How to Get Married in France
Can there be a country more associated with romance than France? Even the thought of it conjuers up images of strolling along the Seine on a Parisian evening or exploring little villages in the wine regions.
It is not at all easy for foreigners to organise a legal civil wedding in France however, since the residency requirement is long and never waived.
Church weddings, following a legal marriage elsewhere, are perfectly possible and popular with overseas couples, and there are picturesque churches dotted thoughout the French countryside.
Legal Civil Weddings
There are three very important points:
- Religious weddings in France are never legal ceremonies.
- A religious ceremony can only be performed after a civil wedding has taken place.
- For a civil wedding there is a long residency requirement.
So, getting legally married in France is quite a daunting prospect to organise.
More about Civil Weddings in France
Church Weddings
You can have a civil ceremony in your home country or elsewhere first, then a religious wedding in France. There is no residency requirement in this case.
You must already be legally married under French law by the time the religious ceremony takes place and will be required to have proof of this.
More about Church Weddings in France
About France
From romantic Paris where couples have for centuries strolled hand in hand by the Seine to its majestic chateaux and chic resorts, France has a lot to offer when it comes to weddings.