Nobility of Normandy: wedding in a French castle

The romantic image of the French capital, which has evolved over centuries, makes almost every couple think about holding a ceremony in this city. The temptation to place wedding photos in your album against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower or Versailles is very great, but not everyone decides to take such a step, fearing that unforeseen little things could ruin the holiday. To make a wedding in Paris a colorful and pleasant start to your life together, you need to pay maximum attention to its preparation.

Why choose Paris for your wedding?

Paris is a mecca for lovers and romantics. People come to this city to have a holiday for two and remember this day for the rest of their lives.

There are many reasons why you should choose a Parisian wedding:

• The city itself is a magnificent backdrop for wedding photo shoots. There are many examples of ancient architecture, castles, beautiful parks and gardens, elegant streets and graceful bridges.
• Throughout its history, Paris has been a city of kings, lavish balls, intrigue and exciting love stories. All this was reflected in his atmosphere.
• Organizing a wedding in France is one of the most popular areas handled by intermediary firms. Finding these won't be difficult.
• Newlyweds can combine the wedding ceremony and honeymoon by spending a vacation in Paris or at some French resort.
• Territorial proximity to the Russian Federation - the flight will not require a large budget or a lot of time.
• Unique French cuisine and fine wines will be the best addition to a French vacation.

Wedding tourism in the heart of France is well developed. Therefore, here you can find a wide variety of ideas for a wedding ceremony and celebration decoration, from a carriage ride to a wedding in a Gothic church.

The price of a wedding in France in 2021: how much does the ceremony cost?

The cost of a wedding in France is quite high in most cases. In addition to obtaining a visa, purchasing tickets, accommodation, the cost of organizing the wedding itself can take more than 150,000 rubles . More expensive ceremonies will cost at least 300,000 rubles. This price will include a makeup artist, hairdresser, florist, photographer, car rental, food, master of ceremonies and other minor aspects.

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18 Oct 2021 at 1:00 PDT

A wedding in Paris - a real city of dreams, romance and love may seem impossible to some, but nothing is impossible.

Even if it is not so easy to get officially married in this country, nothing prevents you from going on a honeymoon and celebrating a symbolic ceremony surrounded by beautiful views of Paris or going to Nice, basking in the rays of the soft sun and smiling at the cheerful French people.

Wedding preparations

The easiest way to organize a festive event is to entrust this issue to a marriage agency: it will take care of all the worries, starting from meeting the couple at the airport. But even with this option, the participation of the bride and groom in preparation cannot be relegated to the background.

The first step is to decide whether you will undergo official registration with the participation of local authorities or whether a symbolic wedding in France is right for you. The fact is that obtaining a marriage certificate comes with some rules. One of them concerns staying in the city.

The couple will be officially signed only after they have been in Paris for at least 40 days, and this will require a certain budget.

If this option suits you, you need to prepare the following documents:

1. Foreign and civil passports.
2. Birth certificates.
3. Certificates that can confirm that neither the groom nor the bride are in another marital relationship.
4. If such events as divorce, death of a spouse or change of personal data took place in the lives of the spouses, it is necessary to attach the relevant certificates and certificates.

The advantage of a symbolic ceremony is that all these papers will not be needed to carry it out, and in terms of solemnity it is in no way inferior to official registration. If you take the easy route, you can get married at home and fly to Paris to celebrate your wedding with French charm.

Next, we will talk specifically about the French traditions of celebration, each of which foreign guests can either accept or ignore.

At the preparation stage, you need to consider the following details:

• location of the ceremony;
• wedding script and concept;
• wedding dresses for the bride and groom;
• flowers, transport, champagne and other paraphernalia;
• guests;
• places for a photo shoot;
• video shooting;
• restaurant.

The bride's dress is usually sewn in a special bridal salon. French women approach this issue with special trepidation, because this outfit remains in their wardrobe forever. Russian women usually take this tradition not so seriously. But men of all nationalities prefer to rent tailcoats or suits.

If you plan to invite guests, you need to think about where they will spend the night. Speaking of invitations: they must be original, in festive envelopes. In response to an invitation, guests must inform the bride and groom or their parents if they can attend the wedding.

The list of gifts also requires prior approval. Future spouses prepare in advance a list of wedding gifts (sometimes even indicating in which store they can be purchased), which are distributed among the invited guests.

