Get married in France from abroad : everything you need to know

France is a dream for couples around the world.

Paris, france’s Champagne region, the Côte d’azur, Provence… some destinations that immediately evoke the romance, the elegance and the art of living à la française. For a lot of future married couples living abroad, to organize a wedding in France is much more than a simple event : it is a real experience to share with their loved ones in a place full of emotion and beauty.

And contrary to what one would imagine sometimes, it is entirely possible to organize a wedding in France when one lives abroad.

Today, many couples choose to organize a destination wedding in France, thanks to a symbolic ceremony, more flexible and much easier to put in place a civil marriage in French.

This solution allows you to take full advantage of the French experience without the administrative burdens often complex for international couples.

Can you get married in France without a civil ceremony ?

Yes, and it is even today the preferred option for the majority of couples foreigners.

In France, only civil marriage celebrated in the town hall has a legal value. A symbolic ceremony, religious or secular, there are no legal official. But for many international couples, it becomes, on the contrary, an immense freedom.

Most choose to marry in a civil union in their home country prior to then organise a symbolic ceremony in France. This allows them to keep the law at home while living the wedding they’ve been dreaming of in an exceptional setting.

This approach greatly simplifies the organization and leaves a lot more room for emotion, aesthetics, and experience.

It is this that explains why the research around :

· marriage in France without a civil ceremony,

· symbolic wedding in France,

· or wedding in France for foreigners, are now in a strong increase.

Why France attracts couples aliens ?

France has something unique.

It immediately conjures up a certain idea of romance : the old castles, vineyards, long tables outside, in the light of the south of France, the streets of paris at sunset, or even the champagne houses full of history.

But beyond this image, France offers an incredible diversity of places, and moods.

Some couples are dreaming of a elegant wedding in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Others may be seeking something more intimate in the vineyards of the Champagne region, or in an area of provence, surrounded by lavender.

The Côte d’azur attracts a lot of international couples, thanks to its light, its private villas and its mediterranean atmosphere very refined.

Each region has its own atmosphere, and lets you create a wedding completely different.

Champagne : a destination of the most sought-after

For several years, the Champagne is attracting more and more couples foreigners in search of an elegant wedding, but more authentic than the great destinations great tourist attractions.

Around Reims and Epernay, the wineries, the champagne houses and castles offer a framework that is particularly sought for destination weddings in France.

The landscapes are soft, places, often intimate and the atmosphere is very sophisticated without being excessive.

Many couples also enjoy the fact of being able to hold a real wedding weekend around the experience of champagne : tasting, welcome dinner, brunch the day after or something more private with their loved ones.

The Champagne allows you to create weddings in the same time elegant, warm, and deeply immersive.

Why choose a symbolic ceremony in France ?

The symbolic ceremony offers an immense freedom.

Unlike the civil marriage in French, it does not require on-site residence or administrative complex. Couples can then imagine a ceremony entirely custom, true to their history and their way of living their relationship.

This is often what makes these weddings are so strong emotionally.

The ceremonies symbolic allow you to create something much more intimate and personal : the exchange of vows at sunset, a ceremony in the vineyard, with dinner under the stars or even an elopement in romantic Paris or the Côte d’azur.

Today, many international couples prefer this approach to a freer and more human marriage.

Plan a wedding in France from abroad request a real confidence

Preparing a wedding, at a distance of course can seem daunting at the start.

Even though many exchanges can now be done by video conferencing, it is still essential to be surrounded by professionals who are accustomed to international marriages.

The role of the wedding planner France becomes extremely important in this type of organization. It allows to manage the logistics, the interaction with the service providers, the planning and all the stress associated with a wedding organized from another country.

This brings a lot of serenity for couples.

But beyond the organization, the bride and groom are especially looking for people who understand their vision and their way of living this experience.

The choice of the photographer is essential in a destination wedding

When a couple chooses to get married in France, he not only seeks to take beautiful pictures.

He is looking for someone able to tell a experience.

In a destination wedding France, the images take immense importance because they become the memories of a journey, a moment shared with loved ones and, often, a weekend full of emotions.

The international couples today are looking for photographers to work with discretion, sensitivity and natural.

Documentary photography and lifestyle has become particularly popular in weddings top-of-the range because it allows you to capture real moments rather than images that are too rigid.

The looks, the movements, the emotions are spontaneous and the whole atmosphere of the wedding then become the heart of the story.

Provide the guest experience

A wedding in France, often becomes a real travel experience for the guests.

It is for this reason that many couples today choose to hold several times around the wedding : a welcome dinner, an evening more intimate before D-day, a brunch the next morning or local activities.

In Champagne, some couples organize, for example, tastings private houses of champagne or discoveries of vineyards with their guests.

These moments help to prolong the experience well beyond the wedding itself.

And very often, it is precisely these memories, which are still the most important.

The weather and the organization : the importance of a good balance

Even in regions that are famous for their beautiful time, but it remains important to anticipate the unexpected.

The most beautiful weddings are those that have been organized, with sufficient flexibility to adapt naturally to what is happening.

Plan B stylish, choose a venue that is flexible or work with providers experienced allows you to live the day much more relaxed.

And this serenity dramatically changes the overall vibe of the wedding.

What is the budget plan for a wedding in France ?

The budget of a wedding in France for foreigners greatly depends on the region, the chosen venue, number of guests and the level of service desired.

On average, international couples invest between 50 000 € 300 000 € for their wedding in France.

Paris and the Côte d’azur remain the top destinations to the top of the range but certain regions such as Champagne can also help you create experiences extremely elegant with an approach that is often more intimate and personalized.

A wedding in France often becomes much more than a wedding

This is probably the more couples foreigners.

A destination wedding in France is not just a single day.

It becomes : a trip, a parenthesis, an emotional experience and sometimes even one of the most brilliant memories of a lifetime.

The beauty of the place, the shared meals, the reunion of loved ones, the light, the French and all the little moments together create something very unique.

And it is precisely these emotions as the couples want to find it later in their images.

You’re planning a wedding in France from abroad ?

Julie Chief photograph weddings in France with an approach to editorial, elegant, and deeply emotional.

Between Paris, the Champagne and the Côte d’azur, it accompanies the international couples who want to have a destination wedding in an authentic, refined and sincere.

His approach to candid allows you to capture the emotions, atmosphere, and all the moments in real which makes each wedding unique.

To share information about your wedding in France, your symbolic ceremony or for your elopement in France, do not hesitate to contact Julie Chief, your photographer.