From the romantic streets of Paris to the picturesque scenery of the Cote d’Azur, France has long been associated with both love and romance. Adding French wedding traditions to your special day will not only personify this harmonious pairing but will also help craft a wedding day of elegance and timeless charm that your guests will remember forever. From serving French food that pays homage to the country’s scrumptious delicacies to adding in customs and rituals that tell a story of history and celebration. We take a look at 7 ‘Les Traditions de Mariage’ to add to your very special destination wedding day.
Serve French Cuisine
A surefire way to add French culture to your wedding day is by serving beautiful French cuisine. Stick to scrumptious traditional dishes such as Coq au vin, Escargot and of course, French bread and cheese is always a good idea. Pairing them with French wine or champagne would be the piste de resistance to your wedding day menu and leave your guests surprised and delighted with the beautiful and cultural touch to your wedding day.
Add French Customs To Your Ceremony
Known as “Les Alliances” in France, the exchanging of rings is a popular addition to your destination wedding, whether you’re getting legally married on French soil or not. Another lovely addition would be to have a French-speaking officiant too. You could have two mini ceremonies, one in your mother tongue and one in French to honour the country where you chose to celebrate your love together.
Choose French Florals
A French wedding wouldn’t be a wedding without elegant and beautiful flowers. Think big floral installations everywhere you turn. Use classic French flowers like lavender, roses, and peonies in your bouquets and decorations. You could even use dried versions of these to get that epic confetti shot or use petals on your tables to add extra French charm to your reception.
Give French Wedding Favours
There are so many different and simple French wedding favours to include on your wedding day! From macarons that you could box and add your name places to, to personalised miniature wine bottles or sprays of lavender. All can be used to give your table a French vibe and your guests will love them too!
Choose A French Wedding Cake
You won’t find a country with more exquisite patisseries so paying homage to them in your wedding desserts and cake is a must. Have a traditional French wedding cake, like a croquembouche or a multi-tiered mille-feuille to steal the show.
Add A Wine Ceremony
Wine is a huge part of French culture and of course, the country hosts some of the most popular regions for some of the best wines, including the very popular wedding drink of Champagne, so it would be rude not to honour it on your wedding day. You could also go one step further and include a wine ceremony or champagne tower where you blend two different wines symbolising both your union and the French wine culture too.
A Wedding Exit French Style
The perfect way to exit your ceremony with French style is by hosting a sparkler arch by moonlight. It’s extremely popular in French weddings and looks both romantic and epic for your wedding day photography too! Exit the wedding venue or host your first or last dance under an arch of sparklers to conclude your perfect French wedding day.
The great thing about all these French wedding traditions is you can personalise them to both your personality and your wedding theme making them even more unique to your relationship and love for each other. We, of course, think France is the perfect location for your destination wedding, If you would like to find out more about Château Saint Georges and hosting your special day with us get in touch, or for more tips and French themes you can visit our advice and inspiration blogs here
