French Wedding Traditions Reimagined for Modern Couples
Dreaming of a wedding in France? While Parisian rooftops and Loire Valley châteaux inspire timeless romance, the soul of a French wedding lives in its subtle traditions — poetic, elegant, and rich with meaning. Here’s how to honor them in a modern, personal way.
The Family Heirloom: A Touch of History
The Tradition
In many French families, wedding preparation is also about honoring ancestry. Passing down an heirloom, a brooch, a pocket watch, lace from a mother’s gown, is more than a token. It’s an emotional gesture that bridges generations. It often happens quietly, the morning of the wedding, between the bride and her mother / the groom and his father.
How to Make It Yours
Think beyond jewelry. A monogrammed handkerchief, a handwritten letter from a parent, or a ribbon from a childhood keepsake sewn into a dress lining. These objects carry stories, and transform your day into a continuation of those stories.
The Cortège (processional): A Ceremonial Entrance
The Tradition
In traditional French weddings, the cortège is a processional entrance of close family and friends before the bride appears. Children often lead the way, followed by nieces or nephews, then parents, siblings, and witnesses. This creates a moment of shared anticipation and connection. It sets the tone with a blend of solemnity and warmth.
How to Make It Yours
Rather than a choreographed entrance, think of the cortège as a symbolic passage: a shared walk into a new chapter. You can include members of both families, friends from different cultures, or have music composed especially for the entrance. What matters is the intention behind it.
Cheese Before Dessert: A French Ritual of Pleasure
The Tradition
Serving cheese after the main course and before dessert is an unspoken rule of French gastronomy, especially at weddings. It’s not rushed. It invites conversation, a sip of wine, a pause between courses. It’s a cultural signature of refinement and rhythm.
How to Make It Yours
Work with a local cheesemaker to create a regional cheese board: Loire Valley goat cheese, Comté, or creamy Brie de Meaux. Add handwritten cards or display cheese with poetic names. Serve with bread, fruit, and a sweet wine pairing. It can be plated or presented as a grazing table; either way, it’s a moment to savor.
©Milo photographie / ©Agneta Jonele / ©Jeremy Froeliger
Sabrage & Champagne: Celebrating in Motion
The Tradition
Sabrage, the dramatic act of opening a bottle of champagne with a saber, is a timeless French gesture of celebration, believed to have originated with Napoleon’s cavalry. At some weddings, it’s followed by a champagne fountain, where sparkling wine flows through a pyramid of coupe glasses. Together, these moments mark the joyful transition from ceremony to celebration.
How to Make It Yours
If sabrage feels too daunting, let your sommelier perform it for you, a refined touch that still brings the spectacle. Alternatively, create a festive moment with a champagne tower set to music. You can even replace champagne with a meaningful drink from your own culture, turning the toast into a celebration of your shared heritage.
Les Dragées: Sweet Tokens of Gratitude
The Tradition
Since the 13th century, dragées (sugar-coated almonds) have symbolized health, fertility, and happiness. Five are traditionally offered to each guest, representing wishes for longevity, wealth, health, happiness, and fertility. They’re usually presented in delicate tulle bags or miniature boxes.
How to Make It Yours
Update this ritual with local artisanal favors: a trio of pastel macarons or handwritten thank-you cards paired with sweet treats. Personalizing the gesture is what gives it modern meaning.
The Wedding Cake: A Spectacular End to the Meal
Tradition
The croquembouche is the traditional French wedding cake: a tower of caramel-coated choux buns. Both spectacular and nostalgic, it has often been presented after the cheese course to the applause of guests and music since the 19th century.
How to Make it Yours?
Request a contemporary interpretation: with choux buns filled with original flavors. You can also replace choux buns with macarons. Either way, you’ll end the evening the French way: with elegance and indulgence.
Tradition as a Living Language
French wedding customs aren’t about fixed rules; they’re about gestures that carry sense. They speak softly of history, elegance, and shared experience. And they become even more powerful when you make them your own.
Let these traditions guide you, inspire you, or simply ground your wedding in something beautifully local. A French wedding isn’t only about where it happens, it’s about how it feels.
About the Author
Marie-Svetlana Kadjo is the founder of a wedding planning agency dedicated to curating emotionally rich, detail-driven, and culturally mindful celebrations in Paris and the Loire Valley.
With over 13 years of experience leading teams and organizing complex projects, and serving as a wedding planner since 2016, she guides couples through every stage of their destination wedding journey with grace, precision, and intention.
