flight.
Order foreign currency at your local bank branch ahead of your trip if you think you’ll need cash on hand. You will get a better rate than if you were to exchange at the airport. Also, if you are visiting a city like Paris, you can pay with credit card everywhere so there really isn’t a need to get cash in the first place!
