A fairytale chateau in France is a magical location for your wedding vows.

A civil marriage is obligatory in France and religious ceremonies, which are optional, are not legally binding in any way and can only be performed after the civil ceremony. To be legal, a marriage in France needs to be performed by a French civil authority. In practice this means that the mayor or his legally authorized replacement performs the wedding.

A civil wedding in France requires legal procedures and advance planning, as well as a minimum stay of 4 weeks and blood tests to complete the necessary documentation prior to the wedding.

As this is usually difficult to comply with, many couples opt to have a legal wedding in their home country, before flying to France for a religious ceremony held at an amazing location like a fairytale chateau in the Loire Valley or in Paris and they then honeymoon in France. Either a religious or civil ceremony in France will offer you a romantic and picturesque setting for your special day.

For a civil ceremony there is a requirement of residency in France which one of the parties to be married must comply with. One of the parties must reside in the town or the arrondissement if in Paris, for the thirty days prior to the marriage. In addition to these thirty days, French law requires the publication of the marriage banns at City Hall for 10 days which makes a total residency requirement of 40 days before the ceremony can be scheduled to take place at City Hall.

Documents for a civil ceremony are as follows:
1. Birth certificate not from a hospital but from the official government Bureau for recording births like the Bureau of Vital Records in the United States of America.
2. A notarized “Affidavit of Law” (Certificat de Coutume), drawn up by an attorney in law licensed in the State of residence of the party, swearing:
- that this person is free to marry
- that the marriage to be performed in France will be recognized as valid in their home country
- and that publication of marriage banns is not required in their home country, neither under States nor Federal law.

3. In the case of previous marriages, a certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased spouse or a certified copy of the final divorce decree needs to be produced.

4. Prenuptial certificate of health issued not more than 2 months prior to the date of the marriage by a medical doctor after:
- serological tests for syphilis,
- serological tests to determine blood types and possibly the presence of irregular anti-bodies,
- and further for females also serological tests for rubella and toxoplasma.
It is possible to have all these tests done in France.

[spin]Regarding prenuptial agreements, if no special measures are taken by the parties with a French Notary or an attorney at law in the States, prior to the marriage, then the couple are considered married under the communaute reduite aux acquets. This means that what each party owns personally prior to the marriage, or whatever comes to them afterwards through inheritance, remains their own property. Only what is acquired during the marriage is owned equally by both parties.

|[/spin]In all cases, it is recommended that the couple contact the Marriage Bureau of City hall upon arrival in France as extra documents may be required, such as a residence affidavit. All the documents listed above must be translated into French for presentation to French officials. Translations can be done in the United States by a Translating Agency or by a certified translator in France. If the translations are done in America the translations as well as the original of the document must be presented to the French Consulate General for verification.

All foreign documents must be legalized prior to being presented in the French authorities. American documents can be legalized by obtaining the Apostille provided for by the Hague Convention which was signed by the United States on October 15, 1981. The apostille is usually obtained through the office of the Secretary of State of whatever state the document was issued in.

[spin]American citizens holding ordinary American passports are not required to obtain a visa for a trip to France as long as they do not stay longer than three months. The visa exemption does not apply to members of airline crews or to journalists no matter what the length of their stay. American citizens holding diplomatic or official passports must obtain a visa before going to France no matter what the length of their stay. Other foreign nationals must check with the visa section of the Consulate General of France.

|[/spin]As the legal requirements for getting married in France are detailed and may be reviewed or amended at any time, it is recommended that you engage a competent wedding planner if you wish to get married in France. Not only will she advise you on up-to-date legal requirements she can assist you with every little detail for your special day.

The story of Diane de Poitiers should serve as a motivation to all of us who feel not-as-young-as-we-used-to-be. Diane was born in 1499, the daughter of Jean de Poitiers and thus a member of a very ancient line. A beauty from a very young age, at 13 she married into another distinguished line when she became the spouse of Louis de Breze who was 39 years older than Diane and a grandson of Charles VII.

