Royal Wedding Preview

No, not that wedding, silly. I can`t gather up much enthusiasm for that one though it may serve a useful purpose in cheering up a somewhat morose UK. No, this wedding was a much closer affair and involved a member of our church at Matha. Sara was marrying her beloved Benoit and all the congregation were invited to attend. Surely every wedding is a royal one to its couple and all brides look like princesses to their princes on the day
  Kim and I being part of the choir had an important part to play and were suitably nervous but the choir`s contribution sounded good, you will be glad to hear.
  A French wedding is organised a little differently to an English one. For a start it seems odd to see the couple mingling together with the crowd before the church door before the ceremony. Still this is perhaps due to the fact that a wedding in church is not valid in France, the defining ceremony takes place in the Mairie and it is the Maire who ties the knot. Still with this slight amendment the actual ceremony is very similar to an English one, and the Minister gives the impression that it is he who does the deed, whatever the Maire thinks, God taking precedence over the state.
  After, the whole congregation were invited to the Vin d`honneur at the bride`s mum`s house and the newly weds created an impression by arriving en caleche.
 We all had a good chat and ate lots of nibbles and drank various tipples. A good time was had by all, even by the bemused English couple who had hired the attached gite and were surprised to find a wedding reception taking place arround them!