The “I do’s” and “I don’ts” of Getting Married on the Côte d’Azur.
With a wedding date in the diary, many people are swept away in the heady romance and glamour of the occasion . . . . . especially when it is a ‘destination wedding’. i.e. it is not taking place in the home country of the bride-to-be or the groom: in fact it is a truly Foreign Affair!
Weddings can be stressful enough, when they are happening ‘just round the corner’, but, when the location is several hundreds of miles away, the cultural do’s and don’ts are totally different . . . . .and they usually speak a completely different language. This is when everything can easily become a wedding nightmare, if you are not fully prepared!
The Côte d’Azur is the perfect location for saying, “I do!" - Mediterranean blue skies, a temperate climate, the glamour of Cannes and other cities along the Riviera coastline . . . . .and, of course, that special caché that only the Côte d’Azur can offer. It will be a touch of wedding magic that will stay with you forever!
The 10 Golden Rules to creating the perfect Côte d’Azur Wedding are:
- At the earliest stage, find a really good Wedding Planner that you can trust - they will ‘hold your hand’ and guide you through from the initial planning stages through to the cutting of the cake. THEY WILL SAVE THE DAY, AND YOUR SANITY!
- Ideally allow a minimum of 6 months (preferably 9) to put all the pieces of the ‘wedding puzzle’ into place.
- Although June and July are two of the most popular wedding months, try to avoid August at all costs. It becomes an ‘annexe’ to Paris, and to any other Northern Europeans in search of the sun.. It is advisable to give May ‘a miss’, as the Monaco Grand Prix and the Cannes Film Festival go their first! Flights and hotel accommodation can be difficult to find. April and September, however, can be sublime.
- Getting Married on the Côte d’Azur is not necessarily the most economical way of ‘tying the knot’! Be realistic with your budget. A Wedding for 100 guests, with all the services and trimmings, is likely to cost a minimum of 30,000€.
- When budgeting, allow for local taxes, exchange fluctuation and “add-ons”.
- Roman Catholic regulations in France for church weddings and civil ceremonies are amongst the strictest in Europe. For those who have lived here for 40 days or more, it is a relatively simple procedure ….. apart from the endless paperwork that the French love so much! The most straightforward, and glamorous, way of celebrating this special day, is to have the civil ceremony in your own country of origin, and to then have a Bénédiction (Blessing) here on the Côte d’Azur. The choice of possible venues is sublime, and you can choose a Priest/Celebrant of any denomination of your choice. (even non-denominational).
- Choose a location/venue that is within easy reach of Nice Côte d’Azur Airport. (Even if you live locally, guests are likely to be travelling from far and wide).
- From yours and the guests’ point of view, choose a venue and accommodation that are in close proximity to one another - no one wants to spend half the day being bussed around the French countryside!
- Always visit the venue(s) and suppliers beforehand, especially if you are coming from outside France or the region. Be in place at least 3 days before the Wedding, to tidy up any loose ends, and to sign any outstanding required documentation.
- If you want live music, most venues have a cut-off time, depending on the precise location - this is usually between 1am and 2am.
P.S. I am not excluding local residents, who will find the Côte d’Azur an equally magical location in which to get married ……. even if they live under its crystal blue skies for most of the year. Many of the 10 Golden Rules, as outlined above still apply even if you are ‘on the spot’.
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FOR WEDDING PLANNING
Website: Anne Ager or via her E-mail
Tel: 04.93.34.41.02 Mobile: 06.61.24.99.16
FOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Website: Adamo Morgese or via his E-Mail
Tel: 04.93.34.41.02
