A Free Spirited Guide to Getting Married in the South of France

When you picture a wedding in the South of France, your mind might immediately wander to glamorous hotels on the Côte d’Azur, Champagne towers and black tie dinners overlooking the Mediterranean. And yes, the South of France does all of that incredibly well.

But there is another side to weddings here that we absolutely love.

Think bare feet on warm terracotta, dinner at one long table beneath the trees, olive branches moving in the evening breeze and glasses of local rosé appearing just as the sun begins to disappear behind the hills. Less formality, more long summer evenings. Less worrying about tradition, more creating a celebration that actually feels like you.

For couples dreaming of something relaxed, beautiful and a little bit wild around the edges, the South of France is rather hard to beat.

A big thank you to Sébastien Boudot, Elizabeth Ruby, for the gorgeous images from Le Galinier, Chateau Lacoste & La Coquillade featured throughout this post.

A Free Spirited Guide to Getting Married in the South of France

Photography: Sebastien Boudot

Find Your Little Corner of the South

One of the best things about planning a wedding here is just how different the landscape can feel within a relatively small area.

In Provence, the villages of the Luberon are surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and beautiful old stone properties. Places around Gordes, Ménerbes and Bonnieux have that wonderfully

sun-faded palette that seems made for an outdoor wedding. Think pale stone, dusty greens, old wooden shutters and tables spilling out into the garden.

Photography: Sebastien Boudot

 Closer to Aix-en-Provence, the landscape is dotted with bastides and traditional Provençal mas, many with courtyards, fountains and gardens where almost the entire wedding day can unfold outdoors.

Head into the Luberon and the scenery becomes softer and more rural, with vineyards, olive groves and picturesque Provençal villages along the way. Estates such as Le Galinier, near Lourmarin, offer that wonderful feeling of escaping for a few days, with beautiful gardens, character-filled spaces and plenty of room to gather all your favourite people in one place.

And then there are the hills just behind the Côte d’Azur. You can be surprisingly close to Cannes, Nice or the Mediterranean while feeling completely removed from the polished Riviera atmosphere.

That contrast is part of the magic.

Let the Setting Do the Styling

The loveliest bohemian weddings in the South of France often don’t need very much added to them.

If your dinner is already taking place beneath olive trees or in the courtyard of an old farmhouse, you can allow the surroundings to do a lot of the work.

We love using what is naturally available locally. Flowers can take inspiration from Provençal markets, with loose arrangements of garden roses, herbs, wild-looking foliage and seasonal flowers rather than anything too structured. Linen tablecloths, handmade ceramics and baskets of fruit can look beautiful without making the tables feel overly styled.

Photography: Sebastien Boudot

And then there is the light.

That soft pastel light just before sunset is one of the reasons outdoor weddings here are so special. Plan your couple portraits around golden hour, then let everyone settle into dinner as the light fades and festoon lights and candles begin to glow.

It is simple, but incredibly atmospheric.

Eat and Drink Like You’re in France

If you’re bringing everyone to the South of France, make the food and wine part of the experience.

Rather than trying to recreate a traditional British wedding menu, embrace where you are. Serve local cheeses, seasonal vegetables, fresh bread, Provençal dishes and bottles from nearby vineyards. In Provence and the Var, a chilled bottle of rosé from an estate down the road feels far more appropriate than an overly complicated cocktail menu.

Dessert can be relaxed too. Instead of a perfectly iced tiered wedding cake, consider a traditional French pièce montée, a tower of cream-filled choux buns held together with caramel, or a table filled with smaller French desserts for everyone to share.

Photography: Elizabeth Ruby

 For us, the best destination weddings are the ones where guests feel like they have experienced the place, rather than simply attended a wedding that could have happened anywhere.

Make a Weekend of It

A free spirited wedding doesn’t have to mean squeezing everything into one carefully timed day. Quite the opposite.

If friends and family are travelling from the UK, turning the celebration into a weekend gives everyone time to relax. You might welcome guests with drinks and pizza in the garden on Friday evening, celebrate the wedding on Saturday, then meet again for a long poolside lunch on Sunday.

Suddenly, there is less pressure on those few hours of the wedding reception to do everything.

Photography: Elizabeth Ruby

 It also gives you time for the wonderfully unplanned moments that often become everyone’s favourites. Someone jumping into the pool after dinner, another bottle being opened at midnight, or breakfast turning into lunch because nobody really wants the weekend to end.

Keep the Planning Easy Too

One thing worth knowing before falling completely in love with a French venue is that the legal side of marrying in France can be complicated for couples who aren’t resident here.

For that reason, many of our international couples complete the legal ceremony at home and have a symbolic ceremony in France. You still have the vows, the aisle, the music, the flowers and everyone you love around you, but you have much more freedom to make the ceremony personal.

It suits the relaxed nature of a destination wedding beautifully.

And if you are dreaming about getting married in the South of France but aren’t quite sure where to begin with venues, suppliers and the practical details, working with a local planner means you can enjoy the lovely parts while someone on the ground takes care of the logistics.

It is also worth planning ahead. Outdoor celebrations are generally reliable from May through to early October, while July and August are the hottest and busiest months. The most sought-after Provençal estates can book a year or more in advance for prime summer

Saturdays, so if you have your heart set on a particular place, starting early gives you far more choice.

Forget What a Wedding Is Supposed to Look Like

Perhaps our favourite thing about a South of France wedding is that it gives you permission to do things a little differently.

You have already asked your guests to get on a plane or train and join you somewhere beautiful. From there, you can create a celebration around what you actually enjoy.

Skip traditions you don’t connect with. Have dinner outside. Wear something you can dance in. Serve your favourite wine. Let speeches run a little too long. Move the tables aside when everyone decides it is time to dance.

Photography: Elizabeth Ruby

 A wedding in Provence doesn’t have to be perfectly polished to be beautiful. Sometimes the best version is a little sun-kissed, a little undone and filled with people who have nowhere else they need to be.

And really, isn’t that exactly how a wedding in the South of France should feel?

So tell us, what would your dream French celebration look like: a vineyard hidden away in the Var, a stone bastide in Provence, or a long summer dinner somewhere in the hills above the Mediterranean?

Credits

• Photography: Elizabeth Ruby & Sebastien Boudot
• Venue: Le Galinier, Chateau Lacoste & La Coquillade
• Planning: Haute Wedding France

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