France, the name of the country is as provocative as the romance that is associated with it. When I was younger, I tickled myself silly when I realized the France and romance rhymed together and didn’t that seem appropriate? Whether you are of French descent or merely love all things French, there are many traditions that you can call upon.
The Chest of Hopes
Did you know that the hope chest came from France originally? The wedding trousseau refers to the bundle of clothes that the bride will take with her to her new home – and for modern brides, they represent the clothes and nightclothes she will take with her on her honeymoon and more.
Ceremonial Traditions
It is tradition in many small French towns that the groom will meet the bride on the day of the wedding to walk with her to the ceremony. Children will flock to them and around them, throwing white ribbons across their path that the bride can then cut. Orange blossoms are a popular flower for the bride to carry or wear in a crown on her head because the blossoms are symbolic of virginity. This also falls into the belief that the bride should carry the most fragrant of flowers because the smell will keep evil spirits away. Another tradition is the carrel. The carrel is a silk canopy and standing beneath it will shield the wedded couple from ill luck. The same carrel will be stored away and then brought back out to use as a shield for their children when they are baptized.
More than Two Cents
In some areas of France, the couple is not showered with rice. Instead, as they leave the church the guests will toss coins to the children so they might share in the favorable luck of the wedded couple. Other fun traditions that happen at the wedding reception include one where the guests each bring a small cake to the reception. The cakes are then all piled together and the couple kisses over the top of it – this symbolizes the long and happy married life they will share together.
Finally, the last tradition is one that most wedding couples are not likely to incorporate into their modern weddings. This tradition involves the friends and loved ones of the couple gather together outside their window on the wedding night and banging pots and pans in celebration of the nuptials. What French traditions have you incorporated in your wedding?
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