When it comes to celebrating your wedding in France, there’s loads of choice for romantic venues and places that will create the memories you want from your special day.

If you want to have a party or celebration of your wedding in France – that’s easy, just pick a venue that’s in the area you want, big enough for your guests and with plenty of the wow factor you desire.

If your plans including getting married in France, you’ll need to tick a few boxes first, you can’t just rock up and book it Las Vegas style.

Getting married in France

You will need to fulfil a list of criteria to be able to get married in France – one of which is to be resident for 30 days before the wedding date.

You’ll need to book the wedding date in advance – all marriages take place at the town hall and are conducted by the major of one of his team. If you want a religious ceremony, you’ll need to take the certificate from your civil ceremony to book it.

Then there’s the paperwork. The town hall staff will provide you with a list which will include birth certificates, which need to be translated by an authorised translator and verified. A certficat de celibate is also needed – to confirm that you’re not already married. Proof of residency – confirming those all important 30 days you’ve spent in France. And a formal declaration with details of who you are, and your chosen witnesses.

Celebrating your marriage in France

This is much easier! It’s a question of choosing where, when and what! A chateau, manor house, grand country abode – they’re all popular choices. Romantic, luxurious, rural, near the seaside, in the mountains, Paris, Provence, whatever your dream, you’ll find the perfect venue in France.

Luxurious Rustic Chic : Domaine de Lauzel Lot-et-Garonne

The Domaine de Lauzel is near the Bastide town of Monflanquin. Alongside stylish accommodation for 14 there is a beautiful, newly converted stone Wedding Barn suitable for functions with up to 150 guests. Open, light and sunny by day and cosy, intimate and beautifully lit by night the Wedding Barn has an original Napoleonic fireplace, well-equipped bar and dance floor with outside terraces, together with a heated infinity pool across a secluded Courtyard.

The property, in a beautiful, tranquil part of South West France is set in 50 acres and away from other properties but with stunning outlooks over the Lauzel vineyard and lake, amongst rolling countryside. A truly magical and romantic estate in which to celebrate your wedding or other special occasion, amongst family and friends.

Intimate: La Ferme and Chateau du Mont, Eure, Normandy

The 18^th century Chateau du Mont sleeps 16, next door the wonderfully restored Ferme du Mont sleeps 10. Set in a huge country estate just 12km from the beautiful port town of Honfleur, there’s also a consecrated chapel on the grounds that’s suitable for weddings. This is the perfect venue for an intimate celebration and includes a converted stable block that can seat 28 for functions.  With a heated swimming pool and roomy, luxury accommodation, it’s as lovely inside as it is outside, the perfect backdrop for photos.

Just an hour from Giverny and Monet’s garden, close to the beaches and famous Normandy attractions, you’ll find plenty to keep everyone happy here.

Perfectly Provencal: Domaine de Provence, Gard

The stunning Domaine de Provence sleeps up to 22 in an elegant 18^th/19^th century country house. Its charm and authentic Provencal beauty make it the perfect backdrop for celebrations, as well as for holidays. Pool, jacuzzi, gorgeous garden with summer kitchen and boules pitch, light and airy rooms and just a couple of miles from lovely Uzes – it’s perfect Provence.

Just 17 km from Pont du Gard, and within easy reach of Arles, Avignon and the top Provence sites, you won’t want to leave.

Enchanting: Chateau de la Couronne, Charente

The chic Chateau de la Couronne sleeps up to 26 in luxury, close to Angouleme in charming Charente and on the border with neighbouring department Dordogne. With a heated pool, private cinema and large garden it’s a perfect wedding venue or celebration location. Enjoy the billiards room, relax in one of the 5 salons, sleep like a baby in the huge bedrooms. This is luxurious accommodation at its best, rated by Guardian Travel section as “one of the five best house rentals in France”.

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Summer is the traditional wedding season and it also the peak time for destination weddings in France.  There is the allure of glorious weather, tailored ceremonies and a chance to combine that oh so special day with travel. All of which means that France remains one of the most desired wedding locations in the world.

Whether brides are looking to hire a wedding professional to plan and manage their day, or work with family and friends on a DIY option, there are a number of upcoming French wedding trends that we will be seeing more of this year:

Naked Rustic Wedding Cakes

This trend goes against everything that the traditional wedding cake industry used to hold dear.  Essentially a baked cake – but with no covering.  No buttercream or hard fondant covering, no  handmade iced flowers and decorations. As the naked rustic cake trend evolves they are becoming widely available in a huge variety of flavours and decorated with fruit, fresh flowers and handmade non edible decorations.  The ease of making and baking these is perfect for a bride on a budget; time to call on that Aunt who is a whizz in the kitchen.

