L’ART DE VIVRE
Why couples choose to get married in France
France does the things a wedding is made of unusually well: food, wine, flowers, and a beautiful place to gather. Here’s what draws our couples, most of them from the US and the UK.
THE VENUES
Châteaux you can actually marry in
The Dordogne alone counts more than a thousand castles. Most venues we work with in France are châteaux, wine estates, or country houses, many with rooms for your guests.
THE EXPERIENCE
Long tables & local wine
A French wedding is built around the table: a long apéritif, several courses, a cheese board, wine from down the road. At a small wedding, dinner is the party.
THE PRACTICALITIES
Freedom to marry anywhere
A legal wedding in France needs a month’s residency, so most of our couples choose a symbolic ceremony. The upside: no paperwork, and any terrace, garden, or vineyard can be your venue.
TAILORED TO YOUR VISION & BUDGET
Say ‘I do’ in France with a package built around you
Choosing the location of your French destination wedding
From Provence’s lavender to the vineyards around Bordeaux, these are the most-loved places to get married in France. We’ve added the corners where we’ve planned the most weddings ourselves.
Provence
Lavender & stone villages
Lavender blooms from mid-June on the lower plateaus to late July on the high ground. Around it: hilltop villages, olive groves, and old farmhouses called mas. Two of our couples eloped among the rows in early July.
French Riviera
Terraces above the sea
Between Nice and Monaco, the medieval village of Èze sits more than 400 meters above the Mediterranean. Most of our Riviera couples have married on its terraces, from elopements for two to a few dozen guests.
Southwest France
Châteaux & vineyards
The countryside between Toulouse, Bordeaux, and the Dordogne has hosted more of our French weddings than anywhere else. Think 18th-century châteaux, sunflower fields, and wine from Cahors and Gaillac.
Paris
City ceremonies
Paris suits elopements and very small groups: a ceremony in a park or on a hotel terrace, then the city for your photos. Several of our Paris venues look straight at the Eiffel Tower.
Loire Valley, Normandy & Brittany
Castles, cliffs & cider
The Loire Valley has more than 300 châteaux and UNESCO World Heritage status. Further north, Normandy and Brittany trade sunshine for chalk cliffs, apple orchards, and cooler summers. We’ve planned château weddings in both.
REAL WEDDINGS
A few of our French love stories
We’ve helped more than 700 couples marry in Europe, and planned our first wedding in France in 2015. Here are a few of our French weddings and elopements.
If I ever hear that anyone wants to get married out of the country or elope Peach Perfect will be out of my mouth before they finish their sentence.
Alexandria & Lonnie
GOT A DATE?
When to get married in France
Every one of our French weddings so far has taken place between April and October, with June and September the busiest months. Here’s what each season is like.
APRIL – MAY
Spring
Gardens are in bloom and the countryside is at its greenest. Days reach about 17–21°C (62–71°F) in Paris, Nice, and Toulouse, so bring a layer for the evening. Spring is also the showery season in the southwest, and May has several public holidays that fill hotels and roads.
Best for:
- garden ceremonies
- quieter towns and venues
- Paris and the Riviera before the summer crowds
JUNE – AUGUST
Summer
Our busiest season. Days reach the mid-20s to low 30s °C (high 70s to high 80s °F). In late June the sun sets around 10pm in Paris. Lavender flowers from mid-June, sunflowers from late June. July and August can be very hot in the south, so ceremonies there work best late in the day. In August France itself goes on vacation and the coast is at its fullest – few of our couples marry then.
Best for:
- long, light evenings outdoors
- lavender and sunflower fields
- dinner under the trees
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER
Autumn
September is as popular with our couples as June. It’s still warm, around 22–26°C (71–79°F), and the summer crowds have gone home. The grape harvest starts in Bordeaux and the southwest mid-month. October is cooler, with vineyard colors at their best. On the Mediterranean coast, autumn brings the year’s heaviest rain, so a covered option matters.
Best for:
- vineyard and château weddings
- warm days without the heat
- harvest season and wine tastings
NOVEMBER – MARCH
Winter
We haven’t planned a winter wedding in France yet, and many country venues are at their best from spring. But winter has its own appeal: Christmas markets in Alsace, snow in the Alps, and a quieter Paris. It suits elopements best.
