A wedding procession that turns into a docket of tickets leaves memories a little different from glossy photos. In Saint-Priest, part of the Lyon metropolitan area, several guests may receive not a keepsake album but a far less romantic letter: a traffic-ticket notice.
On Saturday, September 26, 2026, in the middle of the afternoon, a wedding convoy ended up drawing the attention of both the municipal police and the national police. At the heart of the case was this wedding in Saint-Priest whose passage was flagged by residents for behaviors described as “particularly problematic.” In the end, the mayor’s tally is striking: 87 tickets, 10,945 euros in fines, and most notably 242 points on driving licenses removed, a total that gives a very concrete idea of what a misbehaving wedding procession can cost.
In Saint-Priest, a wedding procession under the police lights
It all started with reports from residents annoyed by the procession’s route through the streets of this eastern suburb. On Facebook, the mayor (LR) Gilles Gascon described the conduct as “particularly problematic,” as cited by Actu.fr. On the ground, officers observed sequences of drag racing behind the wheels of rental sedans, blocked travel lanes, and a heavy-handed use of the horn.
The tally, released in the wake of the incident by the elected official, comes with three jaw-dropping numbers: 87 tickets, 10,945 euros in fines, and 242 points removed from driving licenses. When put in perspective with the number of fines issued, that translates to an average of nearly 3 points per infraction and roughly 126 euros per violation. The 242 points are theoretically equivalent to about twenty 12-point licenses, though the deductions were spread across several drivers, whose exact number was not disclosed. Road-safety specialists note that this total reflects deductions for the violations recorded; points are removed only after administrative processing, with each driver able to contest. A margin of maneuver that does not diminish the severity of the bill.
Marriage charters and neighboring towns: processions under scrutiny
In Saint-Priest, these disturbances do not occur in a regulatory vacuum. For several years, the town has maintained a specific charter that prospective newlyweds must sign before appearing before the civil registrar. The document, downloadable from the city’s website, prohibits flags of any kind and warns that obstructive parking will be consistently sanctioned. It also reminds applicants that the area around the town hall is not a proving ground for supercharged sedans, but public space where the Highway Code continues to apply. The mayor can take police measures to ensure order and quiet during the ceremony, but he can also regulate traffic and parking nearby.
In this political context, Gilles Gascon’s message is very clear: “In Saint-Priest, weddings are welcome, but anti-social behavior and dangerous conduct are not,” the mayor stresses. Elected again in March after making safety a campaign priority, he sits within a broader trend that extends beyond his municipality. In the same Lyon area, towns like Rillieux-la-Pape, Meyzieu, and Décines have already faced agitated processions. In Rillieux-la-Pape, in early May, the mayor Alexandre Vincendet agreed to authorize a union’s celebration only in the presence of parents and witnesses after a string of offenses by guests’ cars. In Meyzieu, in the fall of 2025, a couple received a town bill following a particularly tumultuous ceremony. More recently, in Décines, at least 17 tickets were issued during another procession, with several dozen license points potentially at stake. A chain of episodes that shows how a day meant to be the most beautiful of a couple’s life can linger long after the ceremony, behind a wheel with a few points missing.