Decorative bouquets

Considered an extension of the bridal ensemble, decorative bouquets are created using vintage brooches, paper flowers, cake pops or sweets. Vintage styled decorative bouquets involve sourcing a large quantity of brooches and jewels and wiring them together in a decorative style, to resemble a bouquet. If you are looking to make your own bouquet, there are lots of tutorials via Pinterest or contact jewellery or craft professional to help you create a bespoke design.

Unique grooms buttonholes

No longer the forgotten element of weddings, the groom’s style choices are becoming as crucial to the overall style of the wedding as the bride’s.  As grooms’ style options continue to change – including, braces, bow ties and high fashion inspired suits, it is their buttonholes that are currently set to wow. Feathers, acorns, fruit, succulents, foliage and berries are all being included to spruce up the basic groom buttonhole.

Signage

Need to indicate which way to the bar? Of course you need a sign! But we are not talking about nice neat printed signs anymore; signage has become a part of the decoration for an outdoor summer wedding.

Pictures frames, mirrors with writing, chalkboards, wooden logs, burlap sacking and drinks trays are just some of the example of wedding signage, but lots more are available if you put your creative thoughts to work.

Barefoot brides

If you are having a beach or bohemian wedding, then brides are trading shoes for barefoot bridal sandals. With designs available in lace, crochet and even Swarovski crystal, barefoot bridal sandals are a beautiful way to dress your feet.

Baby’s Breath arrangements

What was once used as the filler in wedding bouquets and arrangements is now the floral star at weddings.  Baby’s Breath or Gypsophila has a cloud-like and delicate style, lending itself to romantic weddings and DIY weddings.  Try hanging a large hanging dramatic ball of this ethereal looking flower from the wedding venue ceiling for a great talking point.

Indoor furniture

Part of the charm for a summer wedding in France is the beautiful outdoor weather and scenery.  Rules are going out the window in terms of what furniture you provide your guests to sit on.  We’ve all been to weddings where you sit through the ceremony, fidgeting on uncomfortable temporary chairs.

These days indoor furniture is on its way out – out doors that is and is making an appearance during wedding ceremonies and reception.  Tip: lots of burly men might be needed for a plan B in case it rains!

Floral Crowns

Although the floral crown trend has been around for more than one season, this style is still in – and it’s getting bigger and more dramatic and even more versatile. From decorative faux floral crowns to unforgettable real crowns such as below.

Unique reception table formations

Many wedding venues offer you options for seating your wedding guests, u-shaped, canteen style, banquet style or t-shape.  For an inside venue this can be invaluable in working out how many guests you can fit in a room. For an outside wedding in France – make up your own rules!  If you’re having a beach wedding, why not follow the curve of the shoreline or spell out your initials.

Family Style Dining

Not suitable for formal weddings, but for a relaxing summer wedding consider dining family style with large platters of food.  Sharing food is a great icebreaker amongst guests and also allows you to offer some different options for catering. If you are planning a DIY wedding, this is also a great compromise between a buffet and traditional formal wedding dinner.

By French Wedding Style Blog.

Photo Credits from top to bottom: Susie Lawrence Photography; Clary Photography; Colin Cowie Weddings; Louise Bailey

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Whilst December and January might not be the most traditional or even popular months for weddings, choosing to get married in winter has so many positives. However the challenges in arranging a winter wedding should be well planned for to avoid potential problems…

Winter Wedding Ideas with Oh la la

Before embarking on a winter wedding, weather is one of the largest considerations. A remote Chateau dusted with a blanket of snow might be your dream venue, but during heavy snowfall, rural roads could become impassable. If you have guests flying in from across the globe, does the nearest airport have a good reputation of coping well with winter conditions?

How will your guests feel on your wedding day in the cold of winter? Visiting your chosen venue during the summer months can make it hard to visualise any potential problems during the winter. The easiest way is to do a walk through at night when it is colder, this way you might foresee potential problems, such as; grit for a sloppy path, umbrellas for when guests arrive, torches or lights for guests to return to gites late at night, pashminas for the ladies who are a little chilly and bridal wellies for those pictures that you desire against the snowy estate backdrop. This is not set to dishearten you against a winter wedding, but preparation is key.

One of the beautiful elements of getting married in the winter and over the festive season is the different decorative styles that you can bring to your big day.

Winter Wonderland Wedding

Creating a winter wonderland look is all in the details and it doesn’t have to mean it is all about expense. A great idea is to use items such as discounted fake fruit, coat with glitter and white crystals and voila – an eye catching and inexpensive decoration!

Looking to nature provides for a great source of inspiration and materials.  Pine cones dusted with silver sparkles and a pretty name tag can make for a magical place setting; old branches and twigs arranged in a vase with a touch of glitter, can add a sparkling touch.

Of course to create the ultimate luxurious winter wonderland, an abundance of white and ivory blooms will transform the most basic of spaces into an opulent dream wedding venue.

French Festive style for a winter wedding

Deep reds, golds and rustic greens adorn a wedding full of festive cheer. This wedding theme is about celebrating the season, encapsulating your guests’ existing festive spirit into your wedding day.

For the budget conscious bride many venues already have Christmas trees and other large statement festive decorations for their Christmas season. Simply ask your wedding venue co-ordinator what the venue’s Christmas theme is this year, thus enabling you to co-ordinate with it. No need to spend large amounts of money on garlands for grand stairs or decorations for fireplaces, as most feature elements have already been decorated by the venue.

As most venues continue to offer late Christmas parties into January, the decorations don’t usually come down at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Day. However if you are planning a January wedding, do be sure to check the date that the decorations are being taken down.

Have a wonderful festive season to all the couples getting married!

Visit French Wedding Style for more information on getting married in France or adding some French style to your wedding day.

Top Photo: Source: Rik Pennington; Middle photo: Cake: Cakes by Beth, Bouquet: Anastasiya Belik Photography, Winter Dessert Table: Botinica Florals, Pears: Simply Southern, Tablescape: Photographer She Wanders Photography, Pine Cone Setting; WeddingOmania; Bottom photo: Cakes by Beth (as middle photo), Bride and Bridesmaids: InBliss Weddings  Decoration Heart: Krista Kelanen Photography, Christmas Table: To the Bride and Groom, Candy Favours: The Curiosity Project, Ice Drinks Bucket: The Studio B Photography

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Bringing you great tips for French wedding style for autumn brides…

As the leaves turn wonderful shades of orange and brown and the nights draw in, it is a sure sign that Autumn has arrived.  Whilst in years gone past traditionally wedding season starts in June and runs until early September, wedding season is becoming extended with weddings in all 12 months of the year.

Of course there will still always be peak dates for weddings, with some August dates being booked up years in advance, but if you are looking for something outside of the usual then Autumn is a wonderful season to get married in.

If you are a budget conscious bride, out of summer weddings can come with certain discounts for off-peak wedding season.  However be cautious as some wedding suppliers who have been booked solid during the summer months, take time off in Autumn to recharge their creative batteries.  Plus many photographers are booked not shooting weddings, but catching up on the resulting editing mountain for beautiful summer weddings.

When it comes to the location of your wedding ceremony and reception, just like the summer style, this can be determined by where in France you are getting married.  Average temperatures for Chateau Challain and Angers in October are 17°C, whilst in Corsica a balmy 23°C in October.

Planning an outdoor Autumn celebration is a chance to incorporate the seasonal hues into the colour palette, incorporating burnt orange, coral, browns, tans, caramels and sage greens.  If you are looking for inspiration take a walk through the Autumnal countryside, take a snap shot of the changing season and this provides your colour reference point.

If you are looking to add in some additional colours, incorporating purple, gold and dark reds add in a rich tone to the style, whilst also providing a transitional colour scheme between Autumn and winter.

Planning a destination wedding in France can provide wonderful opportunities to include the local produce into your celebration menu and the wedding cake.  The rise in the number of skilled English and American cake makers who service France, means that you have options if you want to include an iced wedding cake into your day.

Choose an elegant 6-tiered ivory wedding cake featuring wild roses, acorns and Autumnal leaves for a large wedding to provide an eye catching centrepiece.  Or for a more intimate wedding a two-tiered wedding cake with golden hues.

Whether you are planning a DIY wedding which includes a dessert table or you are looking to commission a baker to create one for you, Cristina from Paris Luxury Cakes provides us with some delectable Autumnal dessert ideas including St Honoré, Millefeuille made with pumpkin and Quince Crostata.

Visit French Wedding Style for more information on getting married in France

Credits:
Photo 1 and 3 Styling and Decoration by A Dream French Wedding, Photography Dan Courtice, photo 3 flowers by Ellery May Fleuriste; Photo 2 Photography Susie Lawrence; Photo 4 Flowers by Florésie and photography Elisabeth Perotin; Photo 5 Left: Cakes by Beth, Right and Photo 6 Paris Luxury Cakes

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Summer is finally here!  I was delighted when The Good Life France asked me to be their resident Wedding Expert and with summer in full swing, this is the topic of my first weddings in France inspiration post . (Photo: Styling  Mon plus beau jour Photography Pierre Atelier)

Summer is still the most popular time for weddings, with many brides looking to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather.  I receive emails daily from brides planning their wedding in France and at home, who are looking for unique ideas on how to plan a summer wedding that incorporates the season, but still feels individual.