Best for:
- Paris elopements
- snow in the Alps
- quiet towns and venues
Meet Philip, your local planner in France
British-born and based near Toulouse, Philip has lived in France for over ten years and speaks fluent French. He’s planned weddings here with us since 2019. From first call to wedding day, he’s your one point of contact.
It felt like our officiant had known us for years and our photographer made us look amazing!
Courtney & Jeff
Wedding ceremony types in France
France keeps its legal weddings at the town hall, so the ceremony you’ll remember is free to happen anywhere. Here’s how the three types compare.
Civil
The only legally binding ceremony in France. It takes place at the town hall (mairie), in French, and one of you must have lived in that town for at least a month.
Religious
A religious ceremony has no legal effect in France and can only follow a civil marriage. If faith matters to you, tell us early – it shapes the venue and the planning.
Symbolic
No residency, no paperwork, and no rules about where or how. You marry legally at home, then hold your ceremony in France, in English. Most of our couples choose this.
Requirements for legal weddings in France
A legally binding wedding in France is possible for foreigners, but rarely practical for a short trip. This is what French law asks for.
Town hall only
A legal marriage is performed by the mayor or a deputy at the town hall, in a room open to the public. A private château or garden can’t host the legal part.
A month’s residency
One of you, or one of your parents, must have lived in the town for at least a month before the banns are posted. The banns then stay up for ten days.
Required documents
Expect to provide recent birth certificates, proof of address, and a certificate that you’re free to marry, with sworn translations into French. Each town hall sets its own list.
What most couples do
Our couples take care of the legal marriage at home, then hold a symbolic ceremony in France. French law places no rules on a symbolic ceremony.
WHERE WE’VE PLANNED WEDDINGS
Some of the venues we know best in France
Because the legal part happens at a town hall, your ceremony can be anywhere. These are venues where we’ve planned more than one wedding.
Domaine de Perches
Tarn, Occitanie, France
Ceremony for up to 10 guests: 10
Sleeps 15: 15
Domaine Le Castelet
Tarn, Occitanie, France
- Ceremony for up to 120 guests: 100+
- Sleeps 35: 35
Château Eza
Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
- Ceremony for up to 30 guests: 30
- Sleeps 30: 30
Château de Mercuès
Lot, Occitanie, France
- Ceremony for up to 100 guests: 100
- Sleeps 70: 70
Nearest airport: Bergerac Dordogne Périgord, 98km: 98km
La Lauren
Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
- Ceremony for up to 30 guests: 30
- Sleeps 6: 6
UNMISTAKABLY YOURS
Elopement, intimate wedding, or vow renewal?
Elopements for two are the single most common wedding we plan in France. But the châteaux here were made for house parties, too.
JUST FOR TWO
Elopement
The two of you, a celebrant, a photographer – on a Riviera terrace, in a château garden, or in a Paris park. Simple to plan, and anything but plain.
THE CLOSEST LOVED ONES
Intimate wedding
Up to around 60 guests, often at a château where everyone can stay. Small enough for one long table, big enough for a proper party.
RENEWED LOVE
Vow Renewal
Already married? A symbolic ceremony needs no paperwork, so renewing your vows in France is as easy as choosing the place.
France vs. other wedding destinations
Still choosing between countries? Here’s how a wedding in France compares with two of its Mediterranean neighbors.
Italy
Italy lets foreign couples marry legally, at a town hall or a licensed venue. France doesn’t, short of a month’s residency, so weddings here are symbolic. Italy’s signatures are lakeside villas and coastal terraces; France’s are châteaux, vineyards, and lavender. Choose Italy if a legal ceremony abroad matters to you. Choose France for château weekends and long dinners in the garden.
Spain
Spain and France have one thing in common: a civil wedding is out of reach for most visitors in both. The difference is the mood. Spanish weddings run loud and late. French ones are built around the apéritif and the table, though the dancing can go on just as long. Choose Spain for fiesta energy and beaches. Choose France for countryside, wine, and understated style.
A single day or a full wedding week?
Our first French wedding, in 2015, was a week-long celebration at a country estate in the Lot. Many of the châteaux we work with have rooms on site, so staying on is easy.
SHORT & SWEET
Ceremony only
For an elopement, half a day is plenty: getting ready, the ceremony, a photo session, then dinner for two.
A DAY OF LOVE
Classic 1-day wedding
Ceremony, a long apéritif, dinner, and dancing. In June the light lasts until nearly 10pm, so the whole evening can happen outdoors.
