A Romantic Elopement in Paris, France

In 2013, Aure and Blake met through mutual friends in 2013. That encounter led to them finding true love and eight years later the lovely couple tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in Paris, France. Read more of their love story and check out the gorgeous details from their big day captured by Theresa Kelly.

Bride: Aure Sims, 42, Creative Director

Groom: Blake Sims, 47, Accounting Manager

Photography by: Theresa Kelly

Place of residence: New York

Wedding date: August 5, 2021

Wedding location: Ritz Paris, France

Wedding theme/motif/inspiration: French- American

Honeymoon Destination: Lake Como, Italy

Briefly tell us about your wedding experience and how the both of you felt on your big day. Include your most memorable moment.

Aure: Due to Covid 19 and travel restrictions, it was not possible to gather our families in the same place, so we decided to have an intimate wedding in Paris, the city of lights where I was born 42 years ago. Since it was my 2nd marriage, I did not want to go for a white dress but something that represents my personality; something out of the box. I would say the most memorable moment for me was our photography session. While wearing my wedding dress we traveled to Paris where I could rediscover historical Parisian places with my husband.

Blake: So we would not spoil our ‘first look’ we booked separate suites at ‘the Ritz’ hotel. After breakfast, and photo shoots in the rooms, it was in the hotel garden where we actually had our ‘first look’ and marriage ceremony. The most enchanting moment however, was when we said our ‘Idos’. That is when we pledged our commitment to life, love and happiness together.

Wedding song, explain choice for song: “Marilyn & John” by Vanessa Paradis. The French singer is well known and talk about the love between Marilyn and John Kenny, the story of a star and a lion.

What are you most looking forward to as a married couple?

Living a peaceful life surrounded by our children, traveling all around the world, discovering new places

Advice for a Bride/Groom on their wedding day:

Trust your wedding planner and photographer on your wedding day. They are wedding professionals that will guide you through the day to make your day memorable. Have a great breakfast as that day could be very long. And while having this last breakfast as Mademoiselle, try to remember with your future husband the best moments you had so far. Fun and smiles guaranteed!