Getting Married in France

So we've already established there is an awful lot of red tape to getting legally married in France, but that doesn't mean you can't have the dream wedding you wanted.

If you choose to have your legal wedding at home to avoid being swamped in legalities then you can arrange for a religious ceremony or non religious blessing and reception in France. To add to the sense of occasion it's nice to leave the actual exchange of rings, vows and wedding dress for the ceremony in France.

You can either organise everything yourself or have a wedding planner take some of the stress and strain. Let's face it getting married can be a stressful occasion, and planning one in France only adds to this. Many people choose to use wedding planners; they usually offer certain levels of service to suit all budgets. There are also companies that run all inclusive destination weddings that offer fully inclusive packages. We've found there are five good reasons to have a wedding planner, time, knowledge, support, affordability and attention to detail.

Or you could arrange the wedding for yourself; this really isn't as complicated as it might seem if you choose to do the legal part at home. It really is worth visiting your wedding location before the big day. If you book a weekend trip you'll have a better idea of your location and you can meet up with local suppliers. If possible it's useful to get hold of a native speaker especially when dealing with suppliers. And although it might seem easier to deal with suppliers by email you might find it more effective to discuss matters over the phone and then confirm by email. Planning your own destination wedding does take time and organisation, but it is also worth all the effort.

France offers a huge choice of venue, from fairytale chateaux, hotels, manor houses, farm house or marquees in beautiful settings. You have the added bonus of making a holiday out of your special occasion and spend your time in France enjoy the celebrations with your family and friends. The average cost of weddings is £18500, yes you did read that correctly! Choosing a destination wedding can be done on a reasonable budget and it does mean you can include it as your honeymoon destination as well.

Whatever you choose to do it unlikely you'll regret your decision to hold your wedding destination in France. With the diverse landscapes, beautiful architecture, the choice of Parisian chic, grand chateaux or rural charm the hardest part might be actually deciding on the location within France!

On top of all this you have the choice of all those gastronomic delights and excellent wines. And for the wedding cake why not go for the traditional French wedding cake, the Croquembouche Cake. This literally means 'Crack's in ones mouth' and consists of a tower of puff choux pastry filled with vanilla crème patissiere. The choice doesn't end there either from simple ones held together by spun sugar or dripping with chocolate, and for a change you can have a wedding cake that really does act as the dessert!

So let your imagination run wild and enjoy your big day with family and friends in a country that is perfect for romance!