How To Get Married In France as Two Foreigners: Civil Ceremony Day
What is a French civil ceremony like? As two Americans who got married in Reims in July, Maria and I had a vague idea of how our wedding day would unfold. Our low-profile wedding went off without a hitch, and though we weren’t completely sure of what to expect, it was so special that the first French civil ceremony we ever attended was our own! Read on to learn about our wedding day in France, including all the details of what exactly happens inside the hôtel de ville (town hall).
Wedding Morning
We woke up early on July 9th giddy with excitement, ate breakfast together in our apartment with a view of Reims, and talked about how thrilled we were that our wedding day had finally arrived after four years of dating and nearly four years of engagement.
We pulled Maria’s dress and my suit out of the closet and began to get ready for our afternoon ceremony. Throughout the morning, we captured a handful of pictures and videos to share with our friends, family, and audience who wouldn’t see us in person.
Once we were fully dressed and ready to go, we ate a quick lunch and prepared to head to the Hôtel de ville de Reims for our civil ceremony. We couldn’t help repeating, “We’re about to get married!” over and over until we arrived at the town hall.
Our Civil Ceremony
With our IDs and wedding ring box in hand, we walked from the bus stop to the town hall’s parvis, or plaza, to meet up with our two witnesses and our photographer. We arrived about 30 minutes before our ceremony was scheduled to take place and were all invited inside with around 10 minutes to spare.
After we went through security, a town hall employee directed us to walk up the magnificent staircase and to wait outside the salle des cérémonies, or the ceremonial room. We instantly understood why the town hall in Reims is considered to be one of the most beautiful in all of France! While we waited for the couple ahead of us to finish up, a second town hall employee came to ask us a few last-minute questions.
Pouvez-vous me montrer vos pièces d’identité ? Can you show me your identification?
Maria and I, followed by our witnesses, showed our IDs to the employee. She double-checked that all of the information on her end matched our IDs exactly.
Y aura t-il un échange d’alliances ? Will you be exchanging rings?
Though it’s an optional part of the ceremony, we decided to exchange rings.
Est-ce que vous aimeriez que quelqu’un en particulier vous apporte les alliances ? Is there anyone in particular you would like to bring you the rings?
We hadn’t thought of this detail before, and therefore said that we had no preference. For this reason, our officiant brought us the rings during the ceremony.
After these questions were settled, it was time for our wedding to begin! We were led into the stunning ceremonial room, with its detailed carvings and lofty ceilings, and instructed to sit beside each other with our witnesses at our flanks. The officiant welcomed us and couldn’t help but ask if she had understood correctly that we were both American. After chatting about the admittedly unusual circumstance of two Americans getting married at the Hôtel de ville de Reims, the ceremony truly began.
The officiant read us our duties to each other as spouses from the French code civil and asked us both if we agreed to fulfill these obligations. We each said a loud and clear oui, and the officiant pronounced us married! After our ring exchange and first married kiss, we were given our livret de famille (official family record book), five bulletins de mariage (marriage forms), a certificat de célébration civile de mariage (certificate of civil marriage), and a handwritten note from the mayor of Reims, Mr. Arnaud Robinet, wishing us well.
We exited the ceremonial room and arrived at a table where the official marriage register was ready to be signed by Maria and I plus our witnesses. We left the building using the same staircase and took our first steps outside as a married couple!
Wedding Evening
Immediately following our ceremony, we headed to the nearby Jardin du Musée Le Vergeur for an hour-long photoshoot with our photographer, Sarah-Rose Photos. It was a hot July day, and even though we felt like we were melting under the sun, you can see how happy we are in the photos!
After our photoshoot, we had a quick celebratory drink with our witnesses before deciding to meet back up for dinner. Maria and I went home to change into more comfortable clothes, and our witnesses ran a few errands in the meantime. Our reservation at Gabrielle, one of the chicest restaurants in Reims, was confirmed during this time, and that’s where we all headed for dinner.
We arrived a bit early for our reservation, so we took advantage of the spacious, beautifully-curated lounge overlooking the city and shared a bottle of Deutz brut rosé. Next, we headed upstairs to our table to eat dinner on the top floor with an exclusive view of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. We shared a bottle of Bollinger brut and a charcuterie and cheese plate before the main course. Maria enjoyed the seared tuna steak with a side of eggplant confit, while I opted for a sirloin steak with stroganoff sauce and a side of rosemary baby potatoes. We both finished off the meal with moelleux au chocolat, or molten chocolate cakes, garnished with redcurrant, caramel lace tuiles, and cherry ice cream. Our wonderful witnesses surprised us by gifting us the meal as a wedding present.
Our wedding celebration was intimate, low-key, and so very special to us. We feel so lucky to have been able to get married in France as Americans, and we’ll never forget the exceptional day we spent in Reims. We hope that this peek into our wedding day gives you an idea of what it’s like to get married à la française. Have you ever gotten married in a foreign country? Do you have plans to get married soon? Want to know more about our marriage experience in France? Let us know in a comment!
2 Comments
Susan
What a beautiful and special day! An orindary day will become special every time you go by the Hotel de ville in the future! What a gorgeous place to revisit in your anniversary! Congratulations!
Jalen & Maria
Thank you so much!