To be married in Paris is the quintessential romantic dream for many people. With careful planning, your dream can come true.

Thinking of planning a wedding in Paris, but not sure what’s involved? Here are a few points to consider to help you determine if planning a destination wedding in Paris is right for you.

1. You can’t get legally married in France unless you establish residency and are able to provide documents to prove it. To do this, either you or your intended spouse, or one of your parents (since 2013) must have a connection to the French town you wish to marry in, or you establish residency by living there more than 40 days consecutively near the location of your wedding. You will need to be able to provide to the town’s city hall two pieces of ID to prove this, such as: a lease, utility bill or French social security card, as well as information on witnesses. You would marry at city hall for legal purposes and then follow-up with another ceremony at the location of your choice — though you most likely can’t rent a national landmark, since they are public spaces.

Even to be married in a Catholic Church in France – which is not legally binding – you need: a letter from your own church’s parish priest and Bishop, Baptism and Confirmation certificates, and a marriage certificate from your civil ceremony. France is a Catholic country, and it’s possible that not all Catholic churches in Paris (and France, in general) will allow anyone other than their church members to marry in their respective churches.

Most couples opt for a civil ceremony in the U.S. (or whatever your native country is) before their wedding in Paris.

2. Consider hiring a wedding planner. It is hard enough for most couples to coordinate the details of a wedding that takes place in their home town, much less across the Atlantic in a locale with a time and language difference. While the language barrier is lessening since more and more French people are learning English, it’s the nuances of French and English that might prove troublesome. For instance, you might be somewhat allergic to heavily scented flowers, so you ask a florist if your choice has an “odor.” Unfortunately, odeur in French means “fragrant,” so it might seem that all flowers are off your list. You need not hire a wedding planner who speaks French, just one who will triple-check details and asks questions in a variety of ways to make sure you pay for exactly what you want.

Having said that…………….

3. Be prepared for a minor detail to not be exactly what you want. I’m not saying to count on it, just that there’s a higher risk of it happening given the distance. You’ll need to be flexible. Your guests won’t know that you wanted blue and white Hydrangeas in the hotel bathrooms and instead you got Calla Lilies like the rest of your flowers.

4. Plan to overnight EVERYTHING you and your wedding party need for your big day. Don’t try to save money by checking the bridal dresses, tuxes, shoes, hair decorations, pantyhose, or the like in your luggage: if it is lost, you’ll be scrambling to replace them in Paris. You’ll want to put EVERYTHING on your bed that you and your wedding party needs, and then make a list to be sure you remember it all. Then run it by your wedding planner after you make your list to see if you’ve overlooked anything. And don’t forget several clothing steamers! Here’s one I recommend: Corporate Travel Safety’s Dual Voltage Travel Pro Steamer.

5. Check with your hotel about what they recommend for receiving your wedding party paraphernalia (#4). I would send your package(s) to arrive in Paris before you leave the U.S. so you can track the progress of your package(s). This might mean you will have to pay for a room for the hotel to put them in. Your peace of mind knowing your packages are safe will be worth the expense.

6. Give yourself at least 2 days in Paris to recover from jet lag before the ceremony. Even if you think you won’t need it – you and your spouse-to-be might be experienced travelers – your guests probably will. Think of the oldest person (or whoever will suffer the most from traveling) you’re inviting to your wedding and ask yourself: How many days will this person need to fully recover from jet lag? Then give yourself that much time.

7. Think twice before planning a wedding in Paris during the month of August: many businesses shut down for a month-long vacation. When I was in Paris during August about 20 years ago, I was astonished at how empty it was. French people take their vacation time (vacances) seriously.

8. Plan for a 15-20% emergency cushion in your spending plan (otherwise known as a budget). It always makes sense to have an emergency cushion; in this case, there might be legal fees or taxes that will take a bite out of your spending plan. Then, if you don’t need the emergency cushion, you can either save it or spend it on your honeymoon in Paris.

9. Give yourself 6 months to plan a small wedding, at least a year for a larger one. Consider who you want to be in your wedding, then find out if they have any prior commitments within the next 6-12 months. You won’t want to have secured your wedding and reception venues, only to find out your Maid of Honor or Best Man has a prior commitment.

Bisou Bisou!

Image of wedding couple, Aileen and Rafik, by Agence Tophos, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.