The French Wedding Starter Kit

Your First-Class Guide to Planning a Luxury Destination Wedding in France

By Bonjour Weddings

🧭 Introduction: Your Dream Wedding, the French Way

Welcome to the beginning of something extraordinary.Whether you're picturing a candlelit château soirée, a sun-kissed garden ceremony in Provence, or a multi-day celebration by the Riviera, France offers a tapestry of unforgettable settings, flavors, and moments.

But where do you begin?

This guide is your curated introduction to planning a luxury destination wedding in France. Designed for discerning couples like you—dreamers, romantics, travelers, and aesthetes—it answers your first big questions and helps you lay a confident foundation.

Let’s make your vision real, together.

✨ Inside This Guide

• Why France? The 5 Reasons Luxury Couples Choose It

• Region Rundown: Match Your Style to the Right Part of France

• Legal vs. Symbolic Ceremonies: What You Need to Know

• What Things Really Cost: Sample Budgets Based on Your Vision

• The Golden Timeline: What Happens When

• Planning Etiquette: What Guests Expect (and Love)

• How to Work with a Local Planner (Like Us)

• Bonus: Destination Wedding Checklist + Guest Experience Tips

🇫🇷 Why France Is the Ultimate Luxury Wedding Destination

• Effortless elegance: France is the birthplace of style—why not begin your marriage with it?

• Diverse settings: From royal châteaux to vineyard villas to alpine retreats.

• World-class vendors: Designers, florists, chefs, and sommeliers who bring magic to the details.

• Built-in experiences: Your wedding becomes a once-in-a-lifetime trip for your guests.

• A love of celebration: The French do romance, hospitality, and gastronomy like no one else.

🗺 Which Region Is Right for You?

Each part of France has its own flavor. Here's a quick peek at what each region offers:

Paris

Iconic elegance, historic glamour, and the ultimate city backdrop.

Provence

Sun-drenched charm, olive trees, lavender fields, and outdoor dining at long tables.

The Loire Valley

Fairy-tale châteaux, manicured gardens, and a regal, timeless feel.

The Riviera

Seaside luxury, old-Hollywood glamour, and vibrant nightlife.

The French Alps

A hidden gem for intimate, nature-filled celebrations in breathtaking scenery.

(You'll find a link to your ideal region’s detailed guide at the end of this guide.)

💍 Legal vs. Symbolic Ceremonies in France

France is one of the most beautiful countries to marry in—but not always the easiest for legal ceremonies. Here’s what you need to know:

Most international couples choose a symbolic ceremony in France (and legally marry in their home country). This means more freedom in your location, schedule, and personalization—while still enjoying the full magic of a wedding day.

💸 What Things Really Cost

We believe in transparency and intentional investment. Here are realistic ranges for luxury weddings in France, based on guest count and aesthetic:

Guest Count	Budget Range	Notes
Up to 50	€40,000–€90,000	Intimate yet elevated, often château rentals or estates
50–100	€100,000–€200,000	Multi-day, refined experiences with layered design
100+	€200,000+	Full-scale events with immersive guest entertainment

These are all-inclusive estimates (venue, food, design, planning, etc.)

⏳ Your Golden Wedding Planning Timeline

A quick overview for destination weddings in France:

12–16 months before

• Secure your planner

• Choose region + venue

• Confirm guest count and date

9–12 months before

• Book key vendors

• Send Save the Dates

• Begin design phase

6–9 months before

• Plan guest travel/accommodation options

• Finalize timeline and menu

• Send invitations

2–4 months before

• Confirm all logistics

• Plan welcome/destination events

• Final fitting + beauty timeline

1 week before

• Arrive in France

• Welcome your guests

• Celebrate your love

🎩 Planning Etiquette & Elevated Guest Experience

You’re not just planning a wedding—you’re inviting your guests on an experience. Here are things luxury guests often expect:

• Travel guidance (flights, transfers, accommodation blocks)

• Welcome gifts or handwritten notes

• A welcome event & recovery brunch

• Thoughtful touches (water stations, shade, fans, comfort amenities)

• Well-paced schedules and clear communication

The result? A celebration that feels seamless, personal, and joyful from start to finish.