When she came with Louis de Breze to the court of Francois I, she found herself immersed in the wonderful Renaissance atmosphere that she loved. This was a time when France was discovering the new wonders of architecture and art brought back to France by Francois I from his travels in Italy, where, of course, the Renaissance was in full swing.

Her elderley husband died in 1531, but Diane remained at court. Whilst there she not surprisingly managed to catch the eye of young Henri who later became Henri II. Although she was in her 30s by then, and surrounded at court by many women who were much younger, she was considered to be one of the dazzling court beauties. Before Henri’s arranged marriage to Catherine de Medicis in 1533, Diane became his mistress. Henri was 14. Incidentally, at the time of the marriage, Catherine was herself something of a looker and she was 18 years younger than Diane.

Despite Henri seemed to try to shun Catherine as much as he could, continuing to pursue his interest in Diane. [Spin] |You might guess that [/spin]Catherine de Medicis did not take nicely to her husband’s pursuit of Diane, especially when Diane was officially acknowledged as his mistress three years after the marriage. The age dynamic added insult to injury, and things just seemed to go from bad to worse for Catherine.

As Henri’s wife, it was of course her duty to produce an heir (or better yet, several of them), preferably male, since, a daughter could not succeed to the throne in France. Catherine appeared to be incapable of fulfilling her duty in this respect. Of course, this failure may have had something to do with the fact that Henri seemed resolute to spend all his time, day AND night, with Diane.

Now this is where the story gets really good.Diane appreciated that there was no love lost between her and Catherine, of course, but she was also conscious that if Henri’s marriage were annulled because there was no heir, he might have to marry someone even less accommodating. Being something of a pragmatist, she made a deal with Catherine, agreeing that on some evenings Henri would spend a few hours in Diane’s bed, then go to Catherine’s for a while, then return to Diane’s bedchamber. We are told that Diane also gave Catherine some practical hints which we guess were not directed toward how she could cook a better pot roast.

Apparently this did the job, because the future Francois II was born in 1544, followed by the future Charles IX in 1550, and the future Henri III in 155l, plus several other children..

So Diane did not exactly marry a younger man. She did come close, managing to retain Henri’s interest and love until his demise in 1559. Although Diane did present an enduring distraction, Henri II managed to enjoy some other interests. One of them, unfortunately, was jousting.

Every so often, Henri would host a huge fete, which would customarily involve consuming copious amounts of wine, eating the French equivalent of a bar-be-que, and enjoying, as entertainment, a sort of recreation of a medieval tournament. Now this would have been fine, as long as the King just sat in the stands and barracked for his favorites. But that was not the sort of man Henri was.

One day, Henri, always the life of the party, mounted his horse and prepared to have a go at his opponent with what we believe were tipped lances. This did not turn out to be a good idea. Although the sport was aimed at simply knocking your opponent off his horse, something went wrong. Henri zigged when he should have zagged and the next thing he knew he had been nearly run through by a lance, which pierced deeply into his eye.

Henri should have known better than to intentionally expose himself to such danger, because there was really no able heir ready to succeed him. In spite of his heroic efforts to produce children by his wife Catherine de Medicis, not one of his sons was yet of age to assume the throne. This meant, of course, that when he succumbed to his injuries subsequent to the tournament in 1559, he left France in the hands of at least one minor children.

Soon a new king on the throne, Diane suddenly found herself persona non grata at court. Since Catherine de Medicis was now in a better position to exact her revenge, being the mother of the king instead of simply an out-of-favor wife, she began to pressure Diane to hand over one of the most important presents she had been given by Henri II – the castle of Chenonceau, something of a sore point between the two women.

Diane loved the castle of Chenonceau. In 1547 Henri II had made her a gift of the castle and in 1551, she had become the Duchess of Valentinois there. If the accounts are correct, she ran the castle with an iron but artistic hand, turning the already lovely area into a garden spot with plants and trees personally selected by her, including such exotic offerings as artichokes and melons. The balls and hunts given by her at Castle Chenonceau became legendary.

