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Your Wedding In France Or Italy
It’s all about you! At Haute Weddings, we don’t provide a wedding formula or package. Your wedding is tailor made for you. Our expertise is extensive but we realise this is your day to arrange exactly as you’d like it, and there may be some things you’d like to take care of yourselves. We’re happy to offer all, or just a selection, of our services, exactly as you choose.
The Practical Issues
The Official Bit
Getting married in France is usually a two stage process. If you are French, you have to get married at the local Mairie (town hall). This is the legally binding bit of your ceremony, and many French couples then follow this with a blessing – either in a church or at a special location of their choice. This may or may not be religious.
The ‘Mairie’ wedding is a very dry affair – it’s a legally binding agreement, with not much reference to love or romance. You can invite guests, but the ceremony will normally only be conducted in French, and most Mairies are very strict on numbers (and confetti!). In reality, for most couples, the ‘real’ wedding takes place afterwards.
For UK/other residents, getting agreement to get married at the Mairie is usually possible, but may be complicated. We’re not trying to put you off – we’re here to help! – but it’s good to be prepared ... issues may include getting documents translated, medical certificates and blood tests, and having an ‘official address’ in France. Plus you may need to be flexible on dates - the Mairie won’t usually confirm the date until 3 months before – making planning ahead harder.
In our experience many UK couples choose to bypass the French paperwork by getting married in a registry office in the UK first.
The Church/Other Blessing
If you choose to have a blessing after the marriage signing, it can be conducted by whoever you choose, whether it’s in a church or other location (you’ll already be married so it’s not a legally binding ceremony).
Just let us know what you have in mind.
If you’d like a church ceremony we can help organise everything from a traditional vows with British hymns and choir, a typical French ceremony, or something completely different in an unusual and beautiful setting ... Perhaps you’d like one of your friends or family to conduct the service or make a speech? Write your own vows, play unusual music ... This is where the fun ... and your imagination ... start to roll!
Language
We can arrange for your ceremony to be conducted in French or English, or a mixture of both!The Important Details
The Season
Depending on the location, season is important, and both the Alps, the South of France, and Loire Valley have very distinct weather patterns. Let us know what you have in mind and we’ll help make suggestions about what will, and may not, work for the time of year.
The location
How do you see yourself getting married in France? Surrounded by stunning mountain peaks? Overlooking the sea? Bathed in golden sunlight in a Provencal vineyard? In a luxurious Renaissance chateau? The diversity of landscape in France is huge, so however you imagine your day, let us know and we’ll get creative for you.
The Venue
Traditional, rustic, formal, relaxed, unusual … where will you and your guests feel comfortable and best enjoy sharing your wedding day? Do you imagine a gorgeous historically rich chateau, a contemporary restaurant, a cliff top outdoor champagne reception, laid back drinks and dancing, or a roaring log fire surrounded by snowy peaks? Let us know what surroundings you’d like for your wedding day and we’ll do the leg work! We can either recommend a tried and tested venue (popular by proven success!) or hunt down the perfect original setting for your day.
The Numbers
How many people do you want to share your day with? Weekend weddings with a select few are becoming increasingly popular, but the traditional ‘do’ with 100 to 120 guests is still the favourite. We can go as big or as bold as you like!
The Duration
A wedding in France will require your guests to travel, so many couples who get married abroad choose to line up social events spanning two days or a weekend. Perhaps you’d like to have a champagne dinner with your girlfriends the night before, or an evening ‘en famille’ with both sets of parents? Pre-wedding activities in your chosen area – wine tasting, a day on the slopes, a swim in the sea? Chateau visits, or trips to local markets? Maybe even some rock-climbing or water-skiing? Why not postpone your departure until the following day and enjoy spending time with your family and friends for that bit longer? A breakfast brunch the following day, or a barbeque in the sun … before being waved off in style as a newly married couple!
The Finer Details
The Wedding Day Plan
Our attention to detail means you can be sure your day runs smoothly. We can give you advice on the day’s plan – timings, logistics, and an idea of how long things really take. Let us know how you see the day panning out – whether it’s an afternoon wedding followed by drinks reception, or an early evening ceremony building up to late night dancing. We can help make sure the day runs like clockwork, so that you can genuinely relax and enjoy it, with our full assurance that nothing will be left to chance!
Menus
Wine & drinks
France is a country of passionate wine drinkers – so we’re in the perfect place to source the drinks for your reception! Our knowledgeable suppliers are good, reliable, and can offer everything from €2 bottles right through to the best champagne. Let us know your budget (or ask for suggestions) and we can put together some ideas that will complement your chosen food.
Music & Entertainment
From the music you choose to ‘walk down the aisle’ to, right through to the last dance at the end of the night, music can play a huge part in the atmosphere of your day. Organist, classical quartet, live band – everything from mellow soul to full on rock and roll, DJs, Scottish Ceilidh, dance tunes, or simply sorting out a PA system for you to play your own mix on an iPod! Let us know what you’d like to hear. It’s worth giving the music some thought – and we can help you with everything from first dance ideas through to accommodation for the band. If you’re not sure, just ask, we’re happy to make suggestions.
Photography & Video
Our network of photographers and film makers come with personal recommendation. A winning formula we’ve found is to have 2 photographers – one ‘official’ who’s job it is to concentrate on getting beautifully composed shots of you and your family, and the other who’s job it is to capture ‘snapshots’ of the day and evening. This way you end up with a lovely memento of ‘posed’ shots as well as all those magic off guard moments. Our photographers can provide a CD of images, framed prints, or gorgeous professionally bound wedding books – ideal as a lasting memory, and lovely as presents for parents and family.
Accommodation
A wedding overseas will require accommodation organising not only for the wedding party, but for your guests too. Here’s where we can help! We can put together a range of options for your family and friends, to suit all budgets - saving you (and your guests) the time and hassle of making sure everything is correctly booked.
Transport
Horse drawn carriage, mountain railway, limousine, helicopter … how would you like to get to your wedding? How would you like to travel from the ceremony to the reception? If you’re not sure what the options are, we have plenty of ideas for getting you (and your guests!) from A to B. With our fleet of minibuses, we can also help with airport transfers for your guests, as well as driving people to and from the ceremony and reception – no need for taxis or a designated driver.