The best places for a wedding

The choice of location for the ceremony will largely determine the concept of the entire wedding. Most often, couples prefer popular locations on the map of Paris:

• Champ de Mars is located at the very foot of the Eiffel Tower. People come here for photo sessions with one of the main symbols of Paris.
• Tuileries Garden – located near the Louvre. This green oasis of the French capital is famous for its well-groomed ponds, varied landscape areas, bright flower beds, and lawns with lush, neatly trimmed grass. A special atmosphere of France reigns here, because once upon a time French bohemia gathered here, and Edouard Manet painted his famous painting “Music in the Tuileries Garden.” From the park you can exit onto one of the authentic Parisian streets.
• Luxembourg Palace - once the residence of kings, today it welcomes guests of the city and offers amazing scenery for a wedding ceremony. In front of the palace there is a huge park, conducive to celebrating the occasion in the open air.
• Square Ver-Galan is one of the romantic places in Paris, right in the middle of the Seine. From here you can see both the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden. This is a place of solitude for lovers, and therefore holding a wedding here will be very symbolic.
• Versailles - this palace and park ensemble is another majestic symbol of Paris.

A wedding in France in a castle will be shrouded in special charm. They can be found in large numbers on the outskirts of the city.

Those who prefer a wedding can conduct the ceremony according to the canons of the Russian Orthodox Church. For this purpose, you can choose the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which was built in the 19th century with money donated by Russian emigrants.

In order for the wedding to take place, you need to prepare birth certificates, baptism certificates and secular marriage certificates.

Wedding in Paris

The romantic image of Paris as a city of love that has developed over centuries attracts the attention of couples in love who want to tie the knot not in the standard setting of a wedding hall, but against the backdrop of the sights of the French capital or under the arches of its ancient castles, palaces and temples.

A Parisian wedding will give you a burst of positive emotions and become part of a wonderful adventure for two at the beginning of their life together. It doesn't matter whether it's a big or small symbolic wedding or a fully official wedding in Paris - it's always a fantastically beautiful extravaganza.

Before officially holding a wedding ceremony in Paris, according to French law, you must live in the country for at least 30 days, which is not always convenient for many couples. But in this case, there is a wonderful alternative for them - to organize a dream wedding in a symbolic form.

Organization of a wedding ceremony

It is best to entrust all complex issues regarding the preparation of a special event to the employees of one of the marriage agencies who are familiar with all the nuances of organizing the ceremony. With their help, a wedding in Paris for two loving hearts will become an easy and pleasant romantic adventure.

It will begin at the air gates of the French capital. At the airport, a limousine will be waiting for the lovers, which, accompanied by a company employee, will take them to the doors of a pre-selected hotel. The coordinator of the upcoming celebrations will not only tell you about the procedure for holding the wedding ceremony and answer many difficult questions, but will also give you a sightseeing tour of the city.

The wishes of the newlyweds will serve as the main guide to action for company employees involved in detailed preparations for the wedding. They will agree on the sequence of upcoming pleasant events and monitor their implementation. The company's designers will offer accessories for the wedding ceremony, original design options for the car and the restaurant hall where the banquet will take place. Stylists and makeup artists will help the bride with classic hairstyle and makeup, and a photographer and videographer will capture the brightest moments of a pleasant event.

A budget option for organizing a wedding in Paris involves spending at least 650 €, and to pay for a package of the most popular wedding services you will need approximately 1,600 €. For an exclusive celebration, the amount can be around 5000 €.

In the lap of nature and behind the walls of palaces

The venue for the ceremony is not only well-known, but also some mysterious and romantic corners of Paris. The Eiffel Tower has long been the recognized hallmark of Paris, so it is no coincidence that one of the most popular places for symbolic registration of marriage is the Champ de Mars and the terrace, which overlooks this miracle of engineering.

The most important event in the lives of lovers is celebrated with royal luxury in the palace and park ensembles of the Luxembourg Gardens and Versailles. Marie Antoinette's rose garden with many bright flower beds, green lawns, fountains and decorative gazebos is also ideal for a wedding ceremony. The decorative interiors of castles on the outskirts of Paris and aristocratic mansions in the historical quarters of the capital look like a fantastically beautiful backdrop for the celebration.

Wedding in Paris

Marriage according to the canons of the Russian Orthodox Church can also be one of the options for a wedding in Paris. The beautiful Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is often chosen as the venue for the ceremony. It was built according to the design of architects R.I. Kuzmin and I.V. Storm in 1861 using funds raised in Russia and among emigrants.