EXTENDED CELEBRATION
2-day wedding
Add a welcome dinner the night before, or a relaxed brunch the morning after – a growing habit at French weddings, too.
LASTING ADVENTURE
3-day wedding or more
Turn it into a house party: a market morning, a wine tasting, lazy afternoons by the pool, and dinners that last all evening.
The wedding day/weekend was perfect - there were even last minute solutions to the threat of rain, which thankfully did not come true!
Gillian & Colm
A timeline for your wedding day in France
No two of our weddings run alike, but a one-day summer wedding in France often follows this shape. French celebrations start late and finish later.
1pm: getting ready
Hair and makeup arrive, and the photographer starts with the getting-ready shots.
4pm: first look
A quiet moment together before the guests take their seats, with the photographer close by.
5pm: ceremony
Late afternoon, once the heat has eased. Music, vows, rings – in English.
5:30pm: vin d’honneur
The French cocktail hour, and often a long one: Champagne or crémant, canapés, and time to talk.
6:30pm: photos
Group photos first, then the two of you slip away while the light turns golden.
8pm: dinner
Dinner is the main event. Several courses, a cheese course, and speeches spread through the evening.
10:30pm: dessert
The pièce montée arrives – traditionally a tower of caramel-bound choux – often with sparklers.
11pm: first dance
Your first dance opens the floor, and everyone joins in quickly.
Into the night: dancing
French weddings run late. How late yours goes depends on the venue’s music curfew, which we check in advance.
UNMISTAKABLY YOURS
Shaping the atmosphere of your French wedding abroad
The setting does most of the styling in France. Tell us the mood you’re after, and we’ll match the place, the flowers, and the table to it.
RELAXED & GREEN
Château garden party
A ceremony under old trees, apéritif on the lawn, dinner in the courtyard. It’s the mood of most of our weddings in the southwest.
SEA & LIGHT
Riviera terraces
White stone, blue water, and a table set high above the coast. Small groups work best here, where the view does the decorating.
RUSTIC & SUNLIT
Provençal farmhouse
Lavender, olive trees, and a stone mas with painted shutters. Think linen, herbs on the table, and rosé in the shade.
URBAN & ELEGANT
Parisian chic
A hotel terrace, a park, the rooftops beyond. For couples who’d rather have the city than a countryside view.
THE FINANCIALS
Cost of a wedding in France
We don’t list price ranges for France yet, because every package here is built to order. Three things move the total more than any others – and once we know yours, you get fixed pricing.
SIZE
Your guest list
An elopement for two needs a planner, a celebrant, a photographer, and flowers. Every guest adds a seat at dinner and often a bed, so the total grows with the list.
WHERE & WHEN
Region & season
The Riviera and Paris sit at the top of the scale, especially from June to September. The countryside of the southwest is gentler on a budget, and so are May and October.
THE PLACE
Venue & stay
A terrace for a ceremony costs far less than a château hired for the weekend. But a château with rooms can replace hotel bills for your whole party.
We are from the US and our wedding in France was significantly less expensive and so much more special and beautiful!
Heather & Richard
Experiences around your Big Day in France
Few guests fly to France for one day. These are easy to add before or after the wedding – for the two of you, or for the whole party.
WINE EXPERIENCES
Vineyards & cellars
Taste Malbec in Cahors, rosé in Provence, or Merlot in Saint-Émilion, a short drive from Bordeaux. In Champagne, houses such as Taittinger and Moët & Chandon open their cellars to visitors.
CULINARY EXPERIENCES
Markets & cooking classes
Start at a morning market, then cook what you bought – classes with a market tour run in towns such as Avignon. In the Périgord, growers take visitors truffle hunting with their dogs in winter.
OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES
Lavender, balloons & bikes
Walk the lavender fields of Provence from mid-June. Float over the Loire châteaux in a hot-air balloon, or cycle between them on the Loire à Vélo route. On the Riviera, spend a day on a boat to the Lérins Islands off Cannes.
SLOW JOURNEYS
Rivers, canals & the Orient Express
Cruise the Seine past the Eiffel Tower, or drift along the 17th-century Canal du Midi on a barge. On the Dordogne, flat-bottomed gabarres sail from April to October. And from Paris, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express leaves for Italy.
FROM APÉRITIF TO PIÈCE MONTÉE
French wedding cuisine
Dinner is the heart of a French wedding, and it takes its time. Expect several courses over a long evening, each matched with wine.