By 1552, Henri was spending most of his time, frequently without Catherine, at Chenonceau. It was probably expected that Catherine would want Chenonceau returned if anything untoward ever happened to the man in both women’s lives. But when Henri died, Catherine discovered that Henri had not simply given Diane the use of the property instead, the title to the castle had been given outright to Diane, in spite of legal restrictions which specified that such royal property could not be alienated.

Since it was potentially no longer part of the royal estate, it would be difficult for Catherine to assert a claim to Chenonceau on purely legal grounds. On her side, Diane had not been naive enough to trust that all would be well forever between her and Henri, and she had sensibly set about to make her own castle of Anet quite comfortable just in case.

The battle began, but since Catherine’s power was clearly on the ascent, Diane did the sensible thing and decided to yield, however painful that may have been for her. There is some reason to believe that Catherine offered to provide her rival with the castle of Chaumont in exchange for Chenonceau, but in the end, Diane retired to Anet, where she died in 1566, seven years after Henri’s passing.

We run a luxury wedding castle near Blois, for up to 15 people ideal for visiting vineyards, Loire Valley chateaux and relaxing.
It is a perfect location for a castle wedding. Why get married in your home town when instead you could get married in a fairytale wedding castle.

The valley is full of not only royal castles and renaissance palaces, national museum and large magnificent chateaux, but also medieval castles and fortresses, small fairy tale manors, private chateaux, medieval cities, churches, abbeys, and cathedrals. Many castles and stately homes are open to the public: some are state owned, such as Chambord and Blois; others are private, and still lived in. A huge percentage of them run son-et-lumiere shows during the high season. Chateau de Chenonceau and Chateau de Chambord are definitely worth a visit and are close to Blois.

The Loire Valley is a splendid region awarded world heritage listing because of its amazing castles. We operate a luxury rental castle near Blois, for up to 15 people ideal for a castle wedding. It is a perfect romantic wedding castle.

The royalty of France, seduced by the mild climate and the game-filled oak forests built their sumptuous homes here in the Loire Valley. They surrounded themselves with the greatest artists and architects of this era. This is the country of a thousand castles.

Chateau Blois
Chateau Blois is almost like four separate chateaux rolled into one – so diverse are the architectural styles at play here. The Medieval heart is centred around the Salle des Etats Generaux which is where the court and council were based. Flamboyant Gothic flair is evident in the Louis XII wing whereas Renaissance architecture is the dominant style in the Francois 1 wing. It is in the Francois 1 wing that you’ll find Catherine de Medici’s private rooms complete with array of poisons. This was also the spot where the Duc de Guise was brutally murdered in 1588 after he was thought to be planning a Catholic uprising against Henri III. Apparently, it was Henri who carried out the deed himself only to be murdered himself a year later by a monk. Evenings are a particularly good time to visit Blois especially if you book to see the ‘son et lumiere’ shows that recount the chateau’s turbulent past.

Chateau de Blois: Place du Chateau, Blois, 41000 Tel: +33 (0)2 54 90 33 33 Open: Closed on 25th Dec and 1st Jan

Chateau du Chaumont
Chateau du Chaumont is located on the southern bank of the Loire River about twenty minutes west of Blois. It was the first chateau at Chaumont-sur-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, France. Originating in the eleventh century, it was built by Eudes II, Count of Blois.

In 1560, the castle became the property of Catherine de’ Medici who entertained numerous astrologers there, including Nostradamus. On the death of her husband, King Henry II, Catherine used her power to take over the much coveted Chateau de Chenonceau from her husband’s mistress, Diane de Poitiers. As certain legalities had to be met, Diane was forced to accept the Chateau de Chaumont as payment for her beloved Chenonceau.

The chateau holds an international garden event covering a different theme each year from April to October.

Chateau de Beauregard
Chateau de Beauregard was largely built at the same time as Chateau de Cheverny as a hunting lodge for Francois I. It is famous for its Galerie des Portraits which comprises over 327 portraits of Kings and their mistresses plus famous dignitaries from fourteenth to 17th centuries. Take note of the unique flooring that is covered in 17th century porcelain tiles.

Chateau de Beauregard: 6 kilometres south of Blois, Cellettes, 41120 Tel: +33 (0)2 54 70 36 74 Open: Closed Wed in winter months and entirely for the month of January

Chateau de Villandry
Villandry was one of the last of the very big castles built around 1536 in the Loire valley during the renaissance. It houses some interesting and very valuable antiques and furnishings but it is probably best known for its Italian Renaissance garden created by Dr Carvallo. As well as being very ornate and decorative, the gardens produce fruit, vegetables and herbs which are sold locally to raise funds for the maintenance of the chateau.

Chateau de Cheverney
Chateau de Cheverny is unmistakedly the most lavishly furnished of all the Loire Chateaux. Built between 1604 and 1634 little has changed. Its present owner is a direct descendant of the original owner and his 70 hounds or so are still used for regular stag hunting. Some of the chateau’s masterpieces include paintings by old masters, tapestries from Paris and Holland plus Louis XIV’s commode and unforgettable grandfather clock. The 1640s interior decoration, consisting of panelling, painted ceilings, and fireplaces, and paintings by Jean Monnier, is among the finest of its kind.

There are two interesting facts pertaining to Cheverny. Firstly, serious Tintin fans will note that Herge based the mythical Moulinsart on Cheverny. If this appeals, check out the Tintin exhibition situated directly opposite the chateau. Secondly, the 18th century Orangerie served as a hiding place for the Mona Lisa during world war 2. From here, you’ll be able to take in the majesty of the park and its canals which are open to the public from April to November.

Chateau de Cheverny: 16 kilometres south-east of Blois, Cheverny, 41700 Tel: +33 (0)2 54 79 96 29 Open: Open daily

Chateau de Chenonceau
Le Chateau des Dames built on a bridge across the river Cher is one of the more beautiful castles of the Loire with elegant turrets, arches and stately avenues bordered by plane trees. It’s romantic feel is further heightened by the fact that its stylised and symmetrical structure is reflected in the waters of the Cher.

Chenonceau owes much of its design and beauty to four women in particular. It was Catherine de Briconnet who first started the trend and was largely responsible for its early Renaissance style. Catherine then passed the baton to Diane de Poiters (mistress of Henri II) who was responsible for the formal gardens to the left of the chateau as you approach it. Unfortunately Diane de Poitiers was forced to relinquish ownership of Chenonceau to Catherine de Medici (the bitter wife of Henri II) who offered Chateau de Chaumont in exchange. Not entirely a fair swap! Later the castle was inherited by Louise de Lorraine, the bereaved wife of Henri III Catherine’s favourite son. Louise painted her bedroom ceiling black and white out of respect for her late husband.

Madame Dupin also had a pivotal role in the development of Chenonceau in the 18th century and was responsible for encouraging literary events to be held here. The likes of Rousseau, Voltaire and Montesquieu all spending time here. Today Chenonceau is a profitable business owned by the Menier family who are known as respected chocolatiers.

Chateau de Chenonceaux: Chateau de Chenonceau, 30 minutes from Blois, Chenonceau, 37150 Tel: +33 (0)2 47 23 90 07 Open: Closed 25th Dec & 1st Jan, 1st May

Chateau de Chenonceau
Le Chateau des Dames built on a bridge across the river Cher is one of the more beautiful castles of the Loire with elegant turrets, arches and stately avenues bordered by plane trees. It’s romantic feel is further heightened by the fact that its stylised and symmetrical structure is reflected in the waters of the Cher.

