Outdoor elopement in Paris – 5 tips to face the weather

As celebrant in Paris I officiate your outdoor elopement in Paris all year round independent of the season and weather.

Sure, most couples decide for an outdoor elopement in Paris during the warmer season. Because they simply don’t want to freeze or have bad weather. As Paris officiant I officiate most outdoor elopements between late March and early October.

While it’s certainly true that temperatures are warmer in summer in Paris: The warmest months are July and August, followed by May, June and September. However the warmer season is no guarantee for good weather. Rain, storms or sudden temperature drops can happen anytime of the year in Paris. To get a rough idea about weather and temperatures for your outdoor elopement in Paris please check the following weather and temperature averages.

However you can’t take these for granted: Weather and temperatures in Paris are very hard to predict and can change very quickly. Sometimes we have autumn days that feel like summer and spring days that feel like winter. And sometimes we seem to have all kinds of weather in one day: Sunny morning, rainy noon, stormy afternoon and back to sun in the evening.

But no worries! With my following 5 tips to face the weather I got you covered for your outdoor elopement in Paris. No matter which season you are eloping in Paris and what weather will get.

1. Be prepared: Dress for the season

First and foremost: Choose wedding outfits that fit with the season of your wedding date. Check the link above to find weather and temperature averages to give you an idea what to expect. And then dress accordingly. There are beautiful bridal gowns for every season. Also accessories can make a difference. You really want to make sure to feel as comfortable as possible in order to enjoy your Paris elopement day to the fullest. If you freeze too much or feel too hot you won’t do yourself a huge favor.

Keep warm

If you elope in winter or fall make sure to choose a bridal gown that keeps you warm. For instance long sleeves or sleeves at all, long dresses, layered dresses, thicker material. Also wear “invisible” layers that keep you extra warm such as thighs.

Moreover add accessories that help you keep warm – and just look extra cute. My winter brides of wear for example fake fur stoles, bridal jackets or boleros made of fake fur or feather, bridal capes, chic gloves or even contrasting and custom made leather or jeans jackets.

PRO TIP: You can play with these accessories and don’t have to wear them all the time and for all the photos. However out of experience they are especially useful for your outdoor ceremony. Because during the ceremony you won’t move much for a while and may easier freeze than when you are moving around for photos. So put all you got on during the ceremony so that you can fully focus on your vows – and not on freezing. lol

Also choose your footwear well. Sandals are cute but your toes will quickly feel completely frozen. Rather choose high heels or flat that protect your feet to a minimum or why not bridal boots. Especially when you wear a long bridal gown because then we won’t see your shoes most of the time anyways.

Bring extra layers such as coat, scarf or even a blanket. These are just to keep warm on the way from your hotel to the ceremony location and also to warm up in between locations. You will take them off for the ceremony and photos.

The grooms among you usually aren’t challenged so much in winter. Because the traditional groom’s attire – tux or suit – usually consists of several layers and keeps you sufficiently warm. However on really cold days an extra coat or scarf can’t harm – even if you just use it to gentlemanly keep your bride warm. lol

Stay cool

When eloping in summer then you should try to keep cool by choosing the fitting attire. Choose a light bridal gown with thinner materials or even a short dress can work very well.

More importantly make sure to bring sun protection in all kinds for way: Apply sun screen and bring water to stay hydrated. Add some cute accessories that help you keep cool and sun protected such as a fan, parasol, sunglasses, etc.

Summer can be more challenging for grooms because of the many layers you usually wear if dressed in traditional attire. In this case make sure that you wear a nice shirt under your blazer, maybe a special tie or why not suspenders. So when you take your jacket off here and there it won’t look uncompleted. Also consider light colors for instance a suit in tan beige hues. You won’t feel as hot as in a black suit when standing in the sun.

PRO TIP: Most outdoor elopements in Paris take place at sunrise. Temperatures can still be cool in the early morning hours even on summer days. So bringing a light scarf or jacket is never a bad idea to keep warm until the sun is up.

2. Be flexible: have a backup plan

Whatever the season there is always a chance of bad weather on your wedding day. As your Paris officiant I always keep an eye on the weather forecast. So if we realize that the weather may be bad on your wedding day we can create a backup plan just in case. And there are several things we can do:

I know a few covered and protected outdoor ceremony locations in Paris. So even if it starts raining we could switch to one of these alternative locations to have the ceremony and Paris elopement photos at that covered location. Of course it won’t be your favorite location anymore but you also won’t get wet. (lol)

If it looks like that the weather will be too terrible on your elopement day (e.g. heavy rain, storm) we could also try to reschedule your outdoor elopement in Paris and schedule your ceremony for instance later in the day, the day before or after – depending on the weather forecast and availability. This may be a bit harder as we need to find a new date or time when you and all your vendors are available.

