parisian party

As Recessionista’s around the globe will tell you, just because you’re broke doesn’t mean you can’t be fabulous! And what better way to flaunt that scaled-down fabulousness than by having a Destination Wedding in Paris? It’s long been known (by those in the know!) that a destination wedding is often a lot cheaper than having a wedding at home. Think about it: Even in the good old days (like… last year), an announcement of a wedding in another country would practically guarantee that your initial guest list would be cut in half. These days, it seems as if barely 7 out of 10 guests are able to make the transatlantic trek, leaving our chic yet cheap soon-to-be-weds with 3 less pocketfolds to letterpress, 3 less goody-bags to stuff, 9 fewer choux on their croquembouche to puff, and so on, and so on… But just how much does a wedding in France cost, anyhow? And how can someone planning from overseas take advantage of some of these savings?

In the current issue of the top-rated French wedding mag, Oui, it says that the average cost of a 100-guest wedding in France is around 11,900€ ($14,960 USD). But before you start clicking away on Priceline, keep in mind that a key to budgeting for a Destination Wedding is location, location, location! A 2007 survey on TheKnot.com showed that the average US wedding costs $27,900. But the average wedding in Manhattan can cost upwards of $46,000! The Oui Magazine article suggests that on average, a person in France should budget between 70€ - 150€ per person for their wedding reception dinner. I would say that that part holds true for Paris as well- you can find some very nice wedding menus at the higher end of 70 - 150 euros per person in the capital city. But where a lot of venues outside of Paris include the cost of renting the room in the menu price, many of the venues in Paris charge additional room rental fees, and that could be anywhere from 300€ - +2000€ on top of the menu cost. If you’re looking for savings, know that some venues are willing to waive this fee for off-season or mid-week bookings- especially if you’re reserving for a substantial number of guests, so be sure to see where your venue stands on this. But first, here’s a little cultural note: While in the U.S. it would be o.k. for you to ask about having this fee waived in your first or second conversation with the venue manager, this isn’t the right approach when negotiating in France. Remember, it’s all about relationships here. Stay pleasant yet formal, then somewhere around the 5th or 6th exchange, just before you’ve signed the contract, start to dance around the room rental fee. Sometimes they go for it, other times they don’t- it’s all part of the experience.

Later on this week I’ll share a few more tips for your fabulous Recessionista Wedding in Paris!