If you’ve found our website, then chances are you have already fallen in love with the idea of an elegant destination wedding in the south of France. Planning a destination wedding may seem a little daunting at first, but finding the right French wedding venue which can support you from day one with planning, recommendations and advice can be invaluable as you get ready for the most beautiful day of your lives, surrounded by friends and family.
“How do you get married in France?” is what many of our couples ask us. The idea of planning a destination wedding abroad might seem a little intimidating, but in the Dordogne, one of the most picture-perfect regions of France, it certainly doesn’t have to be!
Marrying in France doesn’t have to be complicated and in most cases it actually offers a lot more flexibility than a UK ceremony.
It’s no wonder that France is one of the most popular destination wedding venues in Europe, if not the world, and is home to many romantic venues and locations, providing the opportunity to create a truly unique and special day for you and your loved ones.
What better way to start your married life than with an adventure at a beautiful Château which just epitomises a south of France destination wedding?
Plus, you will have our experienced team and our extensive network of English-speaking suppliers by your side to support you every step of the way.
Many of our destination wedding couples come from the UK but we can also provide advice for other nationalities (including the EU, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East), so if you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to get in touch using the form below.
So, what are the requirements for getting married in France? For UK citizens there are two ways to get married in France, and one is much more straightforward than the other. Either way, French law only recognises civil marriage, so a civil ceremony is essential at some stage either in your home country or at a Mairie (town hall). The requirements depend on which route you choose:
1. Legally marry in the UK through a civil ceremony (which is easy to organise through your local register office in the UK), then come to France and choose a non-official religious or humanist wedding ceremony or blessing. This is by far the easiest option and will give you a lot more freedom when it comes to your symbolic ceremony as it doesn’t have to follow a legal script – giving you the opportunity to get creative!
2. Legally marry in France through a civil ceremony at your local Mairie, and then also hold a religious ceremony (at a religious building) or humanist wedding ceremony with a registered celebrant (at any chosen venue) on the same day or a couple of days later if you wish.
Although this second option is significantly more complicated, some couples choose it if one of them is a French citizen or they have been in the country for the specified number of days prior to the legal ceremony.
By far the most straightforward option, with significantly less paperwork and legal complexities than the second route.
Choose to marry at a UK registry office with a small legal ceremony or even just a couple of witnesses.
You can then head over to France for your ‘walk-down-the-aisle’ ceremony.
This is a beautiful option because, as it is a symbolic ceremony, it means you can adapt your service to be truly unique to you as a couple with the exact wording, readings, music and order that you wish.
We work with experienced celebrants who will make your ceremony incredibly special with the exchanging of rings, handfasting, candle lighting ritual or any other symbolic tradition that is important to you as a couple
Once your ceremony is complete, you know that you are now legally married and have celebrated with all your friends and family in attendance.
For this option, you, your partner or one of your parents needs to have lived in the town where you want to get married for at least 40 days before the ceremony.
If you meet one of these requirements and are happy to do the paperwork, then you will need to contact that commune’s Mairie (Town Hall) and the British Consulate who will assist you in the processing of your application. You can find most of the required forms, including the Self declaration form for marriage or civil partnership (PACS) in France, on gov.uk.
Under French law, you will still need to have the formal legal ceremony at the Mairie, even if you plan to also have a ceremony at a church or other religious site or at your chosen venue.
In essence, you will therefore revert back to Option 1 once the “legal bit” is completed at the Mairie. You can have a church or chapel wedding (one of you must be Catholic for most French churches) or you can have a celebrant hold your symbolic ceremony at your wedding venue.
French law only recognises civil marriages, so for your marriage to be valid in France the civil ceremony is required, whether it happens in France or the UK.
UK law states that your marriage should be recognised in the UK if you follow the correct process according to the law in France – so by extension, having the civil ceremony will ensure the marriage is legally recognised in both countries.
All documents must be certified by the British Consulate and translated by a sworn translator, prior to being presented to the Mairie. You can get a list of approved translators from the Mairie or local police station. Here is a quick overview of what you will need:
In France, couples are required to first marry in the town hall (Mairie) before any civil or religious service can take place.
Once all this is in place, you will need to go to the town hall where the town’s mayor, or his legally authorised replacement, will perform the ceremony and tell you about your responsibilities to each other – in French. You then sign the register and walk out a married couple. After that, you can still hold a religious or humanist ceremony and a proper celebration!
Yes – the requirements for UK citizens to get married in France are the same for opposite and same-sex marriages, according to the UK government website.
Château de Sainte Croix is a sumptuous five-star styled Château in the beautiful Dordogne, just 30 minutes from Bergerac airport.
If you are looking for a flexible approach, luxury accommodation and glorious surroundings, then this is the ideal venue to make your dreams a reality in this gorgeous corner of Southwest France.