If you have already booked your wedding venue, this will form some of the styling accents for the day, but any venue style can be moulded with some careful planning and creative ideas. (Photo: Bastide St Mathieu)

Rustic Picnic Style

This style is reminiscent of long summer days spent with friends and family, when a game of rounders can turn into a competitive tournament.  For creative brides who are looking for an informal celebration, this style provides a relaxed atmosphere, with an informal structure to the day where the wedding details are simple and budget friendly.

Guests can be seated on picnic rugs or dressed bales of hay, with family picnic hampers and large retro refreshment dispensers as the children run around freely and toddlers sleep in pushchairs in the shade.

(Photo:  Top left & top right: Ben & Aurore Photos; Middle left: Mason jar labels UrbandBelleCoture by Jessica Maida Photography, Middle right: Jessica Maida Photography; Bottom left: Susie Lawrence Photography, Bottom right: Amara Weddings)

Garden Party Style

Shabby chic enthusiasts can use their talents to create an informal garden party wedding reception.  A step between rustic picnic and a formal outdoor reception, mix matched tables and chairs are covered with wild flowers picked on the morning of the wedding.

For a rustic garden party rows of long wood benches feature decorated lace and burlap mason jars of flowers, whilst fabric bunting hangs from the rafters or surrounding trees.  The style has no formal seating plan or waiting staff, but invites guests to mingle as they enjoy the picturesque surroundings. (Photo Top Left: Bastide St Mathieu, Top Middle: Belle Momenti at Chateau des Buis, Top Right, bottom middle, bottom right: Jessica Maida Photography; Bottom Left: Amara Weddings)

Use seasonal food to create a vibrant buffet table and treat your guests to the local cuisine including cheese and its accompaniments.

(Photo: Top, middle and right Belle Momenti Bottom and left Jessica Maida Photography)

Chick Outdoor Reception Style

Fully exploit the wonderful summer weather and take your formal wedding dinner outside.  Use your beautiful wedding venue as the backdrop for your wedding celebrations, with a formal seating plan and reception tables covered in crisp white linen and gleaming silverware.

Commission the expertise of a florist to create stunning arrangements that will compliment the outdoor setting, whilst not including flowers that unduly attract unwanted distractions. This is a deceptive style that has similarities to a swan.  Whilst the styling and service needs to be elegant and visually simple to not fight against the picturesque surroundings and venue, it requires a skilled planner and staff busily working away beneath the surface, to create this flawless look and service outside of a traditional venue. (Photo: Styling  Mon plus beau jour Photography Pierre Atelier)

For more wedding style be sure to visit French Wedding Style Blog.

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French and Paris-themed weddings are all the rage these days. On nearly a weekly basis, I receive emails from brides-to-be from around the globe asking for hints on adding a touch of Parisian glamour to their local, hometown celebrations. One of my favorite suggestions is one that’s simple, unique, and comes with a MAJOR “wow” factor.  Instead of a classic stacked buttercream or fondant cake, serve a traditional French wedding cake—a croquembouche – for dessert instead.

Invented by French pastry chef Antoine Careme (1783-1833) in the late 1700s, the croquembouche is a tower of cream-filled, puff-pastry balls (called choux in French) that are piled into a high pyramid and encircled with caramelized sugar. This sugar is what gives the dessert its name—croquembouche loosely translates to “crunch in the mouth.” In addition to spun sugar, the croquembouche can be decorated with icing, chocolate, sugared almonds or candy ribbons.

In France, any patisserie worth its weight in salt will be able to help you obtain a croquembouche. One of the most popular Parisian patisseries is Ladurée, who are known around the world for their macarons. Well, Ladurée also creates beautiful croquembouche in either plain choux drizzled in caramelized sugar or covered in icing in their signature pastel colors. Ladurée offers a wide selection of flavors of crème, like vanilla, pistachio, caramel, rose and orange blossom. The most popular among Parisian brides is the vanilla-bourbon cream, which is flavored with just the slightest touch of aged rum.

Now, one of the highlights of a French wedding is the presentation of Le gâteau (the cake). Unlike in traditional American weddings where the cake is on display as a focal point throughout the entire reception dinner, a French wedding cake is brought out at dessert time, usually with quite a bit of hoopla.

A typical serving of croquembouche is around three or four choux per guest. So at a wedding of 100 guests, you can imagine the height of some of these cakes. When it’s time to present the croquembouche, the lights will go down, and the DJ will start the guests chanting, “Le gateau! Le gateau!”. Amid quite a bit of fanfare (think “Rocky’s Theme” or “2001 Space Odyssey”), the head patissière and his assistants will carry out the cake to the happy couple. And as if a four-foot tower of cream-filled puff pastries dripping in caramelized spun sugar wasn’t enough, the croquembouche at a French wedding is also usually presented with fireworks (called “scintillants”) shooting out from all over it.