On the eve of the solemn event, the priest of the temple conducts a spiritual conversation and the sacrament of confession. To carry out a wedding, it is necessary to provide birth certificates, civil marriage and baptism certificates of the spouses. The wedding ceremony in the temple has a special spiritual aura also because the ballerina O. Khokhlova and the artist P. Picasso were married under its arches, and among the parishioners were I. Turgenev, F. Chaliapin, A. Tarkovsky, I. Bunin, B. Zaitsev .

The new Holy Trinity Cathedral near the Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center was consecrated in 2016. This one was built according to the design of J.M. Wilmotte on the Quai Branly and in recent years its priests also often perform wedding ceremonies. You can also get married according to the Orthodox canon in the Cathedral of the Three Hierarchs of the Patriarchal Metochion, which until 2021 was the main church of the Russian Orthodox Church in the French Republic. It still remains the only Orthodox cathedral in Paris where services are held daily.

"Cherry on the Cake"

While waiting for the apotheosis of a brilliant event in their lives or after its completion, a young couple can devote their leisure time to a variety of Parisian entertainment. They will be offered a car for educational excursions around the city and its surroundings and to explore numerous attractions or attend theaters and concerts.

A luxurious carriage is more suitable for a walk along the alleys of the Bois de Boulogne, and a gourmet dinner on board a ship sailing along the Seine or a flight over the ancient city in a hot air balloon perfectly matches the legendary romantic atmosphere of the capital of lovers.

It is logical to end the tasting of famous French cheeses and light dessert wines with a wedding dinner in one of the Parisian restaurants, and the next day go on a trip to the castles of the Loire Valley or to the sunny beaches of the Cote d'Azur.

How the ceremony goes

The French tend to pay great attention to detail. This means that every wedding ceremony in Paris is planned in the most careful way. The entire marriage process consists of several stages:

1. Engagement. After the proposal is made, the newly minted bride and groom will have to announce this event. Once upon a time, a separate celebration was held on this occasion with many guests. Today it is customary to invite only parents to the cafe, in whose presence the groom gives the bride a ring.
2. Marriage registration and wedding. An application is submitted to the mayor's office one month before the celebration. The application must be accompanied by a certificate from the hospital stating that the bride and groom do not have dangerous diseases. The ceremony itself does not take much time. The mayor reads out their rights and responsibilities to the couple and presents them with a marriage certificate. After this, the entire procession can go to church.
3. Banquet. This stage is carried out according to etiquette. All dishes are served in a specific order. There is no strong alcohol at French weddings: only wine and champagne are served. Guests make toasts, witnesses make a presentation of the newlyweds' life before the wedding.
4. Completion of the wedding. The finale of the celebration is the serving of a large multi-tiered cake. Around midnight, the newlyweds and their parents dance the wedding waltz. This is a signal that the older guests can go home, while the younger generation stays to party all night at the wedding ball.

The next day, the newlyweds traditionally leave for their honeymoon.

Our most important day

The wedding day began quite early, when Paris is still very, very quiet, and only occasionally can you hear the sounds of passing bicycles, mopeds and opening windows. I got up a little earlier than Sasha in order to have time to prepare the last little things - tie silk ribbons to a bouquet of flowers, check the dress again for creases and folds - and drink the first cup of coffee - in peace, on our tiny balcony, a few minutes before . This time was truly magical - when you understand that everything is about to happen, and you seem to be able to catch this feeling by the tail, but you are still waiting... And you hope that “that very” day will be the most fabulous, the most tender, much better than all your plans, calculations and expectations.

Then Katya, the fairy of creams, stilettos and tassels, knocked on the door - and everything began to spin in the cheerful Parisian bustle, like on the carousel of the Luxembourg Gardens. Sasha went to buy croissants at the bakery, we happily chatted about Katya’s move to Paris, recommended restaurants to each other and shared plans for the rest of the summer to the gentle purring of Florence and The Machine, Jessie Ware and, of course, our beloved family – Jane Birkin and Lou Doillon. A little later, all our camera and lens geniuses – Alina, Sasha and Dan – joined us and a real movie began to buzz in our cozy room.

Our wedding day began with a short walk in the Marais quarter - among small streets, bakeries, showrooms, bars and shop windows with postcards. It was Monday, so there weren't that many onlookers who could embarrass us: most likely, Parisians have long been accustomed to girls in wedding dresses walking around the city in the morning! At some point, we stopped to eat buns in a place completely unfamiliar to me, and suddenly on a shabby wall, covered from top to bottom with posters, I saw them - the black and white faces of Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina. Posters from my favorite Godard paintings - “Pierrot the Madman” and “Breathless”. It was simply magical! Really, like in an old black and white movie.

