Paris | France
Our Fairytale Engagement
Paris, the city of romance, beauty, and history. Oh, and crepes galor! Paris has a special place in our hearts being where our engagement took place. As the sun began to set and the Eiffel Tower lit up, Gregg dropped down on one knee and popped the question. Other than being the place where our forever adventure began, this city has so much to offer. It is full of culture, amazing cuisine, and even better wines. Fall in love with the Parisian culture as you get lost among the historical architecture, lovely gardens, and exhilarating people.
See The Proposal Here
Top Sights
- Eiffel Tower – Located at the tip of the Champ de Mars. Originally, it was never intended to stay, but due to it’s growing popularity, the iron tower is now a symbol of the city
- Notre-Dame Cathedral – Famous gothic architecture, recently suffered from a fire
- Musée du Louvre (Louvre Museum) – Find the Mona Lisa here
- Musée d’Orsay – Famous art French Impressionists, such as Monet, Van Gogh, and Manet are found here
- Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens) – Famous gardens created by Queen Marie of Medici in 1612
- Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Gardens) – A public garden that was used to celebrate after the end of the French Revolution
- Arc de Triomphe – Found at the top of Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle
- Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris) – A famous church located on the highest point in the city of religious, cultural, and political significance
- Palace of Versailles – Former residence of King Louis XIV
- Siene River – Cuts through the center of Paris. Famous landmarks and buildings are located along this romantic waterway
Accommodation
Paris is full of cute boutique hotels, luxury hotels, and more affordable Airbnb’s. There are plenty of options for all types of budgets. In our opinion, location is everything. Where you plan to spend the majority of your time should be kept in consideration. Originally we had planned to stay in an average priced Airbnb room, but Gregg surprised me with a nicer hotel to celebrate our engagement.
The Pullman Paris Eiffel Tower Hotel is the closest hotel to the Eiffel Tower. We had an amazing suite with a balcony that had a magnificent view of the tower. Needless to say, the selfies and bling photos were being taken nonstop.
The staff at the Pullman gave us a bit of special treatment for our engagement. They upgraded us to a suite at the end of the building, so we that had a better view of the tower. Late that night, we called room service and asked for a couple of glasses so we could pop our champagne bottle. Not only did the bring the champagne flutes, but they also brought berries, nuts and chocolate for us to snack on. Everyone was so thoughtful and excited for us. We really appreciated all of the subtle touches.
The suite itself was modern and extremely comfortable. Compared to our Airbnb bed, this bed was a dream. The hotel is known for its spectacular views of the tower, but the interior is exceptional as well. That rooms were elegant and classy. We had a large balcony with lounging chairs. We felt like we had the best view in the entire city! The bathroom was luxuriously designed with a large tub and powerful shower head. We were thankful to be in a hotel with central AC, since many Airbnb’s did not have the best AC units. The Pullman was a much needed relaxing, comfortable stay during our three week Europe tour. We took full advantage of the location and views. Each night we spent on our balcony, watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle every other hour. It was magical.
Thank you to the staff at the Pullman for making our engagement night so special. We appreciated all of the congratulations and love!
Food & Drink
Paris is known for its exquisite cuisine and wine culture. Many people are familiar with the wine and cheese stereotype. We are here to confirm these stereotypes. ALL of the food was absolutely delightful. From the breads and cheeses to the crepes and macaroons. We enjoyed each bite and every sip.
A few places really made an impact on us during our time in France. First and foremost, Le Petit Jacques was easily one of our top experiences that we had in Paris. We roamed around the streets surrounding the Luxembourg gardens in hopes of finding a local bakery where we could purchase bread and cheeses for a picnic. Amazingly, we ran into this adorable little shop on Rue Saint-Jacques, Le Petit Jacques. The shop was exactly what we were looking for. It was quaint, yet had everything we needed. We had a delightful experience meeting the two gentleman that ran the place. They talked to us for almost an hour, telling us about where their French meats and cheese came from.
One of the employees told us about his life growing up in Southern France. It was amazing to learn how they make their products. We told them about our Luxembourg picnic plan and they helped us get what we needed. They knew everything about their products and suggested this high quality ham, yum! We were able to sample pretty much anything. They paired us with some cheese and fruity sparkling wine. They even threw in a free loaf of bread. Our experience was very memorable and truly made a positive impact on our trip. Whoever says that the French are rude have never been to Le Petit Jacques!
Our next favorite foodie experience was at the family-owned La Crêperie Bretonne on Rue du Montparnasse. The bustling Montparnasse neighborhood is known for its shopping district and crêperies. It was difficult to choose one restaurant out of the crêperie-filled street, but we were happy to have stumbled upon this one! The restaurant was very cute and quite small. We loved that the atmosphere felt like home. Fortunately, we arrived right around opening hours, so we got a seat fast. However, the place filled up quickly! The crêpe menu was extensive with many options to select from. First, you have to decide whether to go with a sweet or savory crêpe. We went for the sweet crêpes.
