Packing for Paris...and for a French Wedding...!?!

For the past week, okay maybe month, I've been trying to decide what to pack for Paris.  I think I have my wardrobe down, but I'm still not sure!  How do you pack for Paris in November, and how do you do it for a wedding!?!

Back in mid September, my brother told us that he and his girlfriend got engaged.  Horray!  But now what...?  She is French, and he is American.  Planning their wedding hasn't been the easiest for either of them.  First, they were going to do an American wedding after she got her fiancé visa, but then they decided to do a wedding closer to her family.  This also allowed them to get married much sooner than the typical 6-9 months it could take for the American visa process to go through. 

This coming Saturday my brother, Greg, and his fiancé, Séverine will be married at the city hall of Le Vésinet, near Paris, France!  We have a Parisian wedding to attend!

Now what?  I don't know what to wear in Paris.  I want to be comfortable, but I still want to be chic.  Do I bring my fancy purse so I might fit in with the fancy Parisians, or do I bring my regular? My brother mentioned pick-pocketers were common around the city, which I am sure is typical in every large city, not just Paris.  Also, how practical should I be with shoes?  When I think Paris, I think sexy heels, and beautiful boots.  And what, you can't wear black to a wedding in Paris....it's November, my fall wardrobe is oh-so-dark right now with hints of color from jewelry and scarves.  WHAT will I do!?

First, I sent out loads of pictures to my family and friends to get advice on what to wear, especially to the wedding, and I am going with this lovely teal-green dress for the wedding, sheer tights, heels and a jacket.  Post wedding, I'll change into my comfy, more casual, blue dress.  I have the green dress show with boots and tan tights, but I'm going to dress it up a bit more.

Why the wardrobe change?  Well, from what I've read, it's common for a French Wedding to last all day long.  It's also common for a wardrobe change between day and evening.  Here's a link to a summary of a typical French Wedding (note, not all guests are invited to all of the day's events, it's much different than what we in America are used to).

At my brother and Séverine's wedding we will be attending their civil ceremony early, before noon, at the city hall, and then have a reception at a restraint in Versailles.  Later in the evening, we are taking a riverboat cruise along the Seine River, thus the wardrobe change.

My husband and I will be traveling to Paris 3 days prior to the wedding, arriving Wednesday afternoon and meeting up with my Dad, Kim and out two family friends Hope and Dane.  I started putting clothes aside for the trip a week ago.  Here's the rest of my attire:  two pairs of boots, dark skinny jeans, and basic tops along with 3 lovely jackets as the weather will be in the 50's and below.  Yikes!



Nearly all of this fits into one carry on suit case, the tan jacket in the middle top is going in a backpack with my
purse and toiletries.  I'll wear one of the 2 pairs of boots and one of the outfits on the plane!



Of course none of my traveling is complete without my own
personal jewelry from Lively Happenings

Question of the day:
How far in advance do you start packing for a trip?  Have you ever been to Paris?  If so, any packing tips or traveling tips you suggest?