What Are Some of the French Wedding Traditions?

Whether you've just been invited to a French wedding and you're wondering what to expect, or you're looking to marry in this romantic country and want to include some native customs, several French wedding traditions depart quite significantly from those in English-speaking Western cultures. 

So what are some of the most common wedding traditions unique to French celebrations? 

What Are Some of the Most Notable French Wedding Traditions?   

As mentioned, there are several differences between a French wedding and a traditional Western wedding – starting with the fact that there are two ceremonies. 

French Couples Have Two Weddings 

Though not a requirement, most French couples have two weddings: a civil ceremony (the only legally recognised form of marriage) and a religious or symbolic ceremony the next day (or shortly thereafter). 

The civil ceremony is conducted under the stewardship of the local mayor and is only usually attended by immediate family and friends. Then, the "proper" takes place the next with hundreds of guests in attendance. 

Témoins Instead of Bridesmaids & Groomsmen

That's right; French weddings don't tend to have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Instead, they have témoins (witnesses) that stand next to them during the ceremonies and sign the wedding registry.

Marrying couples usually choose two to three witnesses each, and they can be of any age or gender. 

Cutting Through a White Sheet

This French wedding tradition has evolved over time, but it originates from a few hundred years ago when brides were paraded through the local village before the ceremony. Children would meet her before entering the chapel who stretched out white ribbons to block the bride's path, forcing the bride to cut them with scissors to pass through. The tradition symbolised the bride overcoming obstacles married life might bring.

Today, the custom has evolved into the cutting of a heart in a white sheet for the bride and groom to go through together at their wedding reception. 

Champagne Tower

Of course, all French weddings have plenty of Champagne, and one of the oldest traditions is having a Champagne tower or a Fontaine de Champagne. The tower consists of Champagne flutes arranged in a pyramid shape. The Champagne bottle is then opened with a sabre (not all couples bother with this element), and then the bride pours the first bottle of Champagne into the uppermost flutes, allowing it to flow down to the others below. 

The Champagne tower tradition has since become so popular that it's been adopted at plenty of Western weddings. 

La Coupe De Mariage 

The coupe de mariage is an engraved, two-handled shallow silver cup. It's a common wedding gift, and the couple can engrave it to mark their wedding date and other important dates such as the birth of a child. 

It is tradition to fill the coupe with Champagne and use it to toast each other for the first time, although many couples skip this element these days. 

Croquembouche Instead of a Wedding Cake

French weddings do not have a wedding cake. Instead, the traditional French wedding dessert comes in the form of a pyramid of caramel-covered, cream-filled profiteroles. Roughly translated as "crunch in the mouth", this tradition dates back to the 1700s.

Rather than cutting the cake and sharing slices among attendees, each wedding guest takes three or four cream puffs each, meaning the pyramid's height depends on the size of the wedding. Couples tend to feed each other a few each, similar to how Western weddings have the bride and groom feeding each other cake.

Les Dragées

Wedding favours for guests in France come in the form of Dragées. These sweet treats are coated (usually in sugar or chocolate) almonds given to guests at French weddings in small pouches. 

In each pouch are five dragées, each representing the couple's health, happiness, longevity, fertility, and wealth.

Summary: French Wedding Traditions

As you can see, there are many wedding traditions specific to French celebrations that you might not see anywhere else. So if you're attending a wedding in France, make sure to look out for them! 

Alternatively, if you are planning a destination wedding, why not include some of these native traditions in your celebration to pay homage to your chosen location?