Legalities

There are probably few people who would disagree that getting married in France is one of the most romantic things you could do. While this is quite true, it can also be a major pain in the derrière, since the amount of administrative red tape the French government makes you go through can be daunting. For a marriage to be legal in France, since the separation of church and state here in 1905, you are only legally married if the wedding is performed by the mayor or his authorized replacement at the mairie (town hall) of your place of residence.

One of the parties getting married (i.e. the prospective bride or groom) must have resided in France for at least 40 days before the marriage, and the wedding must take place in the commune of residence.

Then there is that little list of documents required of both parties:

· A valid passport
· Birth certificate less than three months old
· Certificate of "celibacy" less than three months old.
· Medical certificate less than three months old which can be issued by any doctor practicing in France certifying that you have been examined "en vue de mariage."
· Proof of domicile. The person residing in France must provide two documents proving residence there, which can include a phone bill, electric bill, rent receipt, etc.
· Any pre-nuptial contracts must be drawn up by a notaire (lawyer) no more than two months before the marriage and a notaire's certificate must then be presented to the mairie along with your other documents.
· If there have been any previous marriages, a certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased spouse or a certified copy of the final divorce decree must be provided.

All of the above documents must be translated into French by one of the approved "official" translators, a list of which is available at your mairie.

According to French law, the Banns must be published at the mairie of the commune in which you will be married 10 days before the civil marriage takes place. The mairie may require more documents before the Banns are posted, and it is always best to check with them as to what they require, as this varies from town to town.

Gay and Lesbian marriages are not recognised in France but the “Pacte Civile de Solidarite” is. More information about that can be found Here

Given how much of a hassle all this is, our advice is to get legally married in your home town, then fly off with the wedding party to France where you can proceed on with your wedding celebration with your family and friends and nobody but the bride and groom will be any the wiser.