After the flames die down, the couple breaks off a few of the choux and feeds a few bites to each other. The cake is then whisked away to be cut, plated and served to guests.

Ask your local French bakery about creating a croquembouche for your French-inspired wedding reception, bridal shower or rehearsal dinner dessert. For those concerned with fire codes, try substituting individual, hand-held sparklers for the fireworks. Pass them out to guests before the dessert and let them know to light them at the designated time.

More in our French wedding expertise section

Kimberley Petyt is a wedding planner in Paris and author of The Paris Wedding.

Read our interview with Kimberley Petyt

Read Kimberley Petyt’s expert feature on How to get Married in Paris

The post Croquembouche – Traditional French wedding cake appeared first on The Good Life France.

Excerpt from Kimberley Petyt’s book “The Paris Wedding” – the definitive guide to getting married in Paris, France or creating a Paris wedding theme, packed full of practical advice, fabulous style tips and glorious photographs. Here Kimberley gives you “the skinny on getting married in Paris”:

What could be more stylish and romantic than a wedding in Paris? With the rise in popularity of destination weddings and the thriving hospitality industry that caters to them, Paris has become as viable a destination option to the newly engaged as a wedding on either coast of the United States. Unfortunately, alongside the fairy-tale images of a Parisian wedding is the harsh reality of miles and miles of administrative red tape.

One of the biggest obstacles for you love-struck couples who want to get married in Paris is that in order to be legally wed in France, at least one of you needs to have lived in France, in the district around the city hall in which you plan to get married, for a minimum of forty consecutive days before the wedding. This includes the additional ten days for the city hall to publish the banns—a public announcement that is put up in the city hall for ten days before your marriage that lists your names and your wedding date so that any estranged husbands or wives have one last chance to find you before you’re married off.

Before asking for that sabbatical from work, though, you should know that this one little detail is actually a pretty big one. In order to prove residency, you’ll need to show two separate official documents that show your French address (called a justificatif de domicile) such as a gas or electricity bill, a rent receipt, a French social security insurance card or a car leasing agreement. And just in case you’ve got the bright idea to rent an apartment in Paris on a short-term lease in order to meet this legal requirement, you need to know that it could take several months before you receive some of those documents.

If you’re not able to rent your own apartment, another option is for you and/or your honey to move in with a friend or relative in your desired district, and have that person sign an attestation d’hébergement sur l’honneur. This is a statement swearing that you have been living in that person’s home, and that they take full responsibility for you if you happen to be an illegal truffle trafficker or something. There is a ton of small print attached to this document, including a huge fine and a short trip to the guillotine if it’s ever found out that you were not, in fact, living with them. Know that this is a pretty big favor that you’d be asking of someone.

If there’s one thing that you should learn early on about France and the French it’s that they love their paperwork. If you’re newly engaged, have decided to get married in Paris, and the forty-day residency issue is sorted out, the VERY first thing that you want to do is get the most recent list of required paperwork from the city hall (mairie) in which you plan to marry. Most of these documents have to be dated within specific time frames before being submitted, so it’s important to get the list as soon as you can. It’s important, though (and I can’t stress this enough), that you get the official, most up-to-date list from the specific city hall in the district (arrondissement) in which you are planning to marry. The lists are essentially the same, but there could be slight variations from district to district, so to be on the safe side, you should probably go to the source. Here’s a list of documents and information you’ll be required to have:

Valid passport or a French residence permit (carte de séjour)

Birth certificate (extrait d’acte de naissance): Most city halls require that you present an original copy of a complete birth certificate (with full parentage details) along with a sworn translation, issued within three months of your requested wedding date. The translation must be done by a sworn translator (traducteur assermente), not merely someone who speaks French very well. A list of sworn translators is available in French city halls and your local French consulate or embassy.

Affidavit of law (certificat de coutume): This certifies that the American citizen is free to get married in France and that the marriage will be recognized in the United States.

Certificate of celibacy (attestation tenant lieu de déclaration en vue de mariage ou de non remariage): This is essentially the same thing as the certificat de coutume, a legal document that says you’re free to marry. Some city halls require one of these documents over the other, and some require both. Be sure to clarify this with your specific city hall. Both of these documents must be dated less than three months from your wedding date.

Medical certificate (certificat médical prénuptial): You both must get a prenuptial medical certificate, which says that you were examined by a doctor “en vue de mariage.” (Don’t get nervous, girls. It’s just a standard check-up, plus a couple of blood tests for things like rubella or toxoplasmosis). The marriage banns cannot be published until medical certificates have been submitted to the city hall. The certificates typically must be dated no earlier than two months before the publication of the banns. Any qualified doctor can perform the medical exam.

