Paris has always been known for being one of the most romantic cities in the world. And this elopement only solidifies that standing even more!
Kara and Nick met in college at Indiana University (my alumni! Go Hoosiers!) and once engaged decided to turn their European trip into a wedding adventure as well and elope in Paris!
They woke early in the morning to avoid the crowds and said their I do’s with the Eiffel Tower behind them. They explored the city a bit for photos, with a stop at the Louvre and a champagne toast!
Scroll down for gorgeous photos and some Q&A from the couple!
Photography: Paris Photographer Pierre Torset
Officiant: The Paris Officiant
Location: Eiffel Tower
Wedding Dress: BHLDN
Ring Designer: Zales
Shoes: Johnson and Murphy
Groom’s Attire : Indochino
How did you meet?
We met in college at Indiana University. My best friend was dating Nick’s roommate so we were always at the same parties and had mutual friends. ( My best friend didn’t want us to date because she thought it would be awkward if we broke up. lol ) We started dating senior year of college (2009) and after just a few months we were inseparable and moved in together after 6 months of dating.
Tell us the proposal story.
Nick was very romantic with the proposal. I had picked out the ring but had no idea he had bought it or when we were getting engaged. He said he wanted to do something spontaneous tonight and go out for a fancy meal and get a hotel just for the fun of it, I was excited but still had no idea. We get to the hotel in downtown Indianapolis, IN (where we live) and he had the room all set up with tons of picture frames of us thru the years, rose pedals on the bed, 2 dozen roses, champagne, cheese, chocolates and “our song” was playing on repeat! It was the cutest thing I have ever seen! Then he got on one knee and told me how much he loved me and asked me to marry him. I was so excited and happy I just started laughing and he had to ask me 2 more times but of course I said YES!!!! Then we called all our close friends and family and went out to our favorite restaurant in Indianapolis to celebrate. It was the most perfect night!
How did you decide on the location?
I knew we wanted to go on a big 2 week long trip for our honeymoon so we thought why not just get married there. We are big foodies and knew we wanted to visit cities with great food and wine! We had debated California wine country vs Europe but Europe was a clear winner. Paris was #1 place to visit for both of us, so that made that easy. My sister recently moved to Amsterdam so we knew we wanted to visit her and then we wanted a little bit of beach time so that’s how we chose Barcelona for the honeymoon. We really had a trip of a lifetime!!
How did you decide to elope vs. have a more traditional wedding? How was the planning process?
The most important thing for me on our wedding day was I wanted it to be really romantic and intimate, just us two. I never wanted a big wedding or the stress that comes with planning one. I wanted something unique and effortless. I knew that since it was going to be just us two we would need an amazing photographer so I did a lot of research on blogs, pinterest and yelp and Pierre’s name kept showing up on all of my favorite pics. I figured he would be out of our price range but figured it doesn’t hurt to email and I’m so glad we did!! It was the best decision we made. He was beyond helpful and made everything so easy and stress free and the fact that his wife Laura is the officiant made it all that much easier. Not to mention how unbelievably talented he is at photography. We are absolutely in love with all of our photos and couldn’t be happier.
What was your favorite part of the day?
I think the most special part of our wedding day was being in Paris! We had never been to Europe before and were so excited to experience it together. We loved everything about Paris and its beauty was the perfect backdrop for our romantic wedding day.
Do you have any advice for other couples planning their elopements?
Get married bright and early before all the crowds come out, we were hesitant at first but so glad we did it made the wedding ceremony so intimate and perfect! Also, try not to be too stressed and enjoy the day & drink some champagne!!
