Planning a wedding in France can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also be a bit overwhelming, especially if you're not familiar with the local customs and regulations. It also requires a lot of time and energy, as well as some knowledge and experience of the French wedding industry.
Here are some steps you can take to start planning your wedding in France:
1. Get yourself a wedding planner: Hiring a planner is not the answer for every couple, but be aware the planners often provide a variety of services, from Full planning to partial planning, to Month of or Day of Coordination. It doesn't hurt to get into conversation with a handful of wedding planners based in the area you want to get married in to get a feel of the advantages of hiring someone, and whether or not that would be of use to you, and be within your budget.
Once you have hired someone, they will be able to offer you guidance and to tell you where to start, or they will completely take matters into their hands, depending on the level of service you have subscribed to.
Maybe you want to take care of the planning yourself and just need someone to be your sounding board, with a few meeting scheduled during the moths leading to the wedding? Some planners offer coaching, which can be a fit for you if that's what you are looking for.
Get in touch to see if you are eligible to our coaching program.
2. Set a budget: Determine how much you are willing to spend on your wedding and start creating a budget. This will help you make informed decisions about the various elements of your wedding, such as the venue, food, and entertainment.
3. Choose your location: France may seem like a small country, but is has a wide range of beautiful and diverse locations to choose from, including city and countryside settings.
Consider some of you personal interests: do you want more of an urban feel, a castle venue, are you interested in wine, outdoor activities, do you want to go skiing, or have a specific type of landscape in the background,...?
Think of accessibility as well. There are a few international airports in France. How fast do you want your guests to be able to get to their accommodation or at the venue?
Consider what type of location you want for your wedding and start exploring options in the area you are interested in.
4. Invite your guests: Once you have a date and location set, start inviting your guests. If you have friends and family members who live abroad, be sure to give them plenty of notice so they can make travel arrangements.
5. Research local wedding vendors: Once you have chosen your location, start researching local wedding vendors such as photographers, florists, and caterers. You can also consider hiring a wedding planner to help you with the logistics of planning a wedding in France.
6. Obtain necessary documents: Depending on where you are getting married, you may need to obtain certain documents such as a marriage license or certificate of no impediment. Be sure to research what documents are required and start the process of obtaining them as early as possible.
7. Plan the moments and the details: Start planning the ceremony, the reception, and any activities or events you want to include. Consider your personal style and the type of wedding you want, and start making decisions about the various elements of your wedding.
Make notes of all the ideas you want to include, and focus on the big picture and securing the most important elements before investing time and money on the more detailed elements.
If you are working with a planner, with their experience of planning, they will be able to guide you though the planning process and think of every little detail when the time is the most appropriate.
The most important thing is that you do you and achieve your vision through rigorous planning and communicating with vendors. Making sure you are planning for any eventuality is key, and will insure that your wedding is a raging success.
It may be helpful to work with a wedding planner or coordinator to ensure that everything goes smoothly on your special day.