Wedding the French way

Wow, it's 11/11/11 today and lots of people said it is an auspicious day. It is public holiday in France so everyone gets to enjoy a long weekend. We certainly had a lovely afternoon, it was sunny and we went to C town for a visit and had picnic close to a river.

I saw on news in Malaysia that lots of couples had booked this day to get married. I'm not sure if French couples also chose this day though since we are in autumn (not a hot season to get married here). Talking about wedding, I want to share two unique things found in French weddings.

French wedding is famous with its marathon style of ceremony + cocktail + dinner + party (last for about 12 hours). But the first thing I want to talk about is the notion of Broom Wagon (voiture balai). It is a car decorated with brooms which originally created to follow the bicycle race and sweeping up those who were unable to finish the race on time. A wedding broom wagon serves the same purpose: picking up cars that are lost on the way from Church / Town Hall to the reception venue.

Most of the time the wagon is prepared by close friends. This photo shows my father admiring the one prepared for our wedding.

We attended a wedding two weekends ago and this time we had the task to decorate a broom wagon. The theme is Fest-noz (Brittany dancing party) so we had the Brittany flag as background. The challenge was more on how to tie the board to the car as it was quite windy that day. We drove at 30km/h on the way to the wedding and we lost 2 balloons on the way. Photo shows the workshop in progress.

Et voilà the final result.

Another specialty in French wedding: The French onion soup (Soupe à l’Oignon). I had been to several weddings but had yet tasted this infamous soup, mostly I went to bed too early and not every wedding served this. It was rare for me to stay up until 4-5am for a wedding but this time, at around 2am, I heard that there was onion soup coming so I stayed put. Yeah, I was very curious, and I was so glad that I stayed, as it tasted heavenly. It just warmed up my stomach so much so that I had a good night sleep later. Everyone should really try it.

Our French Wedding (2)

In my last post about the French wedding I mentioned that my mother wanted me to get out of the house from the main door, but instead I got out from the second door (for concubine in the Chinese culture) since I was wearing extremely high pair of shoes. The result, I forgot to bring my own luggages to the rental property (a farm house) for our wedding, which would have been seen if I got out through the main door. With no choice, hubby went back to the house and picked up what was forgotten, and by the time he arrived in the place where the wedding dinner was held, our guests had been waiting for more than an hour. Lesson: listen to your mother, sometimes they could be right.

Luckily the guests had lots of activities to keep them busy in the farm house, one of them being watching the drooling roasted pork, a famous dish from this farm house.

While waiting for the dinner to start, some of the guests setting up their tents. Basically our friends brought their own tent and camp outside while our family guests sleep in the rooms. Our friends and hubby set up the tents for some of my family member, but due to some miss understanding and the cold weather, we didn't make use of the tents. :-(

People started dancing while waiting for hubby to come back.

We started the evening program immediately once hubby arrived. We had a fabulous violin performance and poem by this little girl and her brother.

Fabien telling a joke.

The dinner setting was very simple and friendly with some decorations from Malaysia.

The menu: fois gras with anion; langoustin; apple ice cream with alcohol; roasted pork with vegetables; salad and cheese & strawberry cake. The small red bag is from Malaysia, with some Malaysian candies, junk foods and peanut biscuit.

The fois gras was so good but I couldn't find any photo of it. Here is the langoustin, one kind of shrimp from Brittany region.

We open the ball and people join in.

We had the Brittany/Celtic dance and everybody, young and old joined in. Our guests just love to dance!

Fabien's parents prepared him a drama show. The dad was imitating Fabien when he was teenager and when he was going to the scout camp. It was hilarious!

Finally it was time to taste the roasted pork. Everybody said it was good. For me, I was awaiting roasted pork plus roasted skin, but it just not the way it is here. All the skin were thrown away, and we only eat the meat. The taste just wasn't the same without the skin. My nephew asked why roasted the pork until "chao ta" (burned).

