Pavillon Dauphine is the rare Paris venue with a garden, a grand interior and room to host a true celebration, all within the city itself.
What you gain is a leafy private terrace, light filled Art Deco salons and a celebrated catering house, a short hop from the Arc de Triomphe.
What you trade is a view of the monuments, since this sits in the green western edge of the city, and the legal route in France, which sends most foreign couples down a symbolic path.
Pavillon Dauphine Saint Clair is a historic pavilion on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne in the sixteenth arrondissement, built for the Universal Exhibition of 1878 and since renovated in a contemporary Art Deco style. It offers around nine hundred square metres across five light filled salons, with tree lined gardens and private terraces that are a true rarity in central Paris. It seats up to around three hundred and fifty guests for dinner and holds far more for a standing reception, and is run with one of the city's renowned catering houses. It is the choice for a couple who want a garden wedding inside Paris.
A garden in Paris, and salons of light.
Pavillon Dauphine Saint Clair was built for the Exposition Universelle of 1878 and stands at the edge of the Bois de Boulogne, the great wooded park on the western side of Paris, close to Porte Dauphine and a short drive from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. Its salons have been renovated in a contemporary Art Deco register, giving the period architecture a clean, current feel that photographs beautifully by day and by candlelight.
For a wedding the pavilion flows from one space to the next. There are around nine hundred square metres across five light filled salons, opening onto tree lined gardens and private terraces, so a ceremony or aperitif can be held in the green before the party moves inside for dinner and dancing. That combination of a real garden and a grand interior, within the city itself, is what sets the venue apart, since most central Paris spaces offer one or the other. It seats up to around three hundred and fifty for dinner and holds well over a thousand for a standing reception.
The honest truth is that this is the leafy western edge of Paris, not a balcony over the Seine, so you will not see the Eiffel Tower from the terrace. The reward is privacy, greenery and space that the monument facing venues cannot match, with the city's hotels a short ride away. The pavilion is run in partnership with one of the city's renowned catering houses, so the kitchen is part of the package rather than a separate hire.
The practical things, told straight.
A grand Paris pavilion runs on venue hire plus catering and production, so the hire is only part of the budget. Treat every figure as indicative and confirm directly, since the guest count and the menu move the total far more than the hire alone.
What it costs
As an indicative March 2026 guide, a wedding at a landmark Paris pavilion of this calibre sits in the six figure range all in for a full celebration, with venue hire, fine catering and production combining as the guest count rises. A larger reception reaches the higher end. Treat every figure as indicative and confirm directly.
The spaces
Five connected salons across around nine hundred square metres carry the ceremony, the dinner and the dancing, while the tree lined gardens and private terraces host the aperitif and give the rare gift of outdoor space within Paris.
Getting there
The pavilion sits in the sixteenth arrondissement at Porte Dauphine, served by the metro and an easy taxi from the Champs Elysees. Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports are the gateways, so plan guest transfers from the central hotels for the evening.
Staying over
There are no rooms at the pavilion, so the wedding party stays in the hotels of the sixteenth and eighth arrondissements nearby, from grand palace hotels to smaller boutiques, a short ride from the gardens.
Enquire about Pavillon Dauphine.
We will check Pavillon Dauphine's availability for your date, share a realistic all in cost, and introduce the planner who knows Paris best.
A Paris pavilion rewards a planner who knows the city.
A grand city venue is generous in atmosphere and exacting in logistics, with the legal route, the catering house, the music curfews and the transfers all to coordinate. A planner who works Paris and knows Pavillon Dauphine will manage the symbolic or civil ceremony, build the right suppliers around the in house kitchen and run the day end to end. Tell us your date and guest count and we will introduce the right one.
Browse our planner directoryA wedding at Pavillon Dauphine, answered.
How many guests can the pavilion hold?
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It seats up to around three hundred and fifty guests for a dinner across the five salons, and holds well over a thousand for a standing cocktail reception. Confirm the exact figures for your layout with the venue.
Is there outdoor space?
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Yes, and it is the rarity here. The pavilion has tree lined gardens and private terraces opening off the salons, which is unusual for a venue inside Paris, so a ceremony or aperitif can be held outdoors before dinner moves in.
Can we get legally married here?
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A legally binding French civil marriage requires one partner to establish residency in the commune and takes place at the town hall, which is involved for foreign couples. For this reason most international couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony at the pavilion. A planner will advise on your situation.
Does the venue cater?
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The pavilion is run in partnership with one of the city's renowned catering houses, so fine dining is part of the offer rather than a separate hire. Confirm the menus and the arrangement directly with the venue.
When is the best time to marry here?
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May, June and September give the kindest weather for using the gardens, with long light evenings. July and August can be hot and many Parisians are away, while the salons make winter weddings work indoors.
Photography is licensed stock from Unsplash, shown to evoke the setting. It does not depict the specific venue.
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