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Morzine - The Lowdown. Your guide to getting married in Morzine

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Updated: Aug 27, 2023


Morzine - The Lowdown

Morzine is a charming Savoyard village located in the Haute Savoie region of France.

The French Alps surround the town, and although it is truly a ski resort at heart, the mountain valley is stunning throughout the year. Morzine is a bustling community offering a huge array of activities in both Winter and Summer months.

Over the past 10 years it has grown in popularity, attracting thousands of holiday makers with various interests such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking and mountain biking.

Morzine's rolling hills have become an extremely desirable spot for a wedding, appealing to couples who seek the luscious landscape to compliment their vows. A visit to this beautiful town makes for a memorable occasion on any day.


This stunning valley offers couples a picturesque backdrop and allows them to be creative with the sort of wedding they are looking for. As a truly special spot, it is versatile, welcoming and unique.

Couples can choose from Summer or Winter weddings, depending on their tastes, interests and the time of year they wish to get married. Littered with potential ceremony locations and reception venues, it's no surprise that more and more couples are choosing to get married here.

In addition to the beauty of the valley, the location lends itself to couples looking to partner their wedding with a fantastic holiday. It allows for short or long trips before and after their wedding, with most parties taking at least a long weekend to extend the celebrations.

Morzine - Access and Location

Morzine is situated 1 hour and 20 minutes away from Geneva airport making it a very easy spot to reach in a short time and allowing weekend visitors to come in Friday to Monday and maximise their time in the mountains. Geneva airport serves thousands of flights from the UK every year from most large airports.

The resort can be reached either by airport transfer, with prices starting from as little as 30 euro each way, or by hire car. Some visitors also choose to drive from the UK and take a ferry or the Euro Tunnel, depending on where you are located, you can reach the valley in 10-12 hours by car.

Summer

Summer in Morzine is glorious - once snow covered pistes, blossom into rolling pastures where cows and goats graze, frozen lakes thaw into deep green reservoirs and chalet windows are littered with colourful flower baskets.


Some may think its all about the Winter in the Alp's, but actually Summer offers just as much fun as the colder months, and it seems more tourists are clocking onto how great summer here really is. One of the more popular pastimes in the mountains is hiking. From Morzine you can easily reach some breathtaking peaks in the valley, Mount Ouzon being a favourite, allowing you to see as far as Lake Geneva and the

surrounding mountain ranges of the Dents du Midi and the Dents Blanches.

The town is a bustle of activity, with outdoorsy types sitting on sun drenched terraces contemplating the day. Whether it's mountain bikers coming down from the Les Gets or Pleney bike paths, or hikers resting after a trip from the Joux Plan Lake and its stunning views of Mont-Blanc.

Tourists can also partake in stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, white water rafting, road cycling, climbing, canyoning and horse riding to name just a few activities!

Of course for those on a more laid back Summer break, a rest by the glorious olympic sized outdoor swimming pool will do the trick, or why not follow up with a cheese & wine tasting evening or even a trip to the local brewery. Morzine's traditional Savoyard feel, coupled with the scenery, makes summer time unmissable.


Winter Chocolate box pretty and nestled under layers of snow, Morzine transforms into a breathtaking Winter wonderland. Stone and wood clad chalets, horse drawn carts and cosy fires make for a once in a lifetime trip for many, it's no wonder why people return year after year to this popular spot. Forming part of the Portes du Soleil ski area, visitors can explore up to 600km of skiable terrain across France and Switzerland. Easily accessed by several ski lifts and telecabins in the town centre, or via the Prodains or Ardents bubbles, both are around a 10 minute drive from Morzine.

Of course one of the most popular activities in Morzine, Les Gets and the surrounding villages is the skiing. With a great variety of pistes for the most advanced of skiers to total novices, both will find something here. If you are new to the sport or looking to improve, there is certainly an abundance of fantastic ski and snowboard schools such as Gypsy Snowboarding or PDS Academy.

The selection of bars and restaurants on offer in Morzine in fantastic - the French do love their food. One of our favourites is Le Grange, offering some great twists on traditional Savoyard dishes in a cosy chalet building. Or - L'Etal, busting at the seems with fondues & raclettes, plus a very large menu of steaks, pizza and local dishes - you won't have a bad meal here. For a glass of vino, we suggest the Dixie bar, (often hosting the legendary Irish band the Dixie Micks!) Beanies, offering a great selection of live music and delicious cocktails, or the Bec Jaune, with their local brewed beer and Asian style cuisine.


