Interested in the history of French courtships? Dreaming of a wedding in France? Our guide to french wedding courtships gives you the facts & information you’ll want to know.
Mention French courtships and you’ll most likely conjure up images of young lovers strolling hand in hand along the river Seine, or sharing a picnic under the Eiffel Tower. France is definitely the country of courtship, just as the French language is the language of romance. Unfortunately, getting married in France can be just as mundane as anywhere else in the world as in order for the wedding to be legally binging, there’s a whole bunch of paperwork to be taken care of.
Legal French Weddings
Firstly, if you’re thinking of a wedding in France you need to clear out a whole month in your diary, as that’s how long you have to be in France before you can be legally married. Blood tests at a legally recognized French clinic are also necessary to make sure you and your future spouse’s blood types are not incompatible.
Religious Weddings in France
If that’s put the dampers on your French wedding courtship fantasy, there is a way around. Simply have the legal marriage ceremony in your own country and save the real wedding for France. Whether the wedding in France you dream of involves a priest and a church, or you’re more concerned with the dress, cake and music, it’s up to you. Provided you don’t want a legal marriage certificate from the French Government, you can have your fairytale wedding in France without the hassle of paperwork and blood tests.
Civil Wedding Ceremony in France
For a wedding to be legally binding in France it needs to be administered by a civil authority, not a religious one. Also, one of the people getting married at the wedding has to reside in France for at least 40 days prior to the wedding. The actual period is 30 days in order to apply for the wedding in France, and once you’ve done that the local government has to put a notice up concerning your wedding in the town hall for 10 days prior to the wedding taking place.
Necessary documents for Weddings in France
If you do decide on going through with a legally binding civil wedding in France, you need to make sure you have a few documents which you’ll present to the civil authorities. These include:
1. An official birth certificate issued by the government of your country.
2. A notarized Certificat de Coutume, or affidavit, written by a lawyer in the country where you live. This document basically states you are free to get married and that the wedding held in France will be seen as valid in your home country.
3. A certificate of death or divorce if you were previously married.
