Catholic Wedding in Paris
 

My fiance and I are hoping to get married in a Catholic church in Paris, but the information I have obtained so far doesn't look hopeful. Any information on churches in Paris that will marry non-parishioners would be much appreciated!

You usually need to have a series of counseling sessions with the parish priest before they agree to marry you in their church. How long will you be in Paris prior to the wedding?

That's not the problem--in order to be married in France at least one of the couple must be a French citizen, and there also has to be a civil ceremony for the marriage to be valid. It's a complicated procedure; I'd suggest checking with your local French consulate for details. Some people I know were married in the U.S. and then had a service of blessing in Paris later.

I doubt that one person must be a citizen, but probably needs to be a resident. I am quite sure that foreign residents inter-marry legally in France.

Michasel is correct, you do not need to be a citizen. However, residential rules are related to legal marriages recognized by the state. So it depends what people are really calling a marriage, lots of times when people do this they aren't really getting married,just having an event.

However, I don't know of any Catholic priest who will marry strangers, in Paris or in the US. It IS a problem as the church has rules regarding what people have to do to be married in it.

Thanks for the quick responses. My fiance and I will be "legally" married in a civil ceremony in the states in order to fulfill the requirement in France. We are looking to have the catholic mass in a French church.

Any further suggestions for specific locations that might accomodate this situation would be appreciated

My father is an ex-pat living in Paris and so I could meet with a parish priest prior to the wedding.

Maybe your father could speak with the priest at his local parish.

St Joseph's Paris, run by the Passionist Fathers, is the English-speaking RC parish. http://www.stjoeparis.org/
I suggest you send an e-mail inquiry.