Chenonceau owes much of its design and beauty to four women in particular. It was Catherine de Briconnet who first started the trend and was largely responsible for its early Renaissance style. Catherine then passed the baton to Diane de Poiters (mistress of Henri II) who was responsible for the formal gardens to the left of the chateau as you approach it. Unfortunately Diane de Poitiers was forced to relinquish ownership of Chenonceau to Catherine de Medici (the bitter wife of Henri II) who offered Chateau de Chaumont in exchange. Not entirely a fair swap! Later the castle was inherited by Louise de Lorraine, the bereaved wife of Henri III Catherine’s favourite son. Louise painted her bedroom ceiling black and white out of respect for her late husband.

Madame Dupin also had a pivotal role in the development of Chenonceau in the 18th century and was responsible for encouraging literary events to be held here. The likes of Rousseau, Voltaire and Montesquieu all spending time here. Today Chenonceau is a profitable business owned by the Menier family who are known as respected chocolatiers.

Chateau de Chenonceaux: Chateau de Chenonceau, 30 minutes from Blois, Chenonceau, 37150 Tel: +33 (0)2 47 23 90 07 Open: Closed 25th Dec & 1st Jan, 1st May

French motorways or autoroutes are a delight to drive on, as they are all relatively new and incredibly well maintained. French roads are always very well maintained and the road network includes 4960 miles of motorways constructed in the last 20 years (many with tolls) which link the main provincial towns and cities with Paris. France has one of the densest road networks in Europe. All of the motorways throughout France are a fast efficient way to travel and once you are on them they are easy to navigate.

They are not cheap and the locals prefer to avoid them where possible and stick to the national routes (the RN and D roads).

The minimum driving age in France is 18 years old. All drivers in France need a valid driver’s licence. Proof of insurance coverage is necessary. The gendarmes may request to see your license, insurance certificate, and vehicle registration at any time. You should also carry a National Identity Card or passport.

Beware because on the spot fines are imposed for not carrying the proper documentation. All drivers should carry a red warning triangle in their boot, together with spare head-light bulbs, a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.

If you are driving to France from another country, there is a good choice of car-ferry operators from England and the Eurotunnel.

In France to rent a car you must be over 20 years of age and have held a full driving license for at least a year. Insurance is compulsory. All of the main car rental companies have offices in all major railway stations and airports, as well as in major city centers.

All foreign cars need to display a sticker showing the country of registration displayed close to the rear number plate. Right hand drive vehicles need to have the head-lights adjusted or have deflector kits fitted which are easily available at all the English ports.

You will need to obtain a green card from your UK insurer for full cover abroad. If you do not have a green card your UK insurance will not cover you outside of England. You can also arrange for rescue and recovery service with the AA, RAC and Europ Assist. The most expensive place to buy this is at the ferry or train terminal.

In France you must give way to the right unless road signs indicate otherwise. Like in England, cars already on a roundabout have right of way.

Permanent speed cameras are normally well signposted and are big rectangular boxes painted with bright fluorescent black and yellow diagonal stripes to warn you. The Michelin website lists where these fixed speed cameras are on your journey and advises the speed limit at those locations. It will also calculate the toll for you on motorways.

On autoroutes the speed limit is 130 kilometres and 110 when it rains. On dual carriage ways the speed limit is reduced to 110 kilometres and 90 when it rains. On other roads the speed limit is 90 kilometres and 80 when it rains. In hamlets, towns, villages, the normal limit is 50 kilometres and the French do not always display the speed limit.

If you are travelling on the national routes you have to be really careful about buying petrol or diesel on a Sunday. Almost every service station is closed on a Sunday (except those on Autoroutes) and all of the automatic petrol pumps do not accept international credit cards only French debit and credit cards. Hypermarkets and large supermarkets sell petrol at a discount but remember only to locals with French cards on a Sunday.

We operate Chateau du Guerinet a luxury french chateau in the Loire Valley near Blois, for up to 24 people perfect for a fantastic french vacation with friends and family and for visiting vineyards, historic castles and unwinding. The castle can be rented as a fully catered chateau or a self-catered chateau. You can rent a castle and drive from England or hire a car to explore this incredible region.

