Fairytale Wedding in France

Have you ever dreamed of getting married in a French castle – a fairy tale and destination wedding folded into one – but assumed that this is only for the rich and famous? It is not as far-fetch as you might think. With over thirty thousand castles in France, you are bound to find one that fits your budget and fulfills your dream. Yes, there are a lot of legal and documentation hoops to go through, but they are not insurmountable. And, there are ways to get around them without getting into legal trouble. Prepare to learn how to have a stress-free romantic fairy tale-destination wedding in France…

Firstly, let us look at the “hoops”:

• Religious ceremonies are not recognized under French law. Although religious ceremonies are very common in France, priest, rabbi or ministers may only perform a marriage ceremony after the couple’s civil wedding ceremony. The civil ceremony must be performed by a French civil authority. It cannot be performed at an Embassy or a Consular office. All marriages must be performed at a French city hall; no buts, no exceptions.
• There are strict residency requirements in France prior to the civil ceremony. At least one of the marrying couple must reside in the town where the marriage ceremony will take place for thirty days prior to the marriage. French law also requires the publication of the marriage banns at City Hall for ten days, which makes a total residency requirement of 40 days before the ceremony can be scheduled to take place at City Hall
• There are a number of documents required for the civil ceremony:
  • All foreign documents must be legalized before presenting them to the French authorities. Legalization is done by an Apostille obtained through the office of the Secretary of State of where the document was issued.
  • All documents must be translated into French for presentation to French officials. Translation can be done in the US by a Translating Agency or by a certified translator in France. If the translation is done in the US, both the translation and original document must be presented to the French Consulate General for verification.
  1. an official birth certificate from the couple’s government bureau, i.e, not from the hospital
  2. a notarized “Affidavit of Law” drawn in the State of residence of the betrothed couple stating that the persons are free to marry, that the marriage to be performed in France will be recognized as valid in their home country, and the publication of marriage banns is not required in their home country, neither under States nor Federal law.
  3. In case of previous marriages, a a certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased spouse or a certified copy of the final divorce decree must be produced.
  4. a prenuptial certificate of health issued not more than two months prior to the date of the marriage by a medical doctor that includes: serological tests for syphilis, blood types and possibly the presence of irregular anti-bodies. Females also need serological test for rubella and toxoplasma.

  It is possible to have all these tests done in France.

  As legal requirements may change, it is recommended that you contact the Marriage Bureau of City hall upon arrival in France as extra documents may be required, such as a residence affidavit as mentioned earlier.

Now, now, before you start shaking your head thinking this is way too complex for you, let us talk about how to go around the “hoops” without the stress – have a legal wedding in the United States. The choice is yours. It could be a small religious wedding or a civil ceremony prior to your destination-fairytale wedding in France. This way you can enjoy spending time with your guests at your reception without worrying about all the legalities and paperwork. In addition, since you are not concerned about the legality of your French wedding, you can choose to have a romantic religious ceremony held in one of French’s beautiful chateau. Honeymoon is just a couple of stair steps away…

Photo and Video Credits: Chateau de Guerinet Loire Valley, France

Maui Destination Wedding

Looking for a warm, tropical location lush with palm trees and colorful flowers for your wedding venue?  Maui may be your ideal location.  Planning a wedding here may seem like a daunting task, but with careful preparation you can have the Hawaiian wedding of your dreams.

Step 1 – Visit the location
When planning a destination wedding, one of the first things you will want to do is visit the location.  Make a list of places that you want to see and vendors that you want to meet and make appointments with as many of them as possible.  This trip to Maui may be more work than vacation, but the fun part will be coming after the wedding.

Step 2 – Think of where to hold the ceremony
The first consideration on your list is probably the ceremony location.  Many Maui hotels offer wedding services.  If you book your ceremony at a hotel, you may also be able to have your reception there, and book a block of rooms for your guests.  This will solve three big decisions at one.  Often, these hotels are located on the ocean so you can have your ceremony on their private beach.

Maui Destination Wedding - Grand Wailea Hotel Resort and Spa

The Grand Wailea Hotel Resort and Spa offers a seaside chapel, gazebo, or beach wedding.  The resort also offers various options on their property for a reception and has caterers to provide everything from dinner to the cake.

