Non french marrying in France

[idun]

I was talking to a friend tonight and she mentioned that her son was soon going to a wedding in France. Apparently the couple are both UK citizens  and when I mentioned that some sort of french residence had to take place for a month or more prior to the wedding she said, no, they were just flying in and getting married.

I have looked and everything I have seen says that at least one of the couple has to be resident in the commune where they are marrying and as far as I can see for 40 days.

Are Mairies ignoring french laws and marrying people 'just like that', or in general are they sticking to the rules along with all the paperasse that goes with them. Does anyone know?

[mint]

Don't know the direct answer, Id, but here is a parallel story about Italy.

Our Australian neighbours (who are here in France in their house for the second year) have a son getting married in Tuscany in a couple of weeks' time.  The groom lives in England (I think he is British by birth) and his wife is Irish (as in Republic of Ireland).

Maybe there are now EU laws in place and getting married can mean simply going to the most picturesque location with more or less good weather?

I know our neighbours mentioned that couple had gone earlier to meet the priest and do "all the paperwork", whatever that phrase meant.  As far as I know, nobody involved had lived in Tuscany for any length of time.

[YCCMB]

AFAIK, and having only had the experience of my friend's father marrying in France, there are two ways "round" things:

1) You have a civil ceremony elsewhere (e.g. UK) beforehand and have a church ceremony - effectively just a sort of blessing, really- in France, or

2) You can sort of claim residency if you have parents resident in France.

Other than that, the 40-day rule applies.

My friend's father opted for 1., because being in his 70's already, his parents couldn't help.....

[Cendrillon]

Good reply Betty and you beat me to it!

Civil wedding in U.K. and then any sort of church or other wedding in France.

Daughter of a friend of ours had both parts of the marriage in France. the parents are 2nd home owners and daughter only just got paperwork through in time. I think they had an easy going Maire as I am sure the couple didn't spend long in France before the wedding took place.

[Gardian]

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]AFAIK, and having only had the experience of my friend's father marrying in France, there are two ways "round" things:
1) You have a civil ceremony elsewhere (e.g. UK) beforehand and have a church ceremony - effectively just a sort of blessing, really- in France, or
2) You can sort of claim residency if you have parents resident in France.

Other than that, the 40-day rule applies.

My friend's father opted for 1., because being in his 70's already, his parents couldn't help.....
[/quote]

That's exactly the case.

Our elder son & DIL were married here 6 yrs ago and (2) above applied.  There isn't anything that says "If your parents live in the Commune, then its OK", merely that the Mairie may give you a nod and a wink to use their address and confirm on the paperwork that you were resident for the 40 days. If of course, the Mairie wants to play it by the book, then its more difficult.

Its a reasonable rule, designed I think to prevent just anybody who isn't 'known' turning up and asking to be married next Saturday. 

Things like the posting of bans pre-wedding (a month I seem to recall) and a document from the British Embassy confirming that neither of the couple is still married from a previous relationship are further safeguards.

I think that I'm right in saying though that they've dropped the medical requirement which specifically targetted veneral disease in either party! Our GP was disappointed about this though - she said that she'd been hoping to get a 'positive' turn up for 20 yrs and never had!! 

[idun]

Thankyou one and all. That clears it up. And the Maire, if they decide, can get round the law.