This Couple Had a Fabulously Fashionable Elopement at The Ritz-Paris
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Luxury Paris elopements are the stuff of modern fairytales, so it’s no wonder that this trend has been catching fire among the effortlessly chic and hopelessly romantic. Why? Because they blend the allure of the City of Love with an intimate, bespoke wedding experience that’s as unique as the couples themselves. Imagine saying your “I do’s” with the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the background or sharing your first kiss as a married couple along the picturesque Seine—these are moments that redefine wedding goals. Plus, for the cool girl who values experience over extravagance (but still wants a touch of luxe), eloping in Paris means crafting a day that’s all about you, without the fuss of traditional nuptials. We LOVE today’s featured wedding of Rachel and Thomas, perfectly narrated by the bride herself.
HOW THEY MET
“Thomas and I met at one of our best friends’ 30th Birthday celebration. We briefly connected that night and loosely stayed in touch. A month later we went out to lunch (at a “French” restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota) right before Thomas left for a snowboarding trip. A few days later Thomas called me and asked if I’d be willing to fly out to Vail, Colorado to join him on his vacation. I was on the next flight to Vail and the rest is history. We spent a wonderful seven years together traveling, eating, and enjoying our lives together.” – Rachel, Bride
THE PROPOSAL
“I don’t think either of us thought we’d ever get married, but in January of 2022, we were at Hotel Esencia (Tulum, Mexico – absolutely amazing hotel and my favorite place to stay in Mexico IG: @hotelesencia) celebrating Thomas’s birthday. At 11:59 pm the night before his birthday we were in our hotel room listening to music and all of a sudden Thomas asked me “You know what the best birthday present ever would be? *PULLS OUT GOLD BAND RING* You!” and he asked me to marry him. Two days later we were celebrating our engagement (and his birthday) with 40 of our friends.” – Rachel, Bride
“The few times marriage came up between Thomas and me, I always told him if he ever proposed all I wanted was a simple gold band because I always knew that if I was going to wear a ring every day, I wanted to be the one to pick it out. He listened, and it was perfect. Now comes Filigree Jewelers. They are a boutique jewelry store in Minneapolis, Minnesota specializing in vintage, antique, and custom jewelry. I discovered them in 2017 when a gorgeous tourmaline ring caught my eye. I didn’t bring that ring home (one of their lovely clients got it as a milestone anniversary gift) but it marked the beginning of my and Thomas’s relationship with the shop. Brent and Catherine are married and are the shop owners. Catherine shares a love of big stones with me and Brent loves creating custom jewelry and talking about all things watches with Thomas.
They helped Thomas design my simple gold engagement band, and I knew they would be the ones to help me design my wedding ring. I hadn’t planned on designing it when I did, but we were in the area for lunch one day, so we decided to stop in and say hello to everyone. When I walked in I immediately saw the most beautiful Tourmaline I had ever seen in the store. I barely had to ask; they knew exactly what I wanted to try on. It was simply set on its own, and while the stone speaks for itself, I knew wanted something more for my wedding ring. I asked Brent if we could take it out of its current setting and design something more “me.” A few days later I was in the shop brainstorming, and a few days after that, the final layout was sent my way for approval. A few weeks later my beautiful wedding ring arrived.
While some girls are all about the dress, my attention was always on my gorgeous ring. The day went perfectly, and I feel like we were wrapped up in ourselves. We had fun listening to music and dancing while getting ready.“
WHY PARIS?
“I have always had a love affair with Paris and The Ritz-Paris, so it was a no-brainer that I wanted to elope there. It is the city of love after all! The city’s architecture, from grand boulevards to cobblestone alleys, provided a picturesque backdrop for our perfectly intimate ceremony. As far as The Ritz goes, it’s very hard to put into words the feeling that simply staying there brings me. But the hotel truly embodies an elegance, romance, and timelessness that no other place in the city can match and that is exactly what I wanted for our special day.”
THE CEREMONY & RECEPTION
“We experienced the most beautiful ceremony at the Louvre (OMG! Although a tour guide got in our way right when we were about to start which made for a funny memorable moment!). Thomas had the best old-fashioned I’ve ever had, and you should’ve seen how the bartenders made it! We took beautiful pictures and ended the day with a delicious meal and our very own private concert in a gorgeous room at my favorite spot in Paris, The Ritz-Paris.”