There were several games going on during the dinner. For this game, I selected 6 girls and Fabien selected 6 guys. For each round one of the contestants will be eliminated. They were assigned tasks like finding a lipstick, a kid, car key, and they need to rush back to find a seat, which would always be one person less. People who couldn't find a seat loses, and they would need to do something for us in the month they got. For example, someone had to host our first wedding anniversary September next year.

Our friends prepared another game for us. In this game, we had to reply their questions, like who does the housework, who stays longer in the bathroom, who spends more money...with answer all lead to "me or him/her". Our friends were considered enough to have one person translated the questions into English for my family members.

Our good friends from Nantes presented us a song in French, English, Chinese, Spanish and Breton (a regional language spoken in Brittany). Million thanks to the efforts they put into this.

Revenge time. My BIL was forced to eat Chinese jelly/pudding during our wedding in Malaysia. Now he wanted my sister to try the stinky French cheese. :-)


Champagne time: No celebration will go without champagne in my in-laws family. This huge bottle of champagne was specially ordered for this occasion. I think it costs a fortune.

Time to cut some cakes. These strawberry cake was just awesome. I was so full with other dishes but still manage to finish my share of it.

People went dancing from time to time and most of the guests went to sleep around 2am. Hubby and his friends stayed up dancing until 6am.

Overall, my family especially my mother was very impressed by the French wedding. It was an eyes opening ceremony, with guests participate in games and dances and everyone was happy. My mother actually drunk white, rose, red wine plus champagne in one night, which was something never happened in her life.

French wedding usually last for two days. Stay tunned for the episode of "retour de noce", the day after the wedding.

Our French Wedding (1)

I finally managed to gather some photos for our wedding held more than two weeks ago. Thanks everyone who took time to upload the photos for us.

Unlike the tradition where bride and groom have to sleep in the different house the night before the wedding, we actually slept in the same house and depart from the same house the second morning. While Fabien was busying with the booklets and other organizations for the wedding, I went in the morning for my hair and makeup. When I got home, everybody was busy putting all the luggages (we will go directly to the party place), the champagne glasses, the decor... At this moment, my mother wanted me to get out from the main door, as going out from the side door means you are the second wife or concubine to the guy, in the Chinese tradition. I didn't follow her instruction and later regretted from it.

Our friends decorated their car for us.


Me wearing these shoes, welcoming and face kissing over 100 guests. I thought it would be annoying but I actually had fun doing it.



Waiting to enter the chapel. Unlike what I saw in the American movie, me and my father were in the middle while Fabien and his mother were the one entering the last.


There were some presentations during the ceremony. My family members were singing a Chinese song which broke the serious ambiance when they sang out of tone. :-)


My nephew, brought us the rings during the ring exchange ceremony. The rings were nicely tied to a handmade pillow, made by Fabien's god mother, a tradition in the region.


The singing ceremony. The priest was impressed that my parents signed in Chinese. He thought that Chinese was a language that is not practice anymore, like Latin.


A song sang by friends who used to be scout.


The ceremony lasted like about 35 minutes, we are finally husband and wife, according to both our traditions.

We had photo session with different groups: siblings, friends, cousin... then a group one. I like the background, this place is awesome to take photo.


Right after photo session, we had a cocktail party beside the chapel. The feast started from now!


I tried to talk to people but stay close to my family who couldn't communicate with the guests. The guests were simply fantastic, they didn't want my family to be left out from the party, so they kept talking to my family even though they didn't understand each other. The French are just too friendly! My mother said I'm lucky bcos everyone seems to be so nice to me.


We managed to gather everyone in a circle, and did the Malaysian toast: Yammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm sheng!


The wedding ceremony started at around 2.30pm and the cocktail lasted around 6.30pm. Some of the guests left, whereas those who got invited to dinner, follow us to the rental house.

Stay tunned for the dinner part.

Rasa Sayng Eh!

Rasa Sayang Eh!

Rasa sayang eh! Rasa sayang sayang eh! Eh lihat nona jauh, rasa sayang sayang eh!
Rasa sayang eh! Rasa sayang sayang eh! Eh lihat nona jauh, rasa sayang sayang eh!

