French Wedding Planning Guide

A festive walking procession from the ceremony venue to the reception, led by musicians. The bride and groom walk arm in arm, followed by their families and guests.

Significance: The cortège publicly announces the marriage and invites the community to share in the joy. It is a cherished tradition connecting the private ceremony to the public celebration.

The cortège is more common in rural France and small towns. In cities, the procession may be done by car with honking horns, a tradition called the cortège automobile.

A beloved late-night or early-morning tradition where guests who have stayed through the entire celebration share French onion soup (soupe à l'oignon) in the early hours of the morning. In some regional variations, a more bawdy version involves mixing leftover food and drink into a chamber pot (pot de chambre), which the couple must consume together.

Significance: La Soupe marks the endurance and loyalty of guests who celebrate until dawn. The onion soup serves as a restorative after a long night of celebration. The chamber pot version adds levity and tests the couple's ability to face challenges together with good humor.

These two versions of the tradition — the restorative onion soup and the comedic chamber pot concoction — are distinct customs that are sometimes practiced separately and sometimes blended. The onion soup version is more widely practiced; the chamber pot version is declining but still found in some regions.

Traditional French wedding favors of sugar-coated almonds, offered to every guest. They are presented in small boxes, organza bags, or decorative containers as a token of gratitude.

Significance: Five almonds are given to each guest, representing five wishes: health, fertility, longevity, happiness, and wealth. The odd number five cannot be divided evenly, symbolizing the indivisible bond of marriage. The bitter almonds and sweet sugar coating symbolize the bittersweet nature of life.

Dragées have been associated with celebrations in France since at least the 13th century, when a Verdun apothecary began coating almonds in sugar. Maison Braquier has been producing them in Verdun since 1783. Dragées are also given at baptisms and First Communions in France.

The traditional French wedding dessert: a towering cone of choux pastry puffs filled with cream, bound together with spun caramelized sugar, and often decorated with sugared almonds, flowers, or ribbons.

Significance: The croquembouche (meaning 'crunch in the mouth') represents sweetness and abundance. Its impressive height symbolizes prosperity and the couple's aspirations. Building and presenting it is a moment of culinary spectacle.

The croquembouche was popularized by the celebrated chef Antonin Carême in the early 19th century. While American-style tiered cakes are increasingly popular in France, the croquembouche remains the most traditional choice. It is typically presented with great fanfare — often with sparklers (scintillants).

Children or guests stretch ribbons across the path of the couple. The bride ceremonially cuts each ribbon with scissors, symbolizing the obstacles overcome on the path to marriage.

Significance: Each ribbon represents a challenge or obstacle in life that the couple must overcome together. Cutting them symbolizes their determination and unity in facing life's difficulties.

This tradition is particularly associated with Provence and southern France, though variations exist in other regions. A related but distinct tradition, the danse des rubans (ribbon dance), involves guests holding ribbons connected to the bride's bouquet.

The couple makes their grand entrance to the reception dinner through a corridor of guests holding sparklers or candles, creating a magical, luminous pathway.

Significance: The sparkling entrance symbolizes the bright future ahead and the warmth of community surrounding the couple as they begin their celebration.

This tradition has become increasingly popular across all regions of France. Some venues have restrictions on open flames, so battery-powered alternatives may be used.