We walked to the beautiful Place des Vosges, next to which is the famous and beloved Victor Hugo Museum, took some pictures and went to the Palais Royale, where at noon we were supposed to exchange wedding vows.

The day before we came here to drink coffee and eat chocolate cupcakes at Café Kitsune to “get to know” the place and choose the most beautiful, ideal alley for our wedding. Surprisingly, it is always so quiet, cozy and good here, much calmer than in any other park in Paris. The leaves were already falling from the trees, and with the blowing of the wind it seemed that it was not July, but early September.

At that moment, when we stood in front of each other in a shady alley, clutching vows in our hands, I already understood that these were the most important seconds, that we would truly remember them forever. And then it’s like in the movies. Blurred background around, a broken voice, tears, laughter, more tears and more laughter. The most touching moment of the most important day with the happiest person in all of Paris.

We rustled the leaves in the park a little more, caught our breath a little, and then, holding hands, we went to Le Grand Vefour, where my beloved Colette once drank champagne. After lunch we wandered around Montmartre a little, listened to Don Pasquale at the Opera Garnier and ended the evening on the Pont Alexandra, watching the hundreds of lights of the Eiffel Tower come on, which seemed to be shining especially brightly that evening and, of course, only for us alone.

Parisian cuisine

The wedding reception begins with cocktails. For a couple of hours, guests with glasses in their hands engage in small talk and congratulate the newlyweds.

When the feast begins, everyone sits down at round tables of several people. Seats can be assigned in advance, as indicated by signs placed on the tables. A plan is posted at the entrance to the hall so that guests can immediately find their seats.

The bride and groom personally thank each person who came, giving him a small souvenir (usually a jelly bean in a box).

In France, it is not customary to organize a banquet based on the buffet principle. Each guest is served a separate portion in a certain order. First, appetizers are served, then soup and the main course, complemented by salads and cheeses, and dessert. You won’t find a wide variety of dishes here, but the champagne will flow like a river.

As for the menu, everything depends on the wedding style, financial capabilities, and the wishes of the newlyweds. Often served at French weddings:

• various pates;
• sauces;
• cheeses;
• potatoes stewed with some kind of meat;
• flambé (pizza-like pie);
• quiche (open pie);
• onion soup;
• rooster in wine;
• ratatouille (roasted vegetables);
• cassoulet (a dish of white beans with meat);
• niçoise (salad with a lot of vegetables).

Desserts deserve special attention: meringues and mousses, blancmange (sweet jelly made from milk), grillage (nuts fried in sugar), canele (something like cupcakes with a crispy caramel crust) and so on.

Types of wedding ceremonies

Like any other European state, France is ready to offer you three standard wedding options:

• official registration of marriage;
• symbolic (staged) wedding;
• church wedding ceremony.

If you want to officially get married at the city hall, then in addition to providing all the necessary documents, you must comply with certain formalities. Before registering your marriage, according to French law, you must stay in the territory of this state for at least one calendar month.

The package of necessary documents includes:

• general and international passports;
• birth certificates;
• certificates of divorce or death of the former spouse (if such cases occurred).

Of course, an official wedding in France is associated with certain types of bureaucratic difficulties. The specialists of our company, located both in Moscow and in France, will represent your interests and will make every effort to minimize possible difficulties.

For those who do not want or do not have the opportunity to go through all the necessary procedures and prepare documents, the Royal-Events holiday agency offers a symbolic ceremony.

In its solemnity, a staged wedding is almost in no way inferior to an official wedding, and in some aspects is even more acceptable. There are all possibilities for its implementation. The newlyweds are not limited by anything and have the opportunity to hold their wedding where and how they want. This can be a celebration in any corner of France (in one of the villas on the Cote d'Azur, in Cannes, a wedding in Paris, in an ancient castle in the central part of the country or in fragrant and no less romantic Provence).

Also in France you have the opportunity to unite your lives and hearts with a church wedding ceremony in one of the many churches. The wedding, organized and carried out by our specialists, can be performed both in Catholic and Orthodox cathedrals.

Whatever option you choose for organizing your wedding ceremony in France, in any case you will be satisfied with the level and quality of the services provided.

