The sun., 1910-01-16
FUN AT A FRENCH WEDDING
Dancing, wine Drinking: Toastlnk and
Feasting Prevail.


| FeastIng Prevail.
have seen French marriages on the
stage many times. but yesterday | went
to real one. writes the Paris correspond
ent OF the London Globe. 1t was the mar
riage OF young Englishman born and
resident IN France with French young
lady. and the ceremony was performed
entirely in accordance with French
custom.
As the young couple were Of mixed
religions and the Roman Catholic Church
refused to sanction any other religious
ceremony than that by a R0mish priest.
it was decided to abandon the original
plan OF having the union consecrated
at both the Protestant and Roman Catho-
lie churches. We ell assembled ct the
house Of the brides mother at half past
10 in the morning and made the aoquaint-
ance OF each other. We were some forty
in all. and AZ the French are less stand
offish than the English we had lots OF
time. before the bride was ready. to make
one anothers acquaintance over glass OF
Madeira.
AT 1850. the hour at which we ought
to have been arriving at the Marie. the
bride was still in the hands of the hair
dresser and the dressmaker and two
or three OF her girl friends. who had come
in to see that her dress fitted properly
and that her pretty wreath of orange
blossom was displayed TO advantage.
At last the final pin was put in. the two
bridesmaids in white each took a corner
OF the brides train and we fled down
stairs to the landau.
On arriving at the Marie we were
met by helf distracted employee. who
implored the master OF ceremonies TO
hurry up the couple who were to be mar
ried. for the cortege WIS nearly three
quarters Of an hour late and Mons lie
Marie had threatened to go of without
waiting for the bridel party. But the
master OF ceremonies had his. own irie1
as to how the wedding should be carried
out. and even IL Mons. le Metre was q
quarter OF an hour late for his lunch.
he was determined thet the ceremony
should be carried out decentty end in
order.
So when we got out OF the carria ges
all the men were lined up on one side
of the porch. and all the women on tire
other Then the bride and bridegroom
walked through the lane OF guests. and
as they went by the couples on each side
linked arms behind them as il for dance
and followed them up stairs to the recep-
ton room.
After brief halt there for the vei'iica-
ton Of the necessary papers We all walked
} into the next room with our partners
on our arms At one end was q raised
platform, with reading desk. In front
and on each side wee rows OF chairs,
and the centre OF TIE room wRs taken
uD by rows of leather covered benches.
40 often that had no difficulty in recog-
nizing il as the marriage room.
As soon as We had taken our seats
the BRIDE and bridegroom and their spon-
soys close up 20 the platform Monsieur
le Maire, with hie tFioolof scarf across
his breast, came in from behind tire read
ing dssk mounted TO his place, end bowed
to the assembled compcny, Then Re
Immediately took up the official mar
riaSe service and began to read the ar
ticles which lay down the law in matters
matrimonial.
As he galloped elong caught the
phrases stipulating that the husbcnd
must be devoted to his wife, and furnish
her with all that is necessary 10 her wants
The wife, On the other hand, must respect
her husband,> and follow him wherever
he goes in the interests of the family
I did not hear anything about the obi
4 CATION to love, honor and obey
After the young couple had joined hands
the Mayor pronounced them man and
wife before the law. The whole cere-
mony did not lest more than ten minutes,
and directly it WIS over end the Mayor
had congratulated the couple in q curt.
official phrase, one Of the bridesmaids
came round with en clms bag and made
OF the Marie. Then Monsieur le Maire
bowed hurriedly, and hcstened OF to
his luncheon.
few minutes later we followed his
example. The first thing we had to do on
arriving Rt the West End restaurant
where the wedding breakfast was served
= was to be photographed. The group was
truly family one. There were two
grandmothers and half a dozen children
whose ages varied from seven years to
less than six months. and | could not
help smiling when, as we mounted the
: stairs to the second floor | heard the
maitre d'hotel cell out to one of the
garcons; Prepare cradle up there
, for baby"
And when we reached the dining room
there. sure enough. was the cradle. a
long wicker basket. with tiny mattress.
clean napkin. end a pillow. The baby
was placed in it. and while its father and
: mother. it's uncles and aunts and cousins
piled their knives end forks. baby sucked
, its thumb and crowed with delight in
! it's corner. When l made inquiries
; found that the establishment in which
, we were met made a speciality of we'd
; ding breakfasts and dinners, sometimes
! having as msny as eight and nine parties
! at a time, end as il frequently happens
that some Of the women folk are Obliged
to bring their babies with them they
always Keep a stock of cradles handy
The breakfast was a very lively one
With their p-ovegbial geyety the French
guests were anything but dull. and the
grandmotkers were by no means the most
! silent members OF tire party. On one side
Of me l had q medical man and on the
other Major in the French army, resplen.
dent in his red and gold uniform i no.
ticed that tt q ladies to right and left ol
me made no objection when helped then
literally to white wine and when | asked
. for a little water-as | was not in the habit
Of taking my wine neat-both my fair
neighbprs protested that 1t was spelling
the wine to mix it with water.
Il should have remarked thst before
any one else was allowed to sit down a
"garcon'-in accordance with the usual
custom-brought a plate OF bouillon
("la bouillon de Ia marieeT) for the bride
and bridegroom. II was served at a sepa-
rate table and arter the married couple
had finished this. the first course in their
married life, the bride slipped five franc
piece under tire plate. | shrewdly suspect