🤝 Working with a Local Luxury Planner

Bonjour Weddings is a boutique agency working with a limited number of couples per year to create bespoke, high-touch destination weddings in France.

We act as your translator, designer, advocate, and confidante—navigating language, culture, logistics, and expectations so you don’t have to. You bring the vision. We bring the 700+ hours it takes to make it sing.

Want to chat about your project? [Inquire here →]

✅ BONUS: Your Planning Checklist

✔ Define your guest list

✔ Choose your region + ideal season

✔ Hire a planner

✔ Explore venue types

✔ Set your budget & priorities

✔ Consider travel logistics

✔ Think about ceremony type (symbolic or legal)

✔ Make a Pinterest board

✔ Begin dreaming

✉️ Final Note

We know this is more than a party. It’s a milestone, a shared story, a legacy in the making. You deserve a wedding that feels like you—beautiful, intentional, and unforgettable.

Whenever you’re ready, we’re here to help bring it to life.

Célia

Founder & Lead Planner, Bonjour Weddings

[bonjourweddings.com] | [Instagram] | [Contact]

Next Steps

• 📍 View your personalized regional guide [Link]

• 💬 Ready to chat? Let’s connect → [Inquire Now]

• 🧠 Prefer to explore more? Visit the [Bonjour Weddings Blog] for inspiration

Wedding Design Trends for 2026: Texture, Movement & Unique Details Take Center Stage

As we look ahead to 2026, wedding design continues to evolve into something more personal, more tactile, and infinitely more expressive. Forget the cookie-cutter Pinterest weddings of the past decade—this new era is all about feeling the celebration, not just seeing it. From sensorial surfaces to kinetic installations and deeply individual design choices, couples in 2026 are curating immersive experiences that reflect who they are in the most artistic ways. The three defining pillars of the coming year? Texture, movement, and unique detail.

1. Texture as a Visual and Tactile Statement

Gone are the days of flat, one-dimensional palettes. In 2026, texture is not just a supporting element—it’s the star.

• Velvet & Suede Touches: Expect to see plush velvets in lounge furniture, napkin wraps, and even wedding attire. Suede accents are appearing in stationery, escort cards, and ribbon details.

• Layered Fabrics: Layering sheer organza over linen, embroidered tulle over rustic cotton, and fringe on top of velvet adds dimension to tablescapes and ceremony backdrops.

• Raw Edges & Earthy Elements: Imperfect finishes are being celebrated—from torn-edge stationery to raw silk runners and clay pottery replacing polished ceramics.

• Floral Textures: Petal-heavy blooms like ranunculus, garden roses, scabiosa, and dried elements like lunaria and amaranthus are being mixed to create layered, tactile arrangements.

Pro Tip: Encourage guests to interact with design elements—whether it’s by feeling a velvet-covered menu, or exploring textural installations that double as photo backdrops.

2. Movement: The New Elegance

2026 couples want their weddings to breathe—to have life and flow, both literally and metaphorically. Movement is the elegant disruptor of static traditions.

• Kinetic Installations: Think hanging florals that gently sway in the breeze, rotating chandeliers of paper cranes, or cascading ribbons that flutter above the dance floor.

• Flowing Fabrics: Billowing drapes, suspended linens, and streaming textiles in outdoor settings will add visual drama and softness at once.

• Interactive Ceremony Spaces: No more sitting in perfect rows. Ceremonies are being designed in the round, or with serpentine aisles and moving parts—like flower petals released from above.

• Dynamic Lighting: Light is becoming part of the choreography. Think slow-moving projections that mimic water or clouds, programmable LED installations that shift with the music, or candlelight that moves with the wind.