Certificat du notaire: If you’re planning on having a pre- nuptial agreement, you must go through a lawyer who will provide you with a certificat du notaire, which you must submit to the city hall with the rest of your documents. It must have been drawn up no more than two months prior to the marriage. If there are no prenuptial contracts, then you’ll be married under the communauté réduites aux acquêts. This means that what each of you owned personally before the marriage, or whatever comes to you afterwards through inheritance, remains your own, individual property. Only items or property that is acquired during the marriage is considered equally owned by both parties. (If you’ve ever seen or read Diane Johnson’s Le Divorce, this scenario may look familiar to you.) If either of you were previously married, you must also provide a certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased spouse or a certified copy of the final divorce decree.

Témoins: In addition to all of the above, you will also have to choose and provide information on your witnesses (témoins)—two to four people who will act as your legal best men and/or maid(s) of honor—and sign the registry after the marriage ceremony. You will need to provide their names, addresses, professions and photocopies of their French identity cards or foreign pass- ports with your dossier.

All of this needs to be presented, in person, to the mairie in time for them to check and approve your documents before posting the banns. They typically ask for your completed marriage file twenty days before their publication, but I usually suggest that my clients submit their file sooner than that, just in case there’s a document missing. When all has been accepted and approved, you’ll receive confirmation from the mairie of your wedding date (you can request a specific date and time when you drop off your paperwork, but they will assure you that nothing is confirmed until the dossier has been approved).

Keep in mind that you must be legally married in a civil ceremony before you will be allowed to have a religious ceremony in France. After your civil ceremony, you’ll receive a Livret de Famille—a velvet booklet that contains your marriage certificate. It also has LOTS of extra pages for you to keep track of your future children. This little blue book is the Holy Grail. If you live in France, this book will make your administrative life here a lot easier pretty much until the day you die (in which your death will be noted in said little blue book). If you don’t plan on staying in France, think of it as the ultimate wedding present.

Getting married in a foreign country is rarely easy. A Parisian wedding is just a bit more difficult than that. But if you are willing and able, the lasting memory of exchanging your vows beneath the shadow of the Eiffel Tower or in the cobbled halls of a centuries-old chateau is worth the few months of frustration.

French Embassy United States: 4101 Reservoir Road, NW Washington, D.C. 20007 www.info-france-usa.org www.ambafrance-us.org

French Consulates United States: The Lenox Building, Suite 500 3399 Peachtree Road Atlanta, Georgia 30326 www.consulfrance-atlanta.org

88 Kearny Street, Suite 600 San Francisco, California 94108 www.consulfrance-sanfrancisco.org

934 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10021 www.consulfrance-newyork.org

French Embassy England: 58 Knightsbridge London SW1X 7JT www.ambafrance-uk.org

French Embassy Canada: 42 Promenade Sussex Ottawa, Ontario K1M 2C9 www.ambafrance-ca.org/

Review of  The Paris Wedding, Interview with Kimberley Petyt in which she talks about her own wedding in France and how she met her French husband in Paris.

The post How to get married in Paris appeared first on The Good Life France.

Kimberley Petyt is a wedding planner in Paris.

An expat American Married to a French man, living in Paris and doing what she loves – arranging weddings in the beautiful city of Paris and finding time to write a book sharing her knowledge and expertise.

The Paris Wedding is for brides-to-be coming to Paris or France or anyone who wants to put a little French chic or Oh La La style into a wedding anywhere in the world.

We talked to Kimberley about the inspiration behind her move to France and how she became The Paris Wedding planner…

Where are you from and what did you do before you became a wedding planner?

I’m originally from Chicago. I majored in Theater at school, so like most Theater Majors, I spent a lot of time working in Retail and Retail Management. When the dot-com wave hit, I moved into office administration and eventually project management. From the beginning, though, I’ve always organized fundraisers and special events while volunteering with various non-profits. It’s funny because I think all of this experience is eventually what helped me to become a good wedding planner.

Where did you meet your French husband?

I met my husband in a bar while I was on vacation in Paris.  It was actually very innocent – I was out shopping one afternoon, it started to rain, I ducked into an Irish bar that I had been to earlier in the week. He was there watching a rugby game because he didn’t own a television. He asked if I’d like a drink, I said “yes”, but he heard “no” and came back from the bar sipping on his own drink – and the rest is history!

What was your own wedding theme?

Ha! We didn’t actually have a “theme” per se. We planned our wedding in France while we were living 3000+ miles away in San Francisco. I didn’t speak French, my in-laws didn’t speak English, the internet was still called “The World Wide Web” and most communication with vendors was done by fax. So I guess you could say our wedding theme was “Survivor”.

What inspired you to become a wedding planner?