The Chateau Villandry gardens are an absolute delight. They are enthusiastically and lovingly tended by Henri Carvallo, curator of the chateau and great-grandson of Dr Joachim Carvallo who purchased the chateau in 1906.

At that time Villandry when Dr Carvallo purchased the property it was on the point of being demolished. It had been disfigured by the walling up of the arches, fake windows and additions and the moat had been filled in. Joachim Carvallo envisaged the original designs and the harmonious renaissance architecture. He devoted himself to the restoration of the chateau and its gardens giving up an impressive career in science under the tutelage of a professor who later went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr Carvallo went on to found the Association de la Demeure Historique with the objective of saving historic buildings throughout France. He sure saved Villandry which is now one of the most visited Loire Valley chateaux.

Carvallo’s best work was the restoration of the gardens, which still make the reputation of Villandry today. Gardens existed as early as the 16th century and these were recreated under Carvallo’s instructions following evidence of engravings found in “Les plus Excellents Bastiments de France” (1576-1579) by Jacques Androuet Du Cerceau.

The gardens at Chateau Villandry are the grandest examples of formal Renaissance style gardens in France. The gardens, which are terraced on three levels, were influenced by Italian gardeners brought in by Charles VIII. The protocol for plantings on each level are:

The first level is the highest, at or above ground level with the chateau, is the Le Jardin d’Eau, (water garden) featuring fountains, lawns and the reflecting pool whose edges are bounded by arbors.

The second level, includes the : Le Jardin d’Ornement, (ornamental gardens), consisting of the Decorative Flower Garden, the Garden of Music, the Garden of Love and the Garden of Simple delights. In the front of this level where the castle stands is a bed planted with a pergola walk shaded by vines.

The third and lowest level, is the kitchen garden Le Potager, (vegetable garden), consists of fruit trees and bushes, vegetable plantings,as well as herbs for medical or seasoning purposes. This garden, in the Louis XIV style, and takes the form of a rectangle of slightly irregular shape surrounding on three sides the two higher tiers of gardens. It is devoted to vegetables and has 9 square sections divided into beds of various coloured plants, surrounded by box hedges and hardy plants. Villandry is a vegetal feast, with big purple cabbages, beds of yellow and green peppers, zigzags of crazy-growing leeks, blocks of autumn pumpkins and mounds of celery all replanted twice a year with a brilliant eye for the colours of the changing seasons.

At the opposite side of the garden to the castle, there is a maze of 12000 clipped beech trees. Each of these gardens is impressive in their own rights, so I will not recommend one more than the others. Without too much pomp and ceremony you can witness a chateau that lives in harmony with nature, and the remarkable beauty of these gardens. Villandry is well worth the visit Eight gardeners work at Chateau Villandry full time, and plant about 60,000 vegetables and 45,000 plants in its gardens each year.

In July every year Chateau Villandry holds Les Nuits des Mille Feux, when they light up the magical gardens of the Villandry castle with 2000 candles. Lit just as the sun begins to set, the candles burn on until after midnight in the beautiful grounds of the Loire’s most famous chateau. Baroque music, played live by strolling musicians, adds to the mystical atmosphere during this quintessential Loire experience. It really is spectacular, so don’t miss it if you can.

If you can not make it to the Les Nuits des Mille Feux (The Night of a 1000 Candles) in July, then you definitely should try to see all the Chateau Villandry gardens in the summertime, and preferably about 2 hours before sun-down, as the light adds that certain ‘Je-ne-sais-quoi’.

We operate a luxury french castle wedding in the Loire Valley near Blois, perfect for a fantastic french vacation with family and friends and for unwinding and touring historic chateaux and vineyards,. It is a perfect castle wedding. You can rent the whole castle or rent a luxury suite. Do not just get married at home you can opt for a fairtyale wedding castle.