Getting Married in Languedoc-Roussillon

Laws, regulations and types of wedding ceremony in France

It is not particularly common for non-resident couples to actually get legally married in France. While a legally binding marriage in France is recognized in the UK and Ireland the legal requirements for a civil wedding in France can make the process challenging.

For a start there is a requirement that you be resident here for at least 40 days prior to the ceremony and secondly a civil (registry office) marriage is mandatory in France while religious ceremonies are optional – to be performed after the civil wedding – and are not legally binding in any way. There are also a number of documents and blood tests required and whilst it’s not impossible to have civil wedding in France, it certainly can be tricky! The typical option for non-resident couples is to have a civil service in your country of origin followed by celebratory/ religious ceremony of your choice in France.

Read on to find out more about the laws and regulations to fulfill if you want your legal wedding ceremony to take place in France, as well as the types of wedding ceremonies that are possible and links to useful information to help you plan your special day.

Type Of French Wedding Ceremony

In France a civil ceremony is the only legally recognised marriage ceremony. It is still possible to have a religious wedding ceremony in France however this must take place after your civil ceremony. more…

Legal Requirements For Getting Married In France

The legal requirements for getting married in France are quite complex. The following information is intended to be a starting point and guideline only for residents of UK and Ireland.more…

Link to Languedoc-Roussillon Mairies Contact List

It is the local mayor based at the mairie (town hall) who presides over legal civil weddings/ unions in France. Here is a link to our contact loist of local mairies in the Languedoc-Roussillon. more…

Information regarding marriage in France from your Embassy

For more information specific to your nationality and marriage legalities/ legal requirements for marriage in France, we would recommend contacting your country’s Emabassy in France; most embassies now have comprehensive websites which can be found on internet search engines.