• Interesting Shapes as an Alternative: If literal movement feels like too bold a choice, you can still capture a sense of flow by integrating interesting shapes into the décor. Whether organic curves or sharp geometrics, sculptural forms add rhythm and visual intrigue to your scenography. Arched floral installations, asymmetric ceremony backdrops, undulating tablescapes, and uniquely shaped signage or menus can all suggest movement—without anything actually moving.

Inspiration: The goal is to create motion that feels organic and emotionally resonant—not distracting. Think ballet, not Broadway.

3. Unique Details That Tell a Story

Personalization has long been a wedding buzzword, but in 2026, it deepens into something more curated and culturally rich.

• Cultural & Regional Layers: Whether it’s Provençal motifs for a French destination wedding or textile nods to a couple’s heritage, subtle cultural details are woven into the aesthetic fabric rather than being placed on top of it.

• Unexpected Pairings: Mixing antique and modern, rustic and polished, surreal and traditional. For example: Louis XVI chairs paired with modern acrylic tables, or classic monograms reinterpreted in abstract line art.

• Custom Keepsakes: Forget generic favors. Guests receive pressed-flower paperweights, handwritten letters sealed with wax, or scents created just for the event.

• Hyper-Personal Stationery: Illustrated maps, collaged menus, layered cards with different textures—stationery becomes a tactile storytelling element.

• Statement Ceremony Backdrops: Instead of standard arches, think artist-created structures: sculptural walls, floral clouds, or installations made from meaningful objects or quotes.

Idea: Couples are even collaborating with artists to create one-of-a-kind décor or ceremony elements that reflect their personal love story.

4. Destination Weddings in France: A Living Canvas for Design Trends

Nowhere does the 2026 design philosophy come to life more fully than in a destination wedding in France. The country’s diversity makes it the perfect stage for a creative, dynamic, modern wedding with depth and refined detail.

• A Timeline That Moves: Whether you're watching the light shift on Parisian rooftops, the breeze ripple through vineyard rows in Bordeaux, or fountains dance in the garden of a Loire Valley castle, France creates its own poetry of a wedding flow. Couples are leaning into this, designing timelines that follow the rhythm of the day—ceremonies at golden hour, candlelit dinners that blend seamlessly into open-air parties.

• Details With Soul: French artisanship—calligraphy, floral design, linen weaving, perfumery—adds a level of authenticity and depth impossible to replicate elsewhere. 2026 couples are embracing handmade, intentional elements that celebrate where they are just as much as why they’re there.

• Cultural Touchpoints: Incorporating regional cuisine, historic settings, and even local wedding customs (like sabrage or vin d’honneur) adds narrative layers that elevate the event far beyond visual beauty.

Curious about planning your destination wedding in France? Explore our guide to luxury wedding planning in France, where you'll find tips, inspiration, and expert advice for creating a celebration rooted in beauty, intention, and ease.

Honorable Mentions: What Else is On the Horizon?

• Micro-Motion Florals: Designers are beginning to incorporate technology that allows installations to subtly move—floral clouds that drift, mechanical petals that open with sound.

• Scent Design: Curated scent experiences tied to each wedding “moment” (the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner) are on the rise.

• Sustainability by Design: Eco-conscious design is integrated—not spotlighted—with reusable structures, seasonal blooms, local artisans, and thoughtful materials.

Final Thought: A Wedding You Can Feel

The unifying theme of 2026? Weddings that awaken the senses. Through textured surfaces, flowing elements, and personalized, meaningful design, the modern wedding becomes less of a spectacle and more of an emotional landscape. It’s not about being trendy—it’s about being felt. Whether guests remember the softness of the velvet napkins, the gentle rustle of the ceremony canopy, or the fragrance of wild jasmine as they danced under the stars, the wedding of 2026 lingers in memory because it connected on a human, sensory level.

Ready to bring your vision to life in one of the most romantic countries on Earth? Our expertise lies in creating weddings that are as seamless as they are spectacular—from château celebrations to seaside soirées. Let’s create something unforgettable, together.

How to plan your wedding in France

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.