PRO TIP: Especially if you elope in Paris during the colder season I also always recommend to ask your hotel whether they have a room that you could use for your ceremony just in case. It can feel very reassuring to know that there is not only a covered but also indoor location that you could use for your ceremony just in case.

3. Keep your outdoor elopement in Paris small

Eloping originally means running away just the two of you to secretly get married. Clearly the meaning has changed a bit nowadays: The elopement rarely is a secret. Also my couples do not always celebrate alone. Sometimes they bring their parents or siblings or closest friends.

However it is really key to keep it intimate and the size of your group small. Because most elopements I officiate as Paris clebrant are outdoor elopements in Paris taking place at a public locations. And that comes with different challenges than a traditional wedding in a private venue. One of these challenges is the weather.

(If you want to read more about the difference between weddings and elopements in Paris and which event would be the right fit for you hop over to my blogpost about wedding elopements)

I already mentioned above how we are usually dealing with bad weather situations: Changing the ceremony location to a covered spot or changing the date/ time.

Advantages of intimate outdoor elopements in Paris

Changing the ceremony location: We can only switch to a covered location if your group is fairly small. There are not many public covered locations in Paris that we can use. And the existing ones are not very spacey – especially if you want a view on the Eiffel Tower. So if it’s just the two of you we won’t have any issues at all. The more guests you bring the more complicated it gets and the less choice you’ll have for a backup location.

Changing the date/ time: Sometimes (even if very rare!) we need to change your date or time of the ceremony due to terrible weather conditions. If it’s just the two of you and your vendors we usually find a way. However if you have many guests joining you then this can become pretty complicated.

I once officiated the ceremony of a couple eloping with quite some guests. As we got closer to their date we realized that on their elopement date the weather forecast predicted high risk of rain. However they were not able to change the date anymore because some guests would have already left Paris on our backup dates. Also their group was just too large – there was no way to find a public covered location that would have protected them all. So in the end the only thing we could do was: hope and pray! It worked in their case – the weather cooperated in the end. But the couple was extremely stressed and worried the days prior. So you rather not challenge your luck too much and safe yourself this nerve racking situation! Eloping is already exciting enough without the extra thrill! lol

4. Expect the unexpected

Even with the best possible preparation we won’t have control on everything. And it may happen that something won’t go according to plan.

For instance the weather forecast may look fine but then we still experience an unexpected rain shower that we did not see coming. In this case it’s just best to go with the flow. There is nothing we can do about it, so just let it rain! Or better take out your umbrellas and dance in the rain. Believe me this is going to create a fun story to tell and super romantic pictures.

But not only the weather can just happen to us. Paris is a busy and vivid city and there are always things going on that we may not know about before.

Even if we choose a quiet spot in the early morning it still can happen that a group of passersby is showing up unexpectedly and watching. It’s a free city and everybody can be where they want when they want – so there is not much we can do about it.

Also it already happened to me that the ceremony location that I had chosen with my couple was blocked due to a film shoot. (There are many of them happening in Paris but no way to find out when and where). We had to switch location. Also sometimes construction or gardening works are blocking the location or a construction crane is in the background.

Don’t worry, this happens very rarely. But it can happen! In this case we have to improvise and spontaneously create a plan B. So far we always managed to still have a beautiful location and moment for your ceremony. It even happened to me that we actually chose a location in the end that we all liked a lot more than the original location.

So first don’t worry, I got you! As your Paris officiant I know so many gorgeous places, we’ll find a way and place that you’ll like in the end.

So in these cases it’s just best to roll with the punches. But honestly, that’s also part of the fun of having an outdoor elopement in Paris. Because the best and most romantic adventures are the ones that embrace the unexpected and leave room for surprises.

Vendors of these outdoor elopement in Paris:

Photographer: Photographer in Paris Pierre Torset, Through the Glass, Madalina Sheldon, Timeless Paris photographer, Paris photographers TPP, L’Amour de Paris, Oliver Fly, Paris Videographer
Celebrant: The Paris Officiant