Rain is inevitable in Paris. But, I daresay it makes the city even more magical. More romantic. More real, in some ways, even. But it sure can mess up your plans for shooting when it pours down in true Paris style. Luckily, on this particular day, the rain provided us with some dreamy overcast light, and a chance to make the most of our picture-perfect home for the week (a.k.a. the fanciest place I have ever stayed before and the dreamiest Parisian apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower). Yes, I fell asleep every night watching it twinkle outside my window like a night light!

Before I photograph a wedding, I always discuss the importance of the getting ready space with my brides. The best thing to do is to choose a space that is clean, free of clutter, and full of natural light–and for the rest of the foreseeable future, the room photographed below will always be what comes to my mind when I envision the prime example of this space.

Which Disney princess is it that looks out at the Eiffel Tower right before she bursts into song? Is that not a thing? Should be.

Sigh. I dream about these shoes.

The 7th Arrondissement is one of my favorite areas in Paris. It is within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower and is full of lots of local, delicious restaurants and other cute shops. It is also surrounded by some of the most picturesque streets in the the city, truly characteristic of Paris, like this one.

Before the rain started, we had this street almost entirely to ourselves. Empty streets are hard to come by in the city!

I did say almost entirely to ourselves, didn’t I?

I don’t quite know what it is about these, but they sneak up on me. It’s like I forget how much I love them until I look at them and I can almost feel the breath leave my lungs. It’s crazy that the ability to create and capture such beauty is so readily at my fingertips.