French Wedding Inspiration

If you've listened to our podcast, you'll know that Becky and Charlotte fancy themselves a bit French. But they are very much not. As a team, we've always had a penchant for all things French. Croissants, the fashion (The Christians, Coco, and Celine to name a few), the language, pan au chocolate, Brigitte Bardot. And champagne is French. Just saying. And we've thoroughly enjoyed sharing a French wedding or two over the years.

With that in mind, we thought it was high time we brought you gorgeous lot a bit of a French/Parisian roundup to help you plan your French-inspired days.

I will leave you here to fall in love with France all over again.

French wedding inspiration for a perfectly Parisian day

Let's kick off with venue inspiration. From chateaus to castles and private homes you can have French style that is everything from super chic to laid back boho rustic. To nail the French look at your venue you can look for the following things: shutters, a courtyard, sweeping driveways, and lots of greenery.

French-inspired wedding fashion

We've featured many a French (or French-inspired) designer on our pages. From Rue de Seine to Cymbeline and Rime Arodaky, they're all so stylish, as you'd expect from any French designer. You want to look for lace in your gown for the ultimate in French bridal fashion. But you can also find something super sleek and fitted if you're aiming for a Parisian city-chic aesthetic or you can opt for free-flowing boho for that care-free country vibe. Remember, you can never have too many bows or bardot necklines in a French wedding.

Croquembouche, Macarons & cheese

We love cheese. It's official. So do the French, especially as a dessert. They also favour elaborate, fire-cracking desserts and we are here for it. Fix yourself up with macaron towers, a croquembouche (hello profiteroles!), or a table full of cheese and you could be in the heart of the Dordogne... Even if you're actually in Derby. Don't forget meringue which is also closely associated with France.

Pour Hommes

There's a lot of fun to be had with dressing for a French inspired wedding. Don a tux if you're going for a classic look or if you're at a chateau or private home you could opt for a more relaxed outfit... Braces and bow ties seem to be popular choices for our grooms that married in France. 

French wedding decor ideas

We know you lot are partial to a bit of macrame which is perfect for your French wedding because well, macrame comes from France! Include it in small vignettes around your venue or as bunting perhaps for the ultimate French feel. We're talking tables for two, classic French chez-loungue, decorated bikes, and chairs with floral accents to finish off your French look.

Poppies & anemones

For quintessential French floral displays choose the classic French flower, the poppy! Similar to a tulip they look incredible when they're fully open. If you can't get poppies or red isn't your thing, you could choose it's cousin; the anemone. These beautiful flowers come in lots of different colours so go bright and bold for a countryside wedding or more demure and monochrome for a city elopement.

French wedding menus

Did we already talk about cheese? Then how about, bread? Or oysters? Or all of the above? Pair these with classic French aperitifs (it's important you cleanse that refined palette) and some champagne chasers and et voila! The perfect French menu.

If you want to French up your bar you could add these signature French cocktails to your drinks menu; The Sidecar, French 75, The Black Rose, French Martini, Mimosa, and/or the kir royale.

From chignon to slick waves

A chignon, or bun if your French accent needs some work, is a classic hairstyle that works on all hair types and fits perfectly with your French wedding theme. Tied at the nape of the neck and usually sleek at the front (as perfectly modeled by Bruneige below), you can wear flowers or accessories to accentuate this hairstyle. For a more modern twist why not add some curls in or a braid the front. We're also big fans of a ponytail ala Brigitte so that's always an option. The French always looks so effortlessly flawless but throw on a bold lip to add some drama to your Parisian-inspired pout.

Signage for your French wedding theme

You've got the venue, sorted your outfit and the food (and drink!) so now you need to tell your friends and family about it and make sure they know where they're going when they arrive at the aforementioned venue. You could consider calligraphy for your stationery and signage, go for a more rustic handwritten look or keep your fonts super modern for a cool city wedding. Here are some of our favourite phrases in French that have been used in wedding signage over the years, if you want to include them in your day:

I bet that you look good on the dancefloor - Je suis sûr que tu en jettes sur la piste de danse
Champagne this way - Par ici pour le champagne!
Guest book - Livre d'or
Table plan - Plan de table
You and me, forever - Toi et moi, toujours
And so the adventure begins - Ainsi, l’aventure commence
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart - Ma place est avec toi, ta place est avec moi Tu es ma chérie
Order of the day - Ordre du jour
Best day ever - Meilleur jour de la vie

Wedding transport

And last but not least, transport. You may need to get from your ceremony to your reception so you might as well do it in style! For the perfect mode of transport, you want to go quaint. Small... intimate. Perfect for the two of you to cosy up on the back seat for a catch-up (and maybe a cheeky kiss). Or if you're feeling adventurous and your chignon will allow for it, put a helmet on and jump on the back of a motorbike and feel the wind in your... helmet.

And there you have it! You are now fully prepped to plan your dream French (or French-inspired) wedding. Whether you're heading to the Alps (we once shared a wedding where the guests were doing shots off of ski's! Ha!) or you're creating your own French heaven in your Grandma's back garden, we hope your days are filled with style, sunshine and you guessed it... Cheese. To find suppliers who can help you make your actual in-France wedding dreams come true, check out our Recommended supplier platform. And if you're planning a honeymoon in the City of Love, read this first! Au revoir.