GETTING MARRIED IN FRANCE
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR WEDDING & GETTING MARRIED IN FRANCE
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WE ARE HERE TO ENSURE THAT YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING MARRIED IN FRANCE
A WEDDING NEEDS TO BE PREPARED IN ADVANCE; BE SURE TO GET THE SUPPORT YOU NEED
Whether you are already living in France and are looking to get married in your city, or you are abroad
and would like to get married in France to gather your family and long-standing friends together, the first step in France is to check with your local city hall.
Although weddings in a garden or by the sea are feasible in some countries such as the United States,
a wedding ceremony in France always involves the mayor before any other religious or festive celebration.
You will be requested to gather all the documents required to submit your marriage application file,
along with their Apostilles and sworn translations.
You will also require an interpreter to be present at the ceremony if your spouse doesn’t speak French.
How does a French wedding at the city hall work?
THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE DEDICATED TO EXPATS
Guests go to the Wedding Hall, which, in most districts of Paris and its inner suburbs, is generally a historic hall, where important agreements and treaties have sometimes been signed.
As such, your guests will be able to assist your ceremony in this unique setting, surrounded by period furniture, and walk on plush, red carpets. Photos are allowed throughout the ceremony, so make the most of the opportunity!
The bride and groom take their seats in the front row and their witnesses stand on either side of the bride and groom. Then, the ceremony begins. The mayor or their deputy enters the room and the assembly stands up and then sits down again.
Often, the mayor gives a speech, drawing upon French history and literature with some humor thrown in for good measure, around the subject of marriage that brings us together. They also read the articles of the French Civil Code pertaining to marriage, which gives the ceremony both legal and official weight.
MAKING SURE YOUR WEDDING GUESTS UNDERSTAND THE MAYOR’S SPEECH IF THEY DON’T SPEAK FRENCH:
To ensure that your guests, who may have travelled from all over the world to share this moment with you, can understand what is being said, the interpreter will take notes on the lectern and consecutively interpret the speech.
If you have opted for an additional piece of equipment with headphones, the interpreting is done simultaneously, at the same time as the speech.
The advantage is that when the French audience reacts to the speech, the English-speaking or foreign audience will react at the same time and not out of sync.
All you need to do is ask them to take a headset at the entrance hall or to place the headsets on the chairs and explain how to use them, simply by opening the headset using the rods on the right and left.
HOW TO GET SWORN TRANSLATIONS FOR YOUR FRENCH MARRIAGE APPLICATION
Our sworn translation agency is located in the 8 th District of Paris, in the heart of the embassy and consulate district and minutes away from Parc Monceau and the Arc de Triomphe. Our team is available to accept your original documents on site and by appointment Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We also offer consultations by telephone, email, chat, andWhatsApp.
A sworn translation does not have the same value as a certified translation. For your marriage application, don’t make the mistake of ordering any other translation than a sworn translation completed by a translator registered at a Court of Appeal, because it will unfortunately end up costing you… twice as much!
For Apostille and legalization requests, we’re here to help. Davron Translations can also assist in obtaining these documents in France and abroad.
