Note: This information is gathered based on my personal experience. I'm not an expert in giving advise on this matter, but simply sharing my experience. You are advised to contact any relevant authorities for the up to date procedure.
How to get married in France
Once you decide to get married, you need to go to the Town Hall (Mairie) where you are going to have the wedding for a list of documents to prepare.
Each Town Hall might request a different set of documents. Here are documents required by the Town Hall in Queven:
1. Medical certificate within 2 months before you send in the application.
Note: Make sure the town hall give you also a booklet that have 2 forms for this certificate. Both of you need to go see a doctor and it's you who have to bring this form along. If you don't have it with you, you need to go to the Town Hall again and come back to the doctor for him to sign.
2. You will need to fill out the forms in the booklet which provide the Town Hall with the personal details of each spouse as well as a list of witnesses.
3. Extract of your birth certificate issued within 3 months to the day of the wedding (Original and translated copy).
Note: I didn't provide them a new birth certificate. Instead I told the Town Hall that unlike France, Malaysia only issue a life time birth certificate. The officer in the Town Hall called their judge, and the judge agreed that I only need to provide them with a translated copy which is made within 3 months, and a certified copy of my original birth certificate. All of these can be done with the Embassy of Malaysia in Paris.
4. Proof of the residency - electricity bill or other bill with your name on it.
5. Photocopy of your identity card (with photo).
6. Photocopy of the identity card of your witness.
7. Certificate of custom (A paper saying that the law of Malaysia allows you to get married).
8. Certificate of yous single status (A proof that you have never been married).
Note: Item 7 and 8 can be done together. Please call the Embassy of Malaysia in France to verify all the information.
Apply from France
You will need to go to the Embassy of Malaysia in Paris. Make sure you call them and make an appointment before going. You will fill in the form and swear in front of them that you have never married. They will issue you a "surat akuan" with some forms. You will need to send all these along with a photocopy of your IC and RM5 to:
Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara Malaysia (Attention Puan Nor)
Bahagian Perkahwinan dan Perceraian
Aras 1, Lot 2G5 Presint 2
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
62100 Putrajaya
Tel:03-8880-7000
Once they receive your application, it will take them 7 days to issue you an English version of "Pengesahan Taraf Perkahwinan", where you should ask them to send it to:
Kementerian Luar Negeri
Bahagian Konsular
Wisma Putra
No.1, Jalan Wisma Putra
Parcel C, Precint 2
62602 Putrajaya
Tel:03-8887-4159
Kementerian Luar Negeri will certify and sign that this "Surat Pengesahan Taraf Perkahwinan" is actually signed by the right person. You need to pay RM10 for that. They will then send this letter to you in France.
You can then send this letter to the Embassy in Malaysia in Paris:
Ambassade de Malaisie (Consular Department)
2 bis, rue Benouville
75116, Paris France
Tel:(331) 4553 1185
Fax:(331) 4727 3460
Email:mwconsparis@free.fr
Once the Embassy receive this, they will translate the "Pengesahan Taraf Perkahwinan" to the required certificate of single status (Item 8) and issue you a certificite of custom (Item 7). You will need to pay 5 euros for Item 7. This can usually be done within 2 weeks.
Apply from Malaysia
I did mine in Malaysia May 2006. My family got me the form from Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara Malaysia. I then went to see a commissioner of oath, he signed and I paid RM4. Then, I went to Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara Malaysia in Putrajaya to submit the application (RM5) with a photocopy of IC. Service was nice and fast. One week later, I went to collect the "Sijil Pengesahan Taraf Perkahwinan", then go to Kementerian Luar Negeri to get it sign (RM10). Service was nice but slow due to the crowd. I then sent it by poslaju to Embassy of Malaysia in Paris. They sent me Item 6 and 7 to my address in France within 2 weeks.
The Civil Marriage
Once the town hall receive all the necessary documents, they will make an announcement of the marriage. Your wedding day will have to be 2 weeks or one month after the application, depending on the city you live.
On the wedding day, the ceremony will last for around 10 minutes. The mayor will ask the bride first for the consent of marriage follow by the gloom. You will be given a "livret de famille" and several extract of the marriage for future administrative purposes.
The Carte de séjour
As soon as you are married, you can go to your prefecture to process your carte de séjour. In Nantes, I need my passport and the livret de famille to get an appointment to process the carte. The prefecture only open from 1.30pm to 4pm, so people were queueing to fight for the 20-25 numbers available for the day. My appointment was scheduled to 2 months after. That means I can only work when I get my temporarily carte de séjour on the appointment day.
On the appointment day, you need to provide these documents and your French spouse has to come with you:
1. Photocopy of your passport including pages that indicate your status in France (visa)
2. Extract of your birth certificate accompany by a translation in French
3. Livret de famille
4. Extract of your marriage provided by the town hall where you got married
5. Justification of your residential (electricity bill, phone bill...)
6. Identity card of your spouse
7. 4 photos, preferably in black and white, clearly showing your face
8. Your current carte de séjour
9. The appointment paper