Maui Destination Wedding - Aloha Cottage

For a more private setting, look into smaller wedding companies such as the Aloha Cottage. This beautiful and secluded location offers a variety of ceremony options as well as a location for your reception.  When deciding on a location, you should keep in mind that the beaches in Maui are public.  Therefore, a wedding on the beach will not be a very private event.  In peak seasons, there may be more than one wedding happening along the beach at once.

Step 3 – Determine if reception can be held in the same location
If your reception will not be held in the same venue as the ceremony, you will need to look into additional locations and caterers.  One easy option may be to hold the reception at a nearby restaurant.  Maui has a variety of locations to meet your needs.  Consider ahead of time what kind of meal you want to serve.  For a Maui destination wedding, you can easily go along with the Hawaiian theme and serve mahi mahi, roasted pig, or poi.

Step 4 – Choose the right wedding attire and accessories

Beach Destination Wedding Gowns

Once you have your locations booked, it’s time to get down to the details. Selecting your attire may be next on the list. When selecting your wedding gown, it’s important to keep location in mind.

Barefoot Sandals

If you are getting married on the beach, you will want a light and flowing material and although shoes are optional, wearing  barefoot sandals will add beach elegance to your wedding.  For other locations, you may opt for a more formal dress.  If you will be outside at all, keep in mind that the weather will probably be sunny and warm, so you won’t want long sleeves or very heavy material.  For a Hawaiian wedding such as this, the groom and groomsmen have several options.  While you can go with the traditional tuxes, you can also have them wear khakis and colored shirts, casual suites, or a number of other options.

Step 5 – Don’t forget the marriage license

Last but not least is your marriage license.  In the state of Hawaii, you must be present to obtain your marriage license.  It’s good to plan several days ahead for this to avoid any complications.  Contact officials in the state of Hawaii several months before your wedding to double check on their current laws and regulations regarding the marriage license as these may change.

Photo Credits: Maui Destination Wedding Photo from Maui Wedding Photos Gallery;  Left Wedding Gown from The Dessy Group ; Right wedding gown from Claire Pettibone; Barefoot Sandals from Bridal ‘N Beauty

Clearwater Beach, Florida Wedding

Destination weddings are a growing trend and can provide a very exotic and romantic experience if planned correctly.  The key to putting together a successful destination wedding is often in the details.  If you want to be able to plan a destination wedding on a budget, you can save money and time by choosing a destination in the United States.  For a warm, tropical atmosphere, one popular location is the sunny state of Florida. With a plethora of beach locations, Florida is a perfect choice for an affordable and beautiful ceremony.  The beaches along Clearwater Beach offer several options in a variety of price ranges.

Choose a location
The first and most important choice is where your wedding will be. Variables to take into consideration are weather, price, packages available, and ease of travel.  The farther south you go, the hotter it will be. Beaches on the Gulf coast often experience calmer weather.

There are many wedding companies that will assist you in planning a beach wedding in Florida. There are no private beaches in this area, so there may be other people on the beach.  However, if you plan your wedding in the evening, beach traffic has generally cleared out.  Many hotels offer wedding packages and allow you to have your ceremony on the beach located directly behind the hotel.  Another great beach location is Sand Key Park, which is a small stretch of beach located in Clearwater Beach.  Many wedding planners cater exclusively to ceremonies on this beach.

Take care of the Legalities
Before you get too far into your planning, make sure you know the requirements for obtaining a marriage license in your chosen locale.

• To get married in Florida, you may obtain a marriage license at any Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. It does not need to be obtained in the same county in which you will be getting married.
• No blood test is required.
• For Florida residents, there will be a three day waiting period.
• For non-Florida residents, your marriage license is valid immediately.
• Witnesses are not required to get married in Florida

Make hotel and travel arrangements
It is often a good idea to look for a packaged deal with hotel and airfare.  When planning a destination wedding it’s important to consider all of your guests’ needs.

• Choose a hotel and book a block of rooms at a discounted rate.  Since your guests will be traveling to attend the event, you can eliminate their need to rent a car by planning your reception, or even your ceremony, at the same hotel your guests will be staying in.
• Many hotels also have beach front access and provide wedding planning services.
• The nearest airport to Clearwater Beach is Tampa.  Don’t forget to include this information in your invitations.