I would like to have this Malay song for my wedding. My nephew and nieces will sing it.

Anybody knows of some nice pantun to go with it?

Thanks!

Do you wear your wedding ring?

After months (or year?) of procrastinating, we finally bought our wedding rings. I think now the parents in laws can relax :-) (they were worried).

According to wikipedia, "In Western cultures a wedding ring is traditionally worn on the ring finger. According to tradition in some countries, the wedding ring is worn on the left ring finger because the vein in the left ring finger, referred to as the vena amoris was believed to be directly connected to the heart, a symbol of love."

Since the very beginning, there has been a "discussion" between me and hubby: "Is it ok if I don't wear the ring after the wedding." His reaction was big, he strongly disagreed. For him wearing a ring is a commitment. The commitment I swear to follow, and the ring symbolizes it.

Well he grows up in the Christian community and I don't blame him. But I don't know when the rings started to have influences in the Chinese culture, and I don't even know when people exchange rings (during the registration? during the tea ceremony?). For me, it's a precious thing and I should keep it safely somewhere. The problem is I don't like to wear jewelry plus the fear I could lost it.

My Asian friends in US, told me that she doesn't wear it because she has lost it 3 times. Well it's not a big deal for her bcos her husband is an Asian too. Then, another guy lost his ring when he was playing beach volleyball. We were all searching under the sand but to no success.

At this point, I'm willing to give it a try, wear for several months and see how it goes. For my married friends out there, do you guys always have your ring? And for the non-married, will you wear it when it's your turn?

Another bride

On the same day there was another classmate who got married. My friend went and took some photos, and I found her gown so excellent and original.

French wedding (2)

It was a beautiful Saturday. We were all gathering outside of the town hall waiting for the couple to show up. It was 11am.

The handsome groom arrived with his buddies first.


Followed by the bride riding in a fancy car, a bit American style I found.


The bride is accompanied by her father, walking inside the town hall.


After the mayor (representative) announced them husband and wife, they signed and exchanged rings.


Walking outside the town hall, greeting by rice. She threw the bouquet and it landed on her mother-in laws'forehead, unexpected!


We all moved to a beautiful park having some cocktail, while the couple went for photo shooting.


By 1.30pm me and hubby went to the dining room beside a castle, to finish some decoration.


Around 3pm, the couple and their closed family members arrived and we (again) have some appetizers. These were so good! Pumpkin and foie gras mousse.


Since I was the witness we were seated in the main table. The grandmother sat beside me, good opportunity to have her introduce all the family in the room for me. Had this as the first course.


The main course is the goose, I didn't really like it, too chewy.


In between meal we had games for the couple. This time she had to touch many legs and determine which one belongs to her hubby. She managed to find out! Amazing! When it was the turn of the groom to guess, he touched several pairs of hands, and he found the one too! I don't know how they did it.


Salad with cheese


Most of the family members love musics. Have you seen French sing karaoke? Well here you go. The bride's parents from Bolivia also sang in Spanish.


Pouring the champagne. Hubby reminded me that those were real champagne, not like those we had in Malaysia. :-(


Dessert named piece monté (climbing piece)


The lunch ran from 3pm to 7.30pm, by the time some of the guests already arrived for the evening buffet event. The family prepared a short film with the parents participating in the script and songs, it was very well done.

Around 9.30pm the couple led the first dance.


People were crazy dancing. They danced whole night non stop, amazing! I was off at 11pm, too tired to even think. It's too tiresome to have a wedding from morning to night and still not ending.


Again the family prepared this for the couple, they were dancing (a song created by the groom, sent it to the bride who was then in Bolivia). Isn't romantic?


I left at 3:10am damn tired. Hubby wanted to stay so I decided to drive home with a friend. We got lost as predicted but I managed to find the way home. When I go to bed it was passed 4am. The second morning I was not feeling well the whole day. Well, if this was hung over, I wish I had never drunk. (I took at least 2 glasses of red wine, 1 glass of white wine plus champagne for lunch, but didn't drink the whole night.)

I don't know how I'm going to hold up for my own wedding.