During the winter there are often multiple events laid on by the town council, such as the torch lit descent by the local ski school, the ESF as well as firework nights and local markets offering a pick of local delicacies.

What makes Morzine so special is its ability to offer both a tranquil setting for your special day, as well as one bursting with character, electric atmosphere and romance.

What more could you want?


Offering modern couples the ability to create a unique and original wedding style; whether rustic, vintage, contemporary or luxury, Wilder Weddings offer a selection of stunning weddings venues and Stretch tent rentals to accompany those venues in Morzine, Montriond and Annecy and beyond. One of the most popular venues here is the Domaine du Baron.

Stretch tents work well for larger summer weddings that cannot be accommodated in smaller venues and for piece of mind incase any adverse weather during Summer. Our stretch tent can be set up at a location of your choosing, creating a magical atmosphere tailored entirely to your needs. We also offer an array of beautiful furniture, lighting and crockery rental for the perfect day as well as numerous wedding planning services from our 'On the Day' planning to our 'Full Planning' helping you formulate every last detail of your big day.

Marriage In France

Getting legally married in France can be very complex if you are not a resident. There are few things to note:

- A civil ceremony at the local Mairie is the only legal way to be married in France.


- At least one of the two persons getting married must have been a resident for 40 consecutive days. This means many couples wishing to get married in France often do so (legally) in their country of residence prior to making the trip over to France, as they cannot meet the residency requirements.

They then have the ceremony at a venue of their choosing, and most guests still see this as the official time the couple are married and do not get caught up in the legal side of things. Over the past few years symbolic ceremonies have grown in popularity, especially with those who are not religious and do not want a church wedding. They use the ceremony to present their own vows, allow other guests to give readings and personalise the entire experience. Often it creates a more relaxed atmosphere which some prefer to a church or registry office approach.

If you do wish to go ahead with a legal marriage in France, the Mairie are required to post your application at least 10 days in advance of your wedding to the local community. Beware that the paper work will be required at least a month before to ensure it meets the requirements to the Mairie. You will likely need the following documents:


A Valid Passport or a French resident permit

Long Form Birth Certificate (This must be issued within 3 months of your marriage date and translated by the Mairies official translators). Justificatifs de Domicile – Proof of Domicile

You need to show proof of residence. This can take the form of 2 documents such as gas and electricity bills. Certificat du Notaire – Prenupital agreement. If you are planning to have a prenuptial agreement this must be presented to the Mairie.

Statement of Identity and residence of two witnesses. If you are divorced – Divorce Certificate If widowed – Death Certificate of previous spouse.

You will normally be required to have an interview and once these elements are signed off you will then be able to book a date for your marriage. For more information on getting married in France or weddings in Morzine, we would be delighted to hear from you.



Contact us at Wilder Weddings here for more information

hello@wilderweddings.co.uk


See you on the mountain.

Faye & Ian x

Image Credits

MORZINE SNOWY SKI CHALET © SNOW FOX MORZINE - IMAGE SOURCE HTTP://BIT.LY/2BOXOTA

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MORZINE VILLAGE © FAMILY TRAVEL 411 HTTP://BIT.LY/2CEOD2F MORZINE POOL © BUZZ PERFORMANCE HTTPS://BUZZPERFORMANCE.COM/SWIMMING/

LAKE MONTRIOND©CHALET MORZINE HTTP://WWW.CHALETMORZINE.COM/SUMMER/GALLE RY/LAKE-MONTRIOND/

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MORZINE DUSK SNOW - © ALPINE GLOW HTTP://BIT.LY/2E8VJNO

MORZINE AT NIGHT -IMAGE SOURCE - HTTP://BIT.LY/2LKXS5B


CEREMONY©FERN EDWARDS PHOTOGRAPHY. IMAGE

SOURCE HTTP://WWW.ROCKMYWEDDING.CO.UK/D AISY-MATT-2/

COUPLE AT LAKE MONTRIOND©EIGHT BELLS IMAGE SOURCE HTTP://BIT.LY/2LMYL3H

HORSE AND CART ©LUKE HAYDEN IMAGE SOURCE HTTP://BIT.LY/2E5CNUP


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