A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religious beliefs, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of wedding vows by the couple, presentation of a gift (offering, ring(s), symbolic item, flowers, money), and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or leader. Special wedding garments are often worn, and the ceremony is followed by a wedding reception. Music, poetry, prayers or readings from Scripture or literature also may be incorporated in the ceremony. This is pretty much it, in a nut-shell…
But … with that said, most of us are only familiar with wedding traditions within our own country, knowing very little about other customs. In this first piece we will explore the various customs and traditions of France. Soon to follow, will be the ones of Italy, England and the U.S.A. We hope you have fun reading these, and perhaps you might think of incorporating them into your own wedding celebration…
France Wedding Customs
France has always been known for being the most romantic country in the world, so it should be no surprise to anyone that many French wedding customs and traditions have spilled over to many other countries. Some of the early French weddings traditions have persisted throughout the years and have influenced modern wedding ceremonies as we know them today. Here are some of the more interesting customs:
Trousseau: The traditional bridal “Trousseau” originated in France and derives from the word “trousse” which means “bundle”. The Trousseau literally refers to a bundle of linens and clothing. It would contain clothing for Sundays, everyday dresses, night clothing, lingerie and linens that the bride or the mother of the bride to-be would have embroidered with the initials of her future family.
I myself still have my mom’s hand embroidered wedding linen sheets from her wedding to my father; they bear the initials of both my mom and dad’s family. This is a very beautiful keep-sake and one that I wish modern brides would adopt more often…The fun is to embroider it yourself or have your grand-aunt teach you …
Wedding Armoire: In the earlier days, the armoire or “hope chest” was hand-carved by the father of a future bride and given to her during adolescence. When she grew up, she would fill it up with her own wardrobe and take it to her new home when she married. During the 18th century wedding armoires were manufactured by craftsmen and were offered to the newlyweds as a wedding present. Nowadays, we purchase armoires for our modern homes without even knowing the significance of it…
White Wedding Dress: During the medieval and renaissance periods, wedding dresses were simply elaborate versions of contemporary dresses with no specific color required. The bride’s finest dress was transformed into a wedding dress, embellished by jewelry, tassels, beading and ribbons; if widowed the bride would wear black. It was not until the 16th century that the all-white wedding dress was introduced by Queen Anne of Brittany, she wore white to her third marriage to King Louis XII of France in 1527.Although the white wedding dress had not become popular until the 19th century it is said that brides from French aristocracy and bourgeoisie were reported to wear all-white dresses, embroidered with gold and silver threads. Today French brides wear chic and flattering wedding gowns thus replacing the more common dresses of days gone by.
The Jarretière: This is the French word for “Garter”. Ever wondered where the custom of wearing a garter came from? Tossing of the bride’s garter become popular in the 14th century. In France it was the best-man who was in charge of stealing it off the bride but it is also said that is was the bride who would toss her garter to the guests before some unruly inebriated gentlemen would literally tear it off her!
The Sabrage: Not for the faint at heart, this is very old, famous, pretentious but fun French custom of “beheading” (for lack of better words) a bottle of champagne with a saber specially made for the occasion. With over 100 lbs of pressure per square inch in a bottle of champagne, the saber must strike the neck of the bottle at exactly the right angle. Don’t try this yourself at home; it takes quite a bit of skill!!
La Coupe de Mariage: This is where the couple uses a toasting cup called “Coupe de Marriage”. The origin believe it or not came from a small piece of toast which was dropped into the couple’s wine to ensure a healthy life. Hence, a toast to the bride and groom is what you are doing today….
Wedding Processions: This is still a very sweet and traditional French custom for the groom to call on his future bride at her home on the morning of the wedding. The groom escorts her to the wedding chapel or church in a procession, preceded by musicians and followed by the bride with her father, the veil or trane carrier, guests and the groom with his mother at the end of the line.
Le Charivari: Is basically a fun prank used by wedding guests to interrupt the wedding couple at night with a crowd gathering around the couple’s wedding night site (which was supposed to be a very well guarded secret by the groom) clanking pots and pans till the wee hours of the night until the bride and groom appear one last time and offer the guests more champagne, food or wine…in exchange for peace and quite, romance and love together on there first nuptial night. So much fun! Still a tradition to this day in France…
Le Retour de Mariage: This is a tradition that I really love… It means the” return of the wedding party”, and is usually held at the bride or groom’s family home, the day after the wedding. This is only reserved for the wedding party and close family and friends. The parents would roast a pig or lamb and serve other “comfort” foods for the ones suffering from the after affects of too much drinking and partying the night before. It’s usually held during the afternoon where guests and family members can chit-chat with one another and celebrate once again the married couple’s marriage!
So, these are only a few examples of French wedding customs… I will end this piece by sharing my most memorable moments at a wedding in Brittany, France as a child. My sister who will remain nameless married in France at the age of 19, I was nine then… I happen to be the very “important” veil and trane carrier… I will never forget the procession of 250 or so people which started at our home and ended at the church. I was so proud! … I don’t recall too much after that except for the reception which I have to share with you, old customs gone-by… One of the strangest customs was the introduction of a “wedding chamber pot” at the table of honor. I was absolutely appalled at age nine to see this very bizarre pot arrive at the table. My sister and my beloved brother in-law proceeded to drink from this chamber pot! My father and all of my sis’s friends were all French-Americans and had a real good sense of humor… What was in the chamber-pot you might ask? The best French Champagne and the most scrumptious Belgium chocolate one would ever lay hands on. So here is a long forgotten wedding ritual, Le Pot de Chambre!!! Another fun thing at my sister’s wedding were the sugar cubes in our cups of coffee and tea; once your sugar cube dissolved it would reveal a pink miniature baby which would float to the surface of your cup! This was for fertility… what fun that was!
Resources: www.wikipedia.com, www.worldweddingcustoms.com, www.bellaonline.com, www.njsweddingshop.com
We thank you for reading and hope you have enjoyed the French whimsical wedding traditions… As always should you need further information on the subject please do not hesitate to let us know. Please stay tuned for Italian wedding traditions.