I honestly can’t remember the name of the crêpes we got, but I can assure that you can’t go wrong with any option! We would highly recommend checking out this crêperie if you’re in the Montparnasse area.
One of our top choice fine dining restaurants was Les Ombres. Here, we could enjoy a nice meal with the best view of the Eiffel Tower. This restaurant had outdoor and indoor seating options, but preferred to sit outside with the least obstructed view of the tower. We sipped on a couple of refreshing cocktails on the patio and enjoyed the view. For the main course, we ordered the beef tenderloin. It was very moist and melted in your mouth. Also, the crêpe potatoes were a delicious side. Aside from the food and drinks, the service was also excellent. We loved dining in front of the magnificent iron lady. A top notch Parisian restaurant for sure!
The day after our proposal Gregg planned a surprise dinner in the Eiffel tower at 58 Eiffel. The restaurant is located on the second floor of the tower and circles the parameter. Each sitting area has view of the city. The gastronomic experience includes a 3-course meal and your choice of red, white, or rose wine. The food was spectacular and the views were hard to beat. It was a unique experience just being able to dine inside of the Eiffel Tower. The savory dishes were just a plus. The dinner menu starts at 86 € per person and costs about 125 € for a window seat. A little pricey, but it was worth the experience.
Overall, we were extremely satisfied with all of the restaurants and foods we tried. The service was good, but like most places in Europe, the atmosphere isn’t rushed like the in the United States. So, don’t expect to sit for a meal and be able to leave in 30 minutes. Also, service charges are included in the bill, but 10% for great service is the norm.
Top Things To Do
- Dinner in the Eiffel Tower
- See the Mona Lisa at the Louvre
- Visit the Musée d’Orsay
- Take a boat tour on the Seine River
- Have a picnic in the Luxembourg gardens
- Visit some of the many gardens
- Shopping in the Le Marais or Saint Germain district
- Eat crêpes in Montparnasse
- Visit the Versailles palace (or one of the many famous castles)
- Visit the Notre-Dame
- Try the wine & cheese
- Walk the Champ de Mars
- See the Arc de Triomphe
- Walk the Trocadéro gardens
- Leave your mark on the Ponts de Art bridge with a signed padlock
Getting Around
Paris is divided into twenty districts or arrondissements municipaux (administrative districts). Each arrondissement is organized in an outward spiral starting with the 1st arrondissement. The river Seine cuts roughly through the center of the spiral and borders many historical structures and museums. Be sure to book a river cruise tour! It’s one of the best ways to see the city.
Public transportation is controlled by RATP and includes the Métro, bus, tram, and RER train. We used the Métro and Uber rides mostly to get around. The Métro is the fastest and cheapest way of travel. For shorter distances, we suggest using Uber. Below is a map of the transport lines. Visit the RATP website for more details and to purchase tickets.
The proposal
We can’t reminisce on Paris without including the main highlight of the trip, our proposal. A huge shoutout to Kiss Me In Paris for creating the night of a lifetime. Our engagement photo shoot was perfect in every single way. Gregg hired a hidden photographer from the company for the proposal. Everything went just as planned and we received the most beautiful photos. We were so glad that we could share our experience with our loved ones from afar. The proposal was timed so that we were walking along the Siene river in front of the Eiffel Tower as it lit up during sunset. As the sun finally set, the tower sparkled in the dark, and so did my new rock! It was the most magical moment that we could have ever imagined.
After the proposal, we took photos around famous Paris landmarks with our photographer, Odrida, and her lighting crew. We took shots at Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge and around the Louvre pyramid and museum. Kiss Me In Paris did an amazing job making sure that our nighttime shots came out perfect. They were a little hesitant at first to do a sunset photo shoot, because their style is typically daytime shots, but they made it happen. We couldn’t have been more ecstatic! Odrida was extremely professional and creative. She had great ideas for poses and angles. It was nice that we didn’t have to think too hard about anything. We were able to live in the moment and let the photos be as candid as possible.
The next day, we received our original photos via email. We choose the photos that we wanted to be edited from the Pullman lobby computer. Within about 24 hours, we received the above proposal picture that we were able to announce and share with all of our friends and family. We were so grateful for the expedited process. Gregg was in touch with the staff for months and the communication, considering the time zone difference, was very smooth. We couldn’t have asked for a better engagement photoshoot experience. Absolutely a 5 star service from Kiss Me In Paris! Thank you to Odrida and the rest of the staff for making our special day an absolute dream come true.
