Martin Lorentz was granted a special dispensation to wed in the historic Paris cathedral.
By Catholics for Catholics
He helped to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris after the historic church had been devastated by a fire in 2019.
On October 25, Martin Lorentz, a carpenter, was able to wed Jade in the Cathedral he helped restore, according to the National Catholic Register. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris gave special permission for the wedding to thank the worker for giving his time and talent to helping rebuild the cathedral, a world-renowned site.
Because Notre-Dame is not a parish church, weddings aren’t habitually permitted and require a special dispensation from the archbishop. The last wedding officiated there was in 1995.
During the Cathedral’s 860-year history, few dispensations for nuptial ceremonies have been granted. Lorentz married Jade in front of 500 guests, including other carpenters who worked on the Cathedral.
First grand white wedding in Notre-Dame since the fire: the couple: Martin & Jade Lorentz
— RT (@RT_com) November 1, 2025
In a historic twist, Martin isn't an emperor—he's the carpenter who spent 3 years restoring the cathedral's woodwork
A rare honor for the man who helped rebuild it pic.twitter.com/soQfkkwvgc
“I just want to say that this is the best day of my life. I don’t think I can say anything else,” the groom told reporters after the ceremony, per a translated news article published on France Info. “I want to share my love, our love, with the whole world, with everyone who needs it.”
“It’s incredible to see this happen,” a fellow carpenter who attended the event said. “It was a wonderful moment to end like that, to get married in our cathedral, which is a bit like home to us.”
Notre-Dame reopened on December 8, 2024, with Archbishop Ulrich presiding. The ceremony with French President Emmanuel Macron featured 1,500 guests, including major world leaders like then-President-elect Donald Trump, then-First Lady Jill Biden, Prince William, Elon Musk, and others.
The gargantuan restoration process reportedly cost more than $700 million.
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