Good question! I get it all the time. I also get:
Is it cheaper to get married in France?
Is 30K enough for a wedding in France?
Luckily I have answers for you right here.
The short answer to all the above questions is; it depends.
Keep reading for longer answer.
Prices will of course depend on what you want, where you want it, when you want to do it, what you want it look like and who’s coming. But before you start envisioning your wedding covered in orchids, let’s get real about what things really cost for a wedding in France. We’ve made a list of the typical costs that goes into a basic wedding. You’ll note that these costs do not include shipping a white baby grand from Paris and hiring a crane to lift it into the ideal position on the artificial lake we created on the terrace of the chateau or the artist making hand sketches of each guest as they appear on the white carpet. These prices are calculated based on 50 guests at a venue in a secondary region like Bordeaux, Loire, Occitainie, Languedoc, Drôme - i.e not in Paris or it’s surrounds or areas of Provence & Riviera less than 2 hours from Marseilles or Nice airport. These are the STARTING prices, as in the least expensive provider in a less expensive area, at a less expensive time like April, May, October or November:
Venue Hire - 1000€+
Sometimes this is included in the catering cost, if you have different venues for rehearsal dinner, ceremony, wedding dinner, after party and brunch this will be multiple fees.
Rehearsal Dinner Catering - 4000€+
Buffet style including basic wine. Does not include rentals like chairs and tables if needed, decor like flowers and candles, or entertainment like music or fan dancers.
Ceremony Decor - 1350€+
Small bouquet, 1 boutonniere, 10 small bouquets for chairs, rose petals for aisle, chairs, add 1000-2000€ for floral arch.
Cocktail Hour - 2850€+
Wine, beer, one glass of champagne, olives, 4 bar tables with linen.
Wedding Dinner Catering - 7000€+
3 courses with basic wine, tables, chairs, linens, 9 small floral arrangements and candles for table. Does not include entertainment like music or lighting.
Cake - 350€+
Traditional croquembouche from local bakery, not including delivery
After Party - 3700€+
Wine, beer, one glass of champagne and DJ for 2 hours.
Day After Brunch - 3750€+
Brunch buffet, re-use flowers from dinner, no booze.
Decor & Rentals - ???€
Hard to price this as cost will depend on what you need rent depending on your venue and guest needs, seating chart, gift table, hoopha, arch, special tableware, urns for flowers, etc…
Wedding Planner - 7000€+
For full service planning a very, very simple wedding. Some planners take a percentage of the total budget and have a minimum and/or only do full service.
Day-of Staffing - 500€+
This will depend on venue staff, catering staff, planning team and helpful family members.
Day-of Transport - 1800€+
Eight vans for pick-up, four vans for 2 hours of shuttle service for returns
Florals - 500€+
One small floral installation with delivery in addition to ceremony and dinner florals.
Photographer - 1800€+
Local photographer for 6 hours coverage, most weddings require 12 hours coverage.
Videographer - 1800€+
Local videographer for 6 hours coverage, most weddings require 12 hours coverage.
Music/ Band - 1650€+
Classical trio for ceremony and cocktail.
Make-up Artist - 700€+
Local artist for bride make-up with trial, does not include bridesmaids or MOB
Hair Stylist - 400€+
Local artist for bride hair with trial, does not include bridesmaids or MOB.
TOTAL STARTING COST: 40,950€*
*Off season at an inexpensive venue with the least expensive vendors and minimal decor.
But you may want….
To get married in June with multiple venues, a make-up artist from Paris, stationary like invitations, menus and name cards, a vintage car, more than one glass of champagne, a custom cake, a floral arch, a seating chart, a fine art photographer, music for the rehearsal dinner, snacks at the after party, etc…
This will increase the price.
Beautiful dreams are wonderful, but we have to be realistic about pricing. What you want may cost more than what you think and a simple wedding has a lot of elements. Most couples think that their simple 50 guest wedding should cost 30K, but the wedding they want costs 70-100K. An experienced wedding planner will be honest with you, but of course you can find someone cheaper who doesn’t know better or is less honest.
Before you spend your money on what you don’t want, get an experienced assessment from a pro. Travellur weddings has over 10 years experience finding venues, assembling vendor teams and providing logistics for weddings in the most requested regions of France; Paris area, Provence, Riviera, Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. Our mission is to deliver your vision with the right venue, the dream team of vendors and sensible logistics. We know where you can get married for 30K Euros and can tell you if it will be cheaper to get married in France compared to your hometown and can give you a real estimate of how much the wedding you want will cost in France.
“I don’t know how you do it, but you are incredible at finding exactly what I’m looking for!”
Moreover, our travel planning team can provide customised travel solutions for all your guests like accommodations, transfers, unique experiences and our personalised guides. It’s like having a travel agent for your wedding at no cost to you.
In the end, we just want you to have the best experience in France, the happiest wedding at the perfect venue, and exactly the honeymoon you want. Where to start? In our experience the happy ending and the eventual cost of the wedding both start with the venue; the most important and most expensive factor in determining the cost of your wedding. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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