Quick Answer
What are bans de mariage?
Bans de mariage (marriage banns) are the official public notice that French law requires a mairie to post before a civil marriage can take place — displayed at the town hall for at least ten days, giving anyone with a legal objection the chance to come forward. It's a legal formality every couple marrying in France has to go through, whether or not anyone notices the posting.
Last updated:
Last updated:
What are bans de mariage?
Also called: marriage banns, publication des bans.
Long before the wedding invitations go out, there's a much less glamorous public notice that has to happen first: the mairie posts the couple's intent to marry on its noticeboard (and sometimes at the mairie of a parent's residence too), and by law it has to sit there for a minimum period before the ceremony can proceed. It's one of the quieter bureaucratic steps behind a French wedding, but skipping or rushing it isn't an option.
How bans de mariage work
- •The mairie publicly posts the couple's names and intent to marry, typically on the town hall's official noticeboard.
- •French law requires the notice to remain posted for a minimum of ten days before the civil marriage can be performed.
- •The banns can also be posted at the mairie of a parent's residence, in addition to the couple's own commune, depending on the couple's circumstances.
- •The purpose is to give anyone with a legal reason to object to the marriage — for example, an existing marriage — the opportunity to come forward before the ceremony.
Planning notes
- •Submit the marriage file (dossier de mariage) to the mairie well ahead of your target date — the ten-day banns period only starts once the mairie has everything it needs.
- •Factor the minimum ten-day window into your overall timeline before locking in the civil ceremony date with vendors and guests.
- •If either spouse lives in a different commune from where the wedding will take place, ask the mairie whether banns need posting in both locations.
- •This step is independent of any religious ceremony planning — it only affects when the mariage civil itself can legally happen.
Build the legal timeline into your planning calendar
Weddingkart's wedding checklist helps couples map legal deadlines like the banns period alongside vendor bookings, so nothing forces a last-minute date change.
Try the wedding checklist →Frequently Asked Questions
How long do bans de mariage have to be posted before the wedding?
French law requires a minimum of ten days between the posting of the banns and the civil marriage ceremony.
Do guests or the wedding party need to do anything about the bans de mariage?
No — this is an administrative step handled entirely by the mairie once the couple submits their marriage documentation; it doesn't involve guests or require any separate action from the wedding party.
Can bans de mariage be posted in more than one commune?
Yes — if a parent of either spouse resides in a different commune, the mairie can post the banns there as well as at the location of the wedding itself.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated