In short...
Port Debilly is located along the Seine river at water level (lower than the street level) which makes it a secluded spot while still offering stunning views of the Eiffel Tower.
At Perfect Paris Wedding, this has been our favorite location for several years (especially in 2018 and 2019). Recently the agency in charge of managing this harbor for the city of Paris (Haropaport) has started asking for a fee to be able to take professional photos on the Port Debilly.
It is our understanding that for very small events they do not systematically require the booking fee but on some events they have reminded our coordinators of the fee requirement. We realize that having a ceremony there may mean a little risk of being scolded on site, but it is still one of our favorites.
Please note that this is a public place where there may be people walking by and watching your ceremony. Don’t worry, people are very respectful of ceremonies. Some people may congratulate you with a little applause at the end.
At Port Debilly, you will be walking on cobblestones, so choose your heels wisely 😉
Be mindful that there are no restrooms available. Also, it is not possible to have seating or an aisle to walk down in this public place.
Port Debilly used to be our favorite location with larger groups (up to 15 guests) as it offers a lot of space for the ceremony, unlike some locations where we literally have a tiny corner to ourselves.
But with recent changes in the management of the harbor, unless the location is officially booked, a larger group attracts the attention of the harbor employees and there is a little risk of being interrupted during the ceremony. Usually what would happen is that a seemingly angry harbor representative will ask the photographer if he has paid the fee for the shooting and explain that he can’t be taking photos without an authorization. This situation has more chances to occur in the busiest months (May to October).
If it rains, the Port Debilly is no longer a good option as it doesn’t offer any covered area. If you wish to stay around the Eiffel Tower, the Pont Bir Hakeim is a good alternative solution. You will find a full description of this location here, with its advantages and disadvantages.
In case of big rain and if you do not wish to go to the Bir Hakeim location, then the Louvre offers a great back-up option. Don’t worry if you can’t have your ceremony at the Eiffel Tower, we guarantee that you will capture the Iron Lady later in your photo tour anyways.
The only way to officially book the Port Debilly is through the company Haropaport. If you book a cruise and they apply a “harbor fees”, it is only for the water side parking of the boat, and won’t include the “professional shooting right” fee on the quai.
The amount of the fee is 432 Euros including tax + special insurance fee for the event (about 250 Euros including tax).
