When many people think of France they think of romance. Cities such as Paris or areas such as the beautiful region of Champagne conjure up images of romantic starry nights, soft lilting music and starry-eyed lovers. It is no wonder that many couples dream of having their weddings in France. For those couples who are lucky enough to have the means to get married in France, they have several wonderful options.

One of the most popular places in France for weddings is the beautiful city of Paris. The landmarks, lights, and atmosphere of Paris are wonderful surroundings for weddings and receptions, and few couples who get married in Paris are disappointed. The wedding industry in Paris is, for obvious reasons, a thriving one, and couples from any country who want to get married in “The City of Light” can find a lot of help with their planning if they contact the right people. The best thing to do, especially if you are a couple from another country, is contact a wedding planner or coordinator who is located in the city of Paris, or who is experienced in planning Paris weddings. If you are a couple from another country and will be doing a good share of your wedding planning from home and not in France, then a French wedding coordinator is essential. Even if you have been to Paris before and know the city well, you will feel more secure when working with a local wedding coordinator who knows exactly how to take care of your wedding details, and will be right there in the area to do so.

The French wedding coordinator can help you decide on where to have the wedding and reception, whether the wedding ceremony and reception will be outside or inside, and accommodations for the wedding couple and guests. The wedding coordinator will also be able to arrange transportation that is needed for the wedding party and guests. After the coordinator discusses certain “wheres” and “hows” with the bride and groom, he or she and the couple can then discuss details such as catering, finding the person who will be conducting the ceremony, flowers, music, and all the other details that go into a successful wedding. Many French wedding coordinators can also help a couple rent or lease a honeymoon chateau or hotel in Paris, although it is best to ask about this and not just assume that they will.

The French countryside is also very popular for weddings, especially outdoor weddings during the warmer seasons. Many people who have their weddings somewhere in the French countryside opt for more traditional old-fashioned French weddings, since they seem to just fit better with the whole country theme. Actually, many western wedding traditions originated in France, such as the bride wearing a white dress and holding flowers, and the tradition of toasting the couple at the wedding reception. There are other traditions, however, that are still unique to French weddings, which a couple who is getting married in the French countryside may want to include in their ceremony. For a traditional French wedding ceremony, the groom will call on the bride on the morning of the wedding and escort her to the place where they will be married. This is the opposite of many western wedding ceremonies where it is often considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding ceremony. At the beginning of the actual wedding ceremony, it is customary for the mother of the groom to be escorted down the aisle and into her seat by the groom himself, and not an usher. After the wedding ceremony is over and the bride and groom walk down the aisle, the tradition is for children to throw laurel leaves down on the path for the bride and groom to walk on. After wedding toast is made at the reception, the bride and groom drink together out of a special goblet.

Though in the United States it is usually traditional to leave honeymooning couples alone, with traditional French weddings it is not unusual for those who know the couple to show up on their honeymoon making a lot of noise, after which it is customary for the groom to invite them in for refreshments. This doesn’t always happen, but if it does it shouldn’t be a surprise!