What Does An American Have To Do To Be Able To Have Their Wedding Performed In France?
In 1993 our family of 8 visited France. We fell in love with the country & the people. Our daughter who was 5 years old at the time has always said that she wanted to get married in France. Well, guess what? She is engaged & both her & her fiance would like to be married in France. What do we have to do to make her dream come true? Who do we contact? Thank you for your help & time!
All marriages in France have to take place in a Town Hall and be performed by a Mayor or his deputy. People must have been residing in the area at least for a month and there is a mass of paperwork to be provided if you are not French with documents translated into French by certified official translators.
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Here are the official requirements:
Required Documentation
All documentation must be original. Any documentation that is not in French must be accompanied by official translations translated by an agency verified by the French Consulate.
•A Valid Passport
•Long Form Birth Certificate
This must be fully translated into French by a sworn translator and must be issued within 3 months of your marriage date.
•Certificat de Célibat
This is a certificate to state that you are not already married. This certificate does not exist in other countries so you need to obtain an official attestation from the consulate to say so.
•Certificat de Coutume
This is an Affidavit of Law which is a notarised statement by an attorney who is licensed to practice in both France and your home country. The Certificate de Coutume certifes that you are both free to marry and your marriage will be recognised in your country of residence.
For most countries your consulate in France will be able to help with issuing these documents.
•Medical Certificate
Blood tests and a medical examination must be undertaken by a French doctor or by a doctor who is approved by your local French Embassy or Consulate.
Your marriage application cannot be published until you have submitted your medical certificates to your local Mairie.
•Justificatifs de Domicile – Proof of Domicile
You need to show proof of residence. This can take the form of 2 documents such as gas and electricity bills.
•Certificat du Notaire – Prenuitial agreement
If you are planning to have a prenuptial agreement this must be presented to the Mairie.
Marriage Certificate
If you get married in France you will receive a “livret de famille" which is an official document that is used for all events relating to your “new” family, such as births, deaths, divorce or name changes.
If you would like to obtain further copies of your marriage certificate you will need to write to the Mairie where the marriage took place, stating the following details:
•The date and place of your marriage
•Your full names (including maiden name).
Religious Ceremonies
In France only a civil ceremony is legally binding. If you wish to have a religious ceremony you must first have a civil ceremony.
The civil ceremony can take place in France or in your country of residence.
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No official ceremony can take place in the open air, on a beach, in a hotel or castle, or other location chosen by the couple and their families, but the reception afterwards can be arranged in such a location by various agencies and the newly married couple can renew their vows in such a context in front of family and friends if they want to..
No religious wedding of any kind can take place unless the civil wedding has taken place beforehand, and it is illegal for any church leader to carry out a religious ceremony without having seen the civil marriage certificate given by the authorities.
The American consul or ambassador is not allowed to perform weddings on French soil.
If what your daughter and her fiancé want is a religious ceremony in a French church her best bet would be to marry in the USA then ask a French priest to carry out a church ceremony producing their official marriage certificate obtained in the States. They could then have the reception in a place of their choice. Bear in mind that if your daughter and her fiancé are not Roman Catholics, they cannot have a Catholic ceremony in one of France’s traditional churches or cathedrals. You would have to find a minister and a church/ synagogue/ mosque of their creed.
All you have to do to get something like this organised is to google "Getting married in France" and pick an agency that will organise religious ceremony and reception in a region of your choice.
Good Luck!
contact your local consulate of france and explain your situation.
depending on your religion, etc they will offer advice to you.
I know there is one in Houston, one in San francisco, I am not sure where else.
Good luck and congratulations!
Contacting the consulate is the right way to go. They may also need/want to have a courthouse type ceremony performed in the states for simplicity sake of legal documents. It’s only about $200 for the documents and a justice of the peace.
Below are some websites that you may find useful. Best Wishes.