Wedding at the Ritz Paris: a photographer’s guide
The palace of Place Vendôme, its Grand Jardin and its salons, by the photographer who has worked there
By Marion Pinel, destination wedding photographer · Updated
The Ritz Paris is the palace hotel of Place Vendôme, opened in 1898 by César Ritz behind a façade designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. For weddings it offers the Grand Jardin, a formal garden of about 500 m² for up to 400 guests, and a series of salons, from the Salon Vendôme (up to 210 guests) to smaller private rooms. The garden is best from May to September.
- Location
- Place Vendôme, Paris 1er
- Garden
- Grand Jardin, ~500 m²
- Rooms
- 142 rooms and suites
- Guests
- Up to ~400 in the garden
The venue: the palace of Place Vendôme
The Ritz Paris occupies a townhouse on Place Vendôme whose façade was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in 1705. César Ritz bought it in 1897 and opened the hotel on 1 June 1898; it reopened in 2016 after a four-year restoration.
Behind the façade, the hotel hides a formal garden, salons with gilding and chandeliers, and 142 rooms and suites. For a wedding, it combines the most iconic address in Paris with the privacy of a private house.
Where the ceremony and reception take place
The hotel presents its reception rooms and a dedicated wedding page. The main spaces, with their cocktail capacities:
- The Grand Jardin: about 500 m², up to 400 guests, for the ceremony and a garden cocktail.
- The Salon Vendôme: 217 m², up to 210 guests, with room for a dance floor.
- The Salon Marie-Louise and the Salon d’Été: 140 and 100 guests, for dinner or a welcome evening.
- The smaller salons: Louis XV, Psyché, Gramont and the Verrière, for intimate dinners of 60 to 100.
My favourite photo spots at the Ritz Paris
Having photographed a wedding at the Ritz Paris, I know where the stone, the garden and the light come together. My approach is editorial: fashion-inspired portraits, real emotion and the architecture as part of the story.
Place Vendôme
The white awnings, the lanterns and the square itself: the most iconic Paris portraits, best early in the morning or late in the day when the square is calm.
The Grand Jardin
Clipped hedges and the façades of the courtyard for the ceremony and relaxed couple portraits, with soft light for most of the afternoon.
The suites
Canopied beds, silk and gilded mirrors for the getting-ready photos.
Light and timing
The Grand Jardin is enclosed by tall façades, so it gets soft, even light for much of the day and falls into shade in the evening. Place Vendôme is at its best in the early morning or in the last hour of light, when it is quieter.
In late June the sun sets around 21:55 in Paris, and around 19:35 by the end of September. For a summer wedding, I suggest a ceremony in the garden in the late afternoon and portraits on Place Vendôme before dinner.
A wedding day here, hour by hour
An example timeline I would suggest for a late-June wedding:
- 14:00
- Getting ready in the suites
- 16:00
- First look in a salon or on Place Vendôme
- 17:30
- Ceremony in the Grand Jardin
- 18:15
- Garden cocktail, family photos
- 19:30
- Couple portraits on Place Vendôme
- 20:30
- Dinner in the Salon Vendôme
- 23:00
- Cake and first dance
Getting there and where to stay
The Ritz is in the heart of the 1st arrondissement, a few minutes’ walk from the Tuileries, the Louvre and the Opéra. Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport is usually 45 minutes to an hour away by car, depending on traffic.
With 142 rooms and suites, the hotel can host the couple and family on site; other guests can stay in the many hotels around Place Vendôme and the Opéra. Before the wedding, take your guests for portraits at the Louvre, the Petit Palais or on the Pont Alexandre III.
A wedding weekend at the Ritz and the Peninsula
From a welcome dinner on the rooftop of The Peninsula to the ceremony in the garden of the Ritz, see the whole wedding at the Ritz Paris.
Paris wedding photographer →Questions about a wedding at the Ritz Paris
Where is the Ritz Paris?
At 15 Place Vendôme, in the 1st arrondissement, a few minutes’ walk from the Tuileries and the Opéra.
How many guests can the Ritz Paris host for a wedding?
According to the hotel, up to 400 guests for a cocktail in the Grand Jardin and 210 in the Salon Vendôme, the largest salon.
Can you hold the ceremony in the garden?
Yes. The Grand Jardin is presented by the hotel for garden parties and ceremonies.
Can guests stay at the hotel?
Yes. The Ritz has 142 rooms and suites.
How much does a wedding at the Ritz Paris cost?
The hotel quotes each wedding on request. Contact its events team through the wedding page.
Have you photographed at the Ritz Paris?
Yes. I photographed a wedding weekend there, from the getting ready in the suites to the ceremony in the Grand Jardin and portraits on Place Vendôme.