bonjour les petites mariées

[iwannaprettyone]

So the countdown begins…. 12 months to go. Yikes.

Some of you know me and some not…yet! I am the world’s worst planner/procrastinator and the thought of planning a wedding is a DAUNTING task that makes me wanna crawl back into bed and pull the sheets over my head, lol.

FI and I are recently engaged and have been together now for almost 4 years. I am so excited to be marrying my best friend and truly live a blessed life.

Anyway enough about all that on with the show…

Thought’s so far.

1. I am a British Citizen
2. FI is an American Citizen
3. FI is moving to Switzerland in a month

Where do I go from here??

I am not sure if I mentioned this already but after we got engaged my aunt offered her 7 bedroom ‘farm house’ in the south of France for our wedding. It is absolutely beautiful (picture big oak trees and vineyards). Her neighbour happens to be her best friend and also has a large house and would be willing to host the wedding. The downside, France has a ridiculous 40 residency requirement! Geez, well my aunt is friends with the DA of her town and she is seeing what our options are (worst case scenario is a JP wedding in Dallas, TX and religious ceremony en France

).

For the finale, my uncle has a beach condo in Spain which I am hoping he will let us use for the honeymoon.

This might take some serious persusion...hehe

SOOOOO, whatdoyathink??? Pheewwww I am exhausted.

 

[Aim_Turbo]

France?? Wow..that would be sooo romantic and then a honeymoon in spain?? You are a lucky girl to have all those options! I would totally do it france then kiss butt as much as humanly possible to use the house in spain! I''m not really sure I understand what 40 residency means..is that the minimum required guests?? Sorry if I''m sounding ignorant, I don''t really get to travel that much, I''ve been to a few places in the states but nothing overseas!

 

[iwannaprettyone]

You have to live in France for 40 days before you can get married there! Crazy.

ETA: Aim_Turbo lovin' the avatar

 

[Aim_Turbo]

Thanks!! I love yours too! Very pretty hair!!

Ok so now I understand..that might throw a shoe in things unless you can take a month and a bit vacation which would be nice!

I''m getting married in the town I grew up in, small town in south eastern ontario, so it was easy for me! I love texas, why don''t you want to just have the wedding there? I used to date a guy from Houston (talk about long distance!!) and I ablsolutely loved it there! I realize that texas is huge and I can''t really judge it by one city but all the people were soo nice and the atmosphere was fun!

Maybe a fun idea is have a really cool wedding in texas then keep the romantic part of it for the honeymoon?

 

[iwannaprettyone]

The main draw with France is that the majority of my family is there or in England (including my 88yr old grandmother). It would make it possible for them to attend.

I love Texas too, but I have my heart set on a european wedding.

 

[Aim_Turbo]

ah ok that makes complete sense, well then I would do what I can to make it happen..if you can live there for 40 days then I''d do that..at least then you can do all the details while you''re there and relax! If not then the JOP sounds like a great alternative, I realize it''s not as romantic but then you still get the wedding of your dreams without missing all that work time and all of your family is there as well.

Sorry I can''t be more help!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Iwanna, let me just get this straight: you have an aunt with a farm house in the south of france and an uncle with a condo in Spain?!? You are the luckiest woman I know!!!

I have several aunts with farm houses...in Kansas! Maybe we can switch aunts for a week

Would it be possible for you and your FI to meet the residency requirements in France? I'm assuming you'd have to live with your aunt for that period of time and work from France? But even if you did that, would it be enough or do you need to have proof of residency, like a bill in your name or something?

I think it makes the most sense to go to city hall to have the ceremony done, then go to France and have the religious ceremony. I don't think it will make the ceremony in France any less meaningful or emotional, and you can always make the France ceremony day your real anniversary.

Though living in France for 40 days sure does sound appealing...mmmm, just thinking of the food alone is making my stomach growl!

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Date: 8/30/2007 11:29:59 AM
Author: NewEnglandLady
Iwanna, let me just get this straight: you have an aunt with a farm house in the south of france and an uncle with a condo in Spain?!? You are the luckiest woman I know!!!

I have several aunts with farm houses...in Kansas! Maybe we can switch aunts for a week

Would it be possible for you and your FI to meet the residency requirements in France? I''m assuming you''d have to live with your aunt for that period of time and work from France? But even if you did that, would it be enough or do you need to have proof of residency, like a bill in your name or something?

I think it makes the most sense to go to city hall to have the ceremony done, then go to France and have the religious ceremony. I don''t think it will make the ceremony in France any less meaningful or emotional, and you can always make the France ceremony day your real anniversary.

Though living in France for 40 days sure does sound appealing...mmmm, just thinking of the food alone is making my stomach growl!

I wish! haha Well, with FI moving to Switzerland maybe he could live in france and commute...

 

[peridot83]

I am with the get the marriage certificate from city hall in the U.S. (or if your FI will be in Switzerland at the time, can you get it done in Switzerland without a residency requirement?)

And then have the religious/sentimental ceremony in France.

I don''t think you lose any significance since a lot of people do the official government license and the ceremony on different days all the time.

Of course if you can take off work for 40 days..hehe...that would be awesome!

 

[Krissie]

Hi! My fiance is British and American - just opposite to you

We both live in London but will be moving to the U.S. in January 08.

I think the French wedding sounds wonderful, as does the honeymoon in Spain!

Will the move to Switzerland be permanent?

 

[rockzilla]

Didn''t Eva Longoria just do this?

 

[Pandora II]

Where abouts in the UK are you from?

Can you do the residency in blocks or does it have to be all in one go?

That is so annoying of them. Italy and the UK are much more relaxed - here it''s only 7 days.

I wondered about doing a civil ceremony with FI in a register office so that I could have a ''proper'' humanist ceremony at my venue, but it just didn''t feel the same - I felt like I would already be married which would take away from the real ceremony.

Hmm, tricky one.

 

[Independent Gal]

I also think document signing in one country, religious wedding in France is the way to go. That's much like what we're doing! Document signing in the country where my mom lives, religious ceremony in the country where my dad lives. FI and I live in a third country, and FI's parents in a 4th country... so I definitely hear you on geographical complications! And wanting my 87 yr old grammy to get to be there affected our decision to do things this way too. Also means you get to wear two dresses if you want 'em too.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Date: 8/30/2007 12:59:24 PM
Author: Pandora II

Where abouts in the UK are you from?

Can you do the residency in blocks or does it have to be all in one go?

That is so annoying of them. Italy and the UK are much more relaxed - here it''s only 7 days.

I wondered about doing a civil ceremony with FI in a register office so that I could have a ''proper'' humanist ceremony at my venue, but it just didn''t feel the same - I felt like I would already be married which would take away from the real ceremony.

Hmm, tricky one.

Southampton, Hampshire, England.

This is what I worry about too.

The

 

[Rachie]

Date: 8/30/2007 12:57:28 PM
Author: rockzilla
Didn''t Eva Longoria just do this?

Tony Parker is from France so I would assume that took care of the requirement.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

I would assume so.

 

[mela lu]

Date: 8/30/2007 12:59:24 PM
Author: Pandora II

Where abouts in the UK are you from?

Can you do the residency in blocks or does it have to be all in one go?

That is so annoying of them. Italy and the UK are much more relaxed - here it''s only 7 days.

I wondered about doing a civil ceremony with FI in a register office so that I could have a ''proper'' humanist ceremony at my venue, but it just didn''t feel the same - I felt like I would already be married which would take away from the real ceremony.

Hmm, tricky one.

YES! It would totally take away from the magic.....IMO

 

[Mandarine]

Welcome Ivanna!!!

Can''t wait to see your plans unfold!!!

M~