Expenses

How much a Parisian-style wedding will cost will depend on the complexity of the organization and how full the ceremony is with various ideas and attributes. As an example, here are prices for some types of celebrations:

• 600–800 euros – a wedding for two. It does not involve frills, it is suitable for those who want to quickly leave the official part and devote the remaining time to Paris. This amount will cover only the basic package of services: the ceremony itself, transportation, bridal bouquet, photo shoot, champagne.
• 1,000–2,000 euros - for this money, the marriage agency, in addition to the basic package, will offer the services of a stylist and makeup artist, a tour of the picturesque places of the city, a ceremony plan, and dinner in a restaurant.
• 2,000–3,000 euros - this amount (except for what is listed above) includes the creation of a unique celebration scenario, decoration of the ceremony site, musical accompaniment, assistance in choosing a dress, refreshments and alcoholic drinks, photo and video sessions.

Advice from a couple

We would advise couples to focus less on the “significance” of this day and organize this holiday the way you want. Even if it's an informal pool party for 100 people. It is very important that you enjoy both the preparation and the execution!

Be prepared for the fact that not all friends and family will accept your decision, but don't let other people's opinions influence you - it's your day first and foremost! But even when organizing a wedding for two, do not forget about your family and friends who want to congratulate you. Maybe not on the wedding day itself, but give them this opportunity.

And if you decide to exchange vows, be sure to write each other “morning” letters. Keep your vows to each other in writing, because during the ceremony, nerves and tension will make you more focused on speaking than on listening.

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Additional services

Future newlyweds can always choose additional services, for example:

• night photo session – about 100 euros;
• video recording of the bride and groom getting ready – about 100 euros;
• decorating the place of celebration with flowers – from 100 euros;
• live music – 50–150 euros for 1 hour;
• festive menu - the price depends on the range of dishes and drinks, as well as on the number of guests. On average, you need to count on 50–100 euros per person.

Location

France is rich in beautiful cathedrals and churches that have been preserved from the era of powerful kings and beautiful ladies. You can have a wedding in any of them and start your life together with a blessing from above. Very often, newlyweds choose the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral or the ancient church of Sainte-Genevieve des Bois for their wedding. A wedding in a castle, in a royally luxurious atmosphere, will be romantic and beautiful. Especially if you choose a wedding at the Palace of Versailles. Or maybe your dream wedding is on the Cote d'Azur - Nice, Monaco, Saint-Tropez? These resorts will captivate you with their sophistication and will be remembered for their exotic notes. A wedding in Paris will be bright and colorful; you can arrange a magnificent celebration on one of the restaurant boats floating on the Seine.

In any case, no matter what wedding venue you choose, a French-style wedding will impress with original arrangements of fresh flowers. By the way, the tradition of abundantly decorating the venue with flowers has been preserved since the era of Louis XIV. Each flower has a symbolic meaning and is intended to “bless” the newlyweds with happiness, make their love eternal, and their life together long and rich. The ceremony site must be sprinkled with bay leaves.

Modern wedding traditions

A wedding ceremony in Paris is filled with many traditions that you need to know about if you plan to do everything exactly in French:

• The list of guests is always divided into two parts: those who will be present only at the official part, and those who are invited to celebrate with the newlyweds in the restaurant. Both groups receive the same invitations. But those who go to the restaurant will have a carte d'invitation enclosed in the envelope indicating the address and name of the restaurant.
• Making your own holiday decor. The tradition is that on some day women and girls gather in one place and make bows, boutonnieres, and other decorations, which will then be attached to cars, furniture, and distributed to guests.
• During the ceremony, the newlyweds are presented with rings by young children who are chosen in advance for this important mission. In France they are called “children of happiness.”
• When registering a marriage at the city hall, the bride must be on the left hand of the groom. This tradition dates back to the era of the musketeers: the cavalier's right hand had to be free in case he had to draw his sword.
• The wish-list or list of gifts is given to the guests by the future newlyweds during the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Giving something that is not on this list is not accepted.

Nice

The capital of the Cote d'Azur, which is beautiful in French and elegant in Italian. Weddings here take place surrounded by sea air, hot sun and very beautiful architecture.

Videographer: PartyVision Wedding

It was in Nice that the TOBELOVE agency team organized a wedding that was in no way inferior to a Hollywood film premiere. Mysterious phone calls to the room, photos planted at the door and fortune cookies from waiters are just a small part of the scenario that awaited guests.

Videographer: Mikhail Levchuk