APÉRITIF
Champagne, crémant & kir
The vin d’honneur opens with something sparkling: Champagne, or crémant, its counterpart from regions such as the Loire, Burgundy, and Alsace.
Kir – white wine with blackcurrant liqueur – is named after a mayor of Dijon. In Provence, expect pastis and chilled rosé.
STARTER, MAIN & CHEESE
From the region, in season
Menus follow the map. In the southwest that means foie gras, duck confit, and magret. In Provence, tapenade, pissaladière, and fish from the coast.
After the main course comes cheese – before dessert, never after.
DESSERT
The pièce montée
The classic French wedding cake is a croquembouche: a cone of cream-filled choux pastry bound with caramel, served since the early 1800s.
Tiered cakes, macaron towers, and dessert tables are just as common today. For afterwards: cognac, or armagnac from Gascony.
Wedding traditions in France
French weddings keep a few customs that travel well. Borrow the ones you like – a symbolic ceremony leaves room for all of them.
A TOAST FOR EVERYONE
Le vin d’honneur
After the ceremony comes the vin d’honneur, a drinks reception with canapés. French couples often invite a wider circle to it than to dinner – neighbors, colleagues, distant relatives. It can last a couple of hours, and it’s when most of the mingling happens.
WITNESSES, NOT BRIDESMAIDS
Les témoins
A French couple chooses témoins – witnesses – who sign the register at the town hall; two to four are required. Rows of matching bridesmaids are an imported custom. Children as flower girls and page boys are the French tradition.
SUGARED ALMONDS
Les dragées
Guests go home with dragées, sugared almonds. Tradition says five: for health, happiness, prosperity, fertility, and long life. The odd number can’t be divided, like the couple.
A NOISY PROCESSION
The car-horn convoy
Between ceremony and reception, French guests follow the couple in decorated cars, horns blaring the whole way. If you hear one on your trip, wave – it’s a wedding.
The day of was flawless and we would not have changed anything.
Jessica & Daryl
TRANSPORT
Getting around France
France is easy to cross: fast trains radiate from Paris, and regional airports sit close to most wedding regions.
Flying in
Most long-haul flights land in Paris. Nice has had direct summer flights from New York, Boston, Atlanta, and Montréal, among others. For the southwest, Toulouse and Bordeaux have their own airports, a short connection from Paris.
High-speed trains
The TGV links Paris with Bordeaux in about two hours, Avignon in under three, and Marseille in just over three. Toulouse takes a little over four hours, Nice closer to six. Tickets open around four months ahead and get pricier nearer the date.
Rental car
For a countryside château, a car is the simplest option. Most motorways are tolled. Visitors with a US or Canadian license should carry an International Driving Permit or an official translation.
Eurostar & ferries
Coming via London? Eurostar reaches Paris in a little over two hours. Corsica is an overnight ferry from Marseille, or a shorter crossing from Nice or Toulon.
HOTELS & CO.
Staying in France
From château rooms to village guesthouses, where you stay is part of the trip. Many of our venues sleep the wedding party on site.
Château hotels
Many French châteaux are now hotels, and several of our venues are among them – including a 13th-century castle above the Lot Valley. Relais & Châteaux, the hotel association known worldwide, was founded in France in 1954.
Chambres d’hôtes & gîtes
A chambre d’hôtes is a French bed and breakfast: rooms in the owner’s home, five at most, with breakfast included. A gîte is a self-catering house you rent whole – handy for families and groups of friends.
Mas & bastides
In Provence, a mas is a traditional stone farmhouse; a bastide is its grander cousin, a country manor. Our venues there include a 17th-century mas and an 18th-century bastide.
France compared to other European wedding destinations
How does France compare with the other countries where we plan weddings? A quick rundown.
Cost
It varies more by region than in most countries. The Riviera and Paris are at the top end; the rural southwest is noticeably gentler.
Venues
Châteaux, above all – then wine estates, farmhouses, and Riviera hotels. Many have rooms on site.
Best time to marry
June and September are our busiest months in France. May and October are quieter and cooler.
Vibes
Understated and unhurried. A good table, good wine, and a celebration that runs late without ever feeling rushed.
Vendors
English is less widely spoken in France than in much of Europe, so a French-speaking planner makes a real difference. Most of our weddings here include a celebrant for the symbolic ceremony.
