Organising a Wedding in Samoens
As Samoens becomes increasingly well known, more couples are recognising it as a wonderful destination for a dream alpine wedding.
Both summer and winter, Samoens offers a delightful traditional village atmosphere in combination with a wide range of active outdoor pursuits, so there’s something for guests of all ages to enjoy. Samoens is a great choice for those wishing to combine wedding celebrations with a ski holiday, or an active summer getaway. Contact the ZigZag team for a personalised winter or summer activity schedule and a competitive quote.
Choosing a Venue
Choosing a venue for your wedding reception will perhaps be the first and most important decision to make. It is important to find an aesthetically pleasing venue of course, but also to consider ease of accessibility (particularly for winter weddings and for the arrival of elderly guests), on-site facilities, accommodation, catering facilities and more.
Nestled in a gorgeous rustic hamlet, in a charming rural setting near Samoens, La vieille Ferme (LvF) is a family operated company that specialises in organising bespoke weddings and events. The combination of a divine farmhouse venue and the LvF host team’s accumulated 50+ years in hospitality will ensure your event has every chance of being a great success.
The LvF team operates with a simple, sole objective : to help you realise your dream occasion! LvF weddings benefit from the following services:
- Venue hosting at one of the oldest Farmhouses in the area
- Stylish on-site accommodation for up to 18 people (perfect for the wedding party)
- A large, groomed garden in which to erect a marquee
- In-house Chef
- In-house Florist
- A separate Salon for bar/dance area
- Wedding planner service
Getting Married in France
If you are a French resident and would like to be formally married in France, you must be married by the Maire or his/her representative in a civil ceremony at your local Mairie. This is a legally binding administrative process with little fanfare and takes less than 20 minutes. Should you wish, you may choose to follow this with a religious service, although this is optional and has no legal impact.
Having a “maison secondaire” may (and a French partner will) qualify you to do the above. It is however more common for non-French citizens to be legally married “at home” and then to organise a ceremony of their own creation at a chosen venue here in Samoens. Symbolic ceremonies are often performed outdoors with stunning backdrops. Whether you’re keen for a fun alpine wedding on skis, or a dreamy summer ceremony in a flower-filled pasture, Samoens is a great choice.
A Holiday to Remember for Wedding Guests
Summer weddings can be combined with a wonderfully active, outdoor adventure filled programme of activities for your wedding guests. In Samoens, the range of outdoor pursuits is vast, with a choice of activities for all ages and levels of ability. Here are ZigZag we specialise in preparing tailor-made activity schedules for groups of all sizes.
Winter weddings in Samoens will serve as a fabulous ski holiday for your guests. In order to share the bridal couple’s passion for winter sports, friends and family can sign up for group or private lessons, ensuring that even those new to skiing and snowboarding will have a great time. Advanced skiers can book private coaching or off piste guidance for an extra special on-snow experience.
Spring and summer weddings in the Alps are great for active, adventurous groups. Wedding guests can sign up for activities such as paragliding, canyoning, rafting, Via Ferrata, rock climbing, horse riding, hiking and more.
Get in touch to chat through the options suited to the time of year you’re visiting and the kind of fun you have in mind.
Keep it Stress-Free
For the bride and groom, organising a wedding abroad can be daunting and potentially stressful, so having somebody trustworthy on-site to advise, guide and assist with coordination of a destination wedding will ensure the experience remains positive for all involved.
Engaging a wedding planning assistant will enable you to focus on the fun details and to get maximum enjoyment from your big day. A wedding planning service like that offered by LvF Alps Weddings will be valuable in helping to create the ceremony of your dreams while keeping practical and logistical elements under control.
Questions to Consider
There’s so much to organise! Before you get started, here are some important details to consider :
- Size of your wedding – realistically how many people will travel, any locals ?
- Time of year / how long to spend in Samoens – entertainment / activities for guests, are places open: entertainment, restaurants, accommodation (like many alpine villages, Samoens is a ‘seasonal’ town)
- Weather contingencies
- What is the most important aspect of your event? – food, music, style, flowers, gathering of people, size of venue, outdoors, indoors
- How to organise hair & make-up
- Logistics & timings of the day and in particular the wedding breakfast
- Resident chef, flexible chef, menu tasting
- Wine sourcing and storage
- Flowers, bouquets, flowers at the venue
- Transport of guests
Helping you through these decisions and advising you is what LvF’s wedding team do best. The LvF team is also happy to offer off-site wedding planning and catering services for events held at other venues. Get in touch with Bethan at LvF Alps for more information about how they can help to organise your dream alpine wedding in Samoens!