As the old adage says, “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.”  I knew when we moved to France that the French outlook on business, success, etc was VERY far from my own. In France, there’s a ridiculous amount of emphasis put on “credentials”, and very little, I feel, on experience.  Whereas, in the States, if you’re inspired to do something and you work really hard at it – you have a shot at success whether you’ve received a diploma in that field or not. In France, it’s all about what’s on paper. There’s always some ridiculous “formation” that you’re required to take before you can even try out an idea. I knew that I could never work for a French company at the level that I had been in the States. So I decided to create my own company. I remembered some of the roadblocks that I had come up against planning my own wedding, then used my theater, retail, organizational, project management and special event planning experience- and created Parisian Events!

Was there an “aha” moment in that first wedding when you thought – this is me…?

There was, actually. I remember being so nervous the night before my first wedding, and I kept going over the timeline again and in my head all night. I hit the ground running from the moment I woke up that morning, and stayed on schedule nearly the entire day.  I remember the moment that I sent the bride down the aisle with her dad, I looked down at my watch and saw that we were precisely on schedule, and thought, “I’ve SOOO got this! It was just completely natural to me.

How many weddings have you planned?

Let’s just say that I’ve planned my fair share! A few years back I was planning a ridiculous amount of small, elopement-type weddings but had to slow down. I was starting to feel like a human Drive Thru Chapel d’Amour. I rebranded and started planning fewer, but more elaborate celebrations, which allowed me to be more creative and have more control over where my agency was going. Financially, it wasn’t as lucrative to take on fewer clients, but it helped save my sanity (and my family life!).

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I have to say I’m pretty spoiled living in Paris.  Paris is such an incredible city, and has so many different facets; you can’t help but be inspired while just going to the corner for a carton of milk. I get inspired by the bunches of flowers outside of a flower shop, I get inspired by the way products are stacked on the shelves in a store – I love the way they stack items at La Grande Epicerie at Le Bon Marché. All the colours and textures- I love it! I get inspired by people-watching in the park on Sundays. I get inspired by the light of Paris, depending on the season, weather or time of day. Or objects I find at the flea market. Really – inspiration is everywhere in Paris.

What it is do you think that makes all us ladies dream of a wedding in Paris?

When you think of quality and femininity – I think automatically, for men and women – your thoughts go straight to Paris. Add to that the elements that any woman anywhere wants for her wedding – elegance, tastefulness, an element of tradition – all of those roads lead to Paris.   There are very few other places in the world that can meet that criteria. A wedding in Paris never disappoints, and almost universally (and instinctively!), women know that.

Review of The Paris Wedding

Kimberley Petyt’s “The Skinny on getting married in Paris” except from the book on How to get married in Paris

Find out more on Kimberley’s blog “Parisian Party: Tales of an American Wedding Planner in Paris” or join her on Facebook

The post The French interview – Kimberley Petyt author of The Paris Wedding appeared first on The Good Life France.

Paris… love… wedding… brides everywhere dream of a Paris wedding filled with charm, elegance, and style.

Kimberley Petyt, an American in Paris and married to a Frenchman makes Paris wedding dreams come true. For years she has organised elopements, grand theatrical and elaborate banquets, charming picnics on the cobblestone walks at the side of the Seine and chateau-style soirees. Her wedding planning skills are legendary in Paris and her little black book of contacts is formidable.

Kimberley and her wedding planner business have featured in the New York Times T Magazine “Summer Travel” issue, citing her skills as a cultural liaison for brides seeking to marry in Paris and she has also been featured in Real Simple Weddings, LA Times, Get Married Magazine, Essence Magazine, Eco-Beautiful Weddings, Cosmopolitan China, and France Magazine.

Luckily for anyone who dreams of a Paris wedding, getting married in France or indeed anywhere in the world with a touch of French chic or Oh La La, Kimberley has written a book filled with her expertise and just oozing style and Paris wedding ideas.

Whether you are going to a wedding in France, holding your wedding in France or want to have a French style wedding somewhere else in the world – this book is for you. No more angst about attending a wedding in France – Kimberley explains what’s expected of you and of everyone else!

Want to get married in Paris but have no idea where to start? Kimberley’s practical advice combined with years of experience as one of the top wedding planners in France steers you gently and guides you on course to have the most glorious wedding day.

So, what if you’re not in France but want a wedding day full of French charm?  The Paris Wedding is inspirational and full of fabulous details that will help any bride to plan and create a French style wedding day anywhere in the world. Kimberley covers different themes from “Marie Antoinette Modern”, “Parisian Chic” or “A Green Wedding in Paris” and several more options. From the colour of the flowers to the style of the stationary, what to wear and where to buy it – all in the book!

Paris wedding ideas – from regal to romantic, or how about regal and romantic – Kimberley has it covered from top to toe – illustrated with real life weddings in France, interviews with the brides and grooms, designers, photographers and suppliers. There are lots of tips to help you find your perfect support team wherever you are, questions to ask, things to consider and gorgeous photographs that illustrate the perfect Paris wedding style.