Logistics
Excellent. High-speed trains from Paris reach most regions in two to four hours, and Nice, Toulouse, and Bordeaux have their own airports.
Kind words from couples we helped to tie the knot in France
"We were looking for a wedding planner to help us plan a small international wedding in France. We are from the US and needed someone familiar with the local vendors, customs, and who spoke the language. Peach Perfect checked all those boxes for us and we were able to customize exactly what we needed and forgo what we didn’t need for our wedding package."
"We were worried about how difficult planning a European wedding would be while we were living in America, but using PPW was the best choice we could have made. [...] Our wedding itself was a dream, everything was exactly like we hoped (or better)."
"Philip, our wedding planner, was lovely. He went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly, from the moment we reached out to PPW, to choosing the location and the other details, to the actual wedding day. [...] It can be hard to trust a company to plan something so special, when it is half way across the world, but we would 100% choose them again."
Quick facts
What to know before your wedding trip to France
A few practical things worth knowing before you travel.
Currency & paying
France uses the euro. Cards and contactless payment are accepted almost everywhere; keep a little cash for markets and village cafés.
Languages spoken
French is the official language. English is common in hotels and tourist areas, less so in the countryside – a bonjour goes a long way.
Major holidays
May has several public holidays, often stretched into long weekends. July 14 is the national holiday, and August 15 falls in the middle of France’s summer vacation, when many small businesses close.
Tipping culture
Service is included in restaurant prices by law, so tipping is optional – rounding up or leaving a few euros is plenty. The same goes for wedding vendors: appreciated, never expected.
How to plan a destination wedding in France
Planning from abroad is simpler than it sounds. You make the enjoyable choices; Philip, our wedding planner in France, handles the rest.
Tell us what you have in mind
Guest count, region, time of year, budget. If you’ve fallen for a venue already, tell us – if not, we’ll suggest a few.
Meet your planner & shape your package
Philip talks it through with you on a call, then puts together a package with fixed pricing around your venue.
Decide on the beautiful details
Flowers, music, menu, ceremony – choose what matters to you. We book vendors we trust for everything else.
Enjoy your wedding day
On the day, your planner coordinates the setup and the schedule. You just get married.
WE HAVE THE ANSWERS
FAQs about getting married in France
Can foreigners legally get married in France?
Yes, but only with a real connection to the town. One of you, or a parent, must have lived there for at least a month, and the ceremony takes place at the town hall, in French. That’s rarely practical for visitors, so most of our couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in France.
What’s the best time of year for a wedding in France?
June and September are our busiest months, and for good reason: warm days, long evenings, and gardens or vineyards at their best. May and October are quieter and cooler. July and August can be very hot in the south, and in August much of France is on vacation itself.
Which region of France should we choose?
Start with the feeling you’re after. The Riviera gives you terraces above the sea; Provence, lavender and stone farmhouses; the southwest, châteaux and vineyards at a gentler price. Paris suits elopements. Philip, our planner in France, will help you narrow it down to a venue.
How much does a wedding in France cost?
It depends mostly on your guest count, the region, and the venue. The Riviera and Paris cost more than the countryside, and June to September more than spring or fall. We don’t publish price ranges for France yet, but every package we quote comes with fixed pricing.
What guest count do you work with in France?
From two people to around 60 guests. Elopements for two are the most common wedding we plan in France, and many of the châteaux we work with can host and sleep a few dozen.
How far in advance should we start planning?
About a year ahead is typical for our French weddings, and it gives you the widest choice of venues for June and September. Elopements can come together faster, since they need fewer vendors and no rooms for guests.
Is a symbolic ceremony legally binding?
No. A symbolic ceremony has no legal effect, which is exactly why it’s so flexible: any venue, any wording, any language. You complete the legal marriage at home, before or after your trip.
What language is the ceremony in?
A symbolic ceremony is held in English, or any language you like. A civil ceremony at a French town hall is conducted in French; you may bring an interpreter at your own cost.
Will our guests be able to get around easily?
Yes. Paris has the long-haul flights, and high-speed trains reach Bordeaux in about two hours and Marseille in about three. Nice, Toulouse, and Bordeaux have their own airports. For countryside venues, a rental car or arranged transfers work best.
Do you plan same-sex weddings in France?
Absolutely. France has had marriage equality since 2013, and a symbolic ceremony is open to every couple, anywhere in the country. We plan weddings for couples of all genders and orientations with the same care.