Arrange for meals
When you have a destination wedding, guests may expect more than just the reception dinner.  The most common meal that is expected as part of a destination wedding is a breakfast to be served the morning after the wedding.  Other meals you may plan before the wedding are a luncheon the day before the event for bride and bridesmaids and a similar event for the grooms and groomsmen, and a rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding for close family and friends.  The day of the wedding, you may chose to plan separate breakfasts for the bride and groom with their family and attendants (be sure to plan these events at separate locations if you do not want to see each other before the wedding).

Plan events
Remember a destination wedding is a vacation not only for you and your spouse-to-be, but for your guests as well.  Take time to research local areas of interest.  If you don’t want to plan specific events for everyone, consider putting together a small handout of options for them, or post this information on a wedding web page.

• Clearwater Beach is a great spot for dolphin watching cruises.
• There are lots of great gift shops and restaurants located along the beach.
• For a wonderful evening event, don’t miss Sunsets at Pier 60.
• Each evening around sunset, the pier comes alive with performers, vendors, and live music.

Give your guests a warm welcome
A wonderful way to welcome your guests to your destination wedding is to provide small welcome baskets for them in their hotel rooms when they check in. You can include things like local maps and brochures, travel sized soaps and lotions (in your wedding colors, and with custom labels if you like!), monogrammed candles, and candies or snacks.

Find the perfect dress
Many bridal shops now have a special section dedicated to dresses for destination weddings.  Things to keep in mind for a destination wedding gown are the weather and type of ground you will be walking on. Florida is generally hot and humid unless you plan a wedding during the winter months.

• You will probably want a lighter, more flowing material.
• Trains are optional for gowns of this style. If you will be walking through sand, keep in mind that the longer the train, the more sand you will be pulling behind you. Don’t let the fear of a dirty dress stop you from choosing a dress with a train, though! Sand doesn’t stain like dirt, and for a dress you only wear once, you shouldn’t worry about a little sand.
• Remember that it is always breezy on the beach and therefore you should NOT wear a veil regardless of length, or wear your hair down or with bangs or hair stings off the side of your face.  You will end up trying to fix or keep them in place instead or looking radiant during the ceremony.

Choose your flowers
Flowers can be a very tricky thing when planning a beach wedding.  It is often very windy, and the heat and humidity will cause your flowers to quickly wilt.  The best solution is to use silk flowers.  You can order silk bouquets online, or go to craft shops and put together the bouquets yourself.

The most important thing to keep in mind when planning a destination wedding is to have fun! Non-traditional weddings provide you with lots of freedom to design a ceremony that will truly reflect you as a couple and the new life you are entering together.

Photo Source: earthone flicker photo

Pont Des Art

Pont Des Art is a must place to visit with your new spouse for your honeymoon. Pont Des Art is a steel-and-wood pedestrian bridge crossing the Seine River. It would be so romantic to hold hands and walk side by side with your love one in this place while looking at the boats on the Seine River, the people, painters, and other couples kissing on the place.

Place de la Concorde

Place de la Concorde is an octagonal square between the Tuileries and the Champs-Elysées. At each corner of the octagonal square is a statue representing a French city. The magic of this place comes alive in the evening – the dramatic effect of the lights with its beautiful Obelisk of Luxor, a red granite column 23 meter in height, flanked by two magnificent fountains and the couples that surround you will make you feel more romantically in love. The views of Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe from this site add to the stunning beauty of this romantic place.

Seine River

The Seine River flows through Paris. Cruising on the Seine River with your love one is a romantic way to see Paris. Standing outside the ship at night soaking in the sight of the magnificent bridges and the whole city of Paris with its city lights and holding close to your love one will surely be a memorable honeymoon for both of you. Stealing a kiss under each bridge you pass will make it an unforgettable memory!

These are our top 3 most romantic places to visit in Paris. So, if you decide to go to Paris in your honeymoon check these three places and together create wonderful memories there!  If you want to learn more about romantic places to visit for your honeymoon in Paris, here’s another great guide for more  Romantic Paris.