Whether you’re looking for a swish, elegant style or rustic and traditional on your wedding day Kimberley shares her immense knowledge combined with an unbeatable style of her own that will help you get the look you want on your big day. From cakes to dresses, haut couture to budget, traditional to modern – The Paris Wedding has it all.

I’m not getting married but I want this perfect coffee-table book anyway for the uber gorgeous photographs and for planning parties that aren’t weddings but where I know what I learn from Kimberley can transfer to any party, anywhere…

Kimberley Petyt’s new book the Paris Wedding is set to become the planning bible and go-to resource for brides who seek to add a little Oh La to their big day – its on Amazon.com now!

Read an excerpt from The Paris Wedding – “The skinny on getting married in Paris” – How to get married in Paris

Read our interview with Kimberley – she has a great story about her own wedding and how she met her French husband in Paris.

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The Good Life France bumped into Monique Marriage recently – she’s the lady who puts the va va voom into a French wedding style blog that is followed avidly by those planning or dreaming of weddings. We thought it would be great fun to ask her what her own dream wedding would be like. The only criteria we set was – it would have to be in France, other than that we urged her to go wild, if money was no object and she could have what she wanted – what would the wedding expert design?!

MM: I have been married for a number of years and as I don’t want to get divorced any time soon, I am going to be planning my dream scenario for renewing my marriage vows in France.

I have been on an interesting journey writing this post, what started off as a fun exercise, really got me to thinking as to which parts of my wedding day I remember and the elements I was looking to invest time and money in.  When it came to the theme of the day I didn’t choose one as such, but looked towards our own style to act as a guide.  With my black hair, signature red lipstick and my husband’s understated classic style, the all-encompassing theme is old school vintage glamour.  The colour palette for this style would be kept simple and clean with white, black and red.

My advice when looking for a theme or style for your wedding day would be to stick with your own style. Do not rely on trends to dictate your wedding theme, be true to yourself and your photos will never date.

Given a vintage glamour style and celebrating our love, the location just had to be Paris!  There are so many venues in Paris to suit all types of wedding from ultra-modern celebrations, to rooms with an intimate traditional atmosphere, and of course not forgetting buildings steeped in history with an opulent feeling of vintage glamour. 

Hotel Crillon on the world famous Place de la Concorde and in walking distance of the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens, is the chosen venue.  Originally commissioned in 1758 by Louis XV, the Count de Crillon acquired the palace in 1788, where it remained in the Crillon family until 1907 when it was transformed into a palace hotel.

The exquisite interior of the Hotel with its eight banqueting rooms, sets the glamorous tone for the celebrations, including the Salon Marie-Antoinette which is where Queen Marie-Antoinette is said to have taken music lessons.

The decor in the rooms of Hotel Crillon mean that you can let them speak for themselves, you do not need to over decorate them but let their beauty become your wedding backdrop.  Keeping in line with the colour and style, the flowers decorating the room would be classic deep red roses and tulips in the style of this by Panacea:

Bridal style should always be dictated in a large part by your own style and body shape.  At 5.4” with an hour glass figure I have chosen one of my favourite English designers Stephanie Allin and her Bardot dress.  The sweetheart neckline, nipped in waist and full skirt is just delightful, but on a twist I would be replacing the white belt for a jet black belt with matching sparkles as per the Jo Barnes Vintage Gracie headpiece.

The bridal wardrobe would be finished with bright red Louboutin slingbacks and a classic red rose bouquet.

In this type of bridal style the hair and makeup is all important and for ultimate vintage glamour, there is only one person who I would turn to create the look – Lexi DeRock.

For my husband who has a very understated style, I have gone for a classic tuxedo but instead of the traditional bow tie a skinny black tie such as Chase Crawford wore at the Golden Globes with his Dolce & Gabbana tux.

I couldn’t have a celebration in France without including a croquembouche as the wedding cake.  However I would opt for a slightly alternative version than the ones often created by Parisian Hotels.  As shown in the Cervia croquembouche designed and created by Zucchero Pâtisserie in the UK, the Cervia is the usually profiterole tower  but finished with Valrhona Ivoire 35% white chocolate fans and then dressed with Red Passion roses.

For the smaller details and in particular the wedding invite, I would find vintage romance books at thrift sales, find a blank page at the beginning of the book and actually write the invite into the book.  A single red rose would then be placed into the book at the correct page and then closed with a ribbon securely tied around the book.  As this would be an intimate renewal, I could afford the time to create and hand deliver each invite to the special people in our life.

For the female wedding favour a collection of vintage brooches would be collected and placed on each female guest table setting in a black and red silk bag.

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