I touched the tops of the creamy roses to soak in their faint papery perfume. We had been too late to offer them at the church where other bouquets dotted the altar and so they were nestled against my knees. I smiled, thinking back to the ceremony echoing through the tiny, ancient church. How quickly it was over and our friends, Nathalie and Laurent were now married.
With a diva-worthy wave, Nathalie beckoned le cortège to follow their beribboned convertible and half of the village of Manou watched as we took our leave…
…through a countryside perfect for rolled-down windows and fingers splayed in the wind. The kind you can shout “Hello!” to for no reason.
With more than a dose of relief, we unfolded ourselves out of our lunch-box rental (a Ford!) and breathed in the open expanse of Le Moulin St. Agnes. Light shimmied through the leaves and across the lake, hinting of the evening to come.
For le vin d‘honneur, champagne flutes were presented to each new arrival…
…along with a warm welcome from the beautiful bride!
Ah, but there was also an oyster bar to tuck into…
…along with a truly impressive variety of hors d’oeurves and delicately layered verrines, spoons of smoked salmon, a mountain of crudités…
Brochettes of marinated chicken and shrimp were grilled to order à la plancha…
…and of course, this being France, there was much silky foie gras to be consumed…
…wines to be savoured…
…and even a tiny mini foie gras burger on a brioche bun to be inhaled tout d’un coup! Ah yes, thank you, don’t mind if I do.
As I am shy, I let my camera do the talking as I strolled the grounds, listening to the relaxed chatter of Nathalie and Laurent’s friends…
…and laughed as with a “Whoop! Whoop!” they took their turn for a boat ride across the lake. |
So many friends, so many loved ones, gathered to celebrate.
However, my nerves did a little twinge as we were called into dinner. Oh my, was a stuffy, more forks than you can count, prisoner of the table type of experience ahead of me? Would I be trapped next to strangers that would raise their eyebrows sky high at my accent?
I needn’t have worried. Within minutes, napkins were being twirled in the air, accompanied by boisterous hollering and pounding on the table. I knew that I was in the clear. The evening was by all accounts…really…fun…a word that is not so applicable in France most of the time! While the dinner itself was certainly excellent (émincé de veau accompagnée d’une verrine des champinons), what fascinated me the most was all of the delights sprinkled in between the courses–sing-a-longs (of which yours truly did a wee solo for the end of “Stand By Me”), musical jams (oddly called un boeuf de musique in French. A musical cow?) games, and seriously funny toasts. Unbeknownst to me, apparently weddings are where these folks really let their hair down.
Nathalie and Laurent beamed even brighter than their spectacular cake.
And then they opened le bal. Their First Song?
Now seriously, how fabulous is that?! It was exactly what I had been looking forward to dancing to (I know, I know, expectations…) and so we gave it our all. Then, I stuck to my motto as a former NYC Disco Baby–“Always Leave The Party When It Is Good”–and so that is what we did, bowing out immediately after, just past 12:30am.
At the brunch the next day (a relaxed affair sweetened by several chansons française delivered by an 80 year-old relative), we discovered that the dancing had lasted until 4 and that dawn was welcomed by many a guest.
Nathalie et Laurent, vous avez partagé votre amour et votre joie de vivre avec nous tous! And that, my friends is the Charm of a French Country Wedding. Long may they follow together on la route du bonheur…
My sincere thanks to les mariés for letting me share their big day with you all and I know that they will appreciate the lovely wishes that many of you have passed on to them.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone…
Hmmm,Heather…I was't joking….folks (at least in New York City) do really have "divorce parties" these days.
I gather that this goes on regularly in circles where the couple met through "work"….the wife is a Manhattan corporate attorney with a degree from the Uiversity of Chicago and the husband is a real-estate developer in the Hamptons….or some dynamic such as that, in which it's a GIVEN that they and all of their "friends" will, like it or not, continue knowing and dealing with each other on an almost daily (if purely commercial/professional) basis.
It reminds of when the authors of "The SilverPalate Cookbook) parted ways…..the LAST thing you were going to hear from either of their mouths was any gossip about the acrimonious (as it turned out to be)split or regarding each other.
That would be Bad For Business, you know….and they had a LOT of jointly owned business ventures, to say the least. They were quite practical about the matter (for which I don't at all intend to criticize them; it saves everyone else a lot of worry and trouble)
Oh, well, I'm very glad to have gotten out of that world (not that I was ever so remarkably "in" it) long before "divorce parties" came into vogue.
—david
My dear David, I kept waiting for you to write "JUST KIDDING" in one of your glorious turnarounds like you do from time to time. I find this so disconcerting that I can't quite find the words to respond–whether in "reaaaaally?" kind of laughter or dispersion. I know you will understand that I am at a loss!
Although this has nothing to do with divorce, the concept reminds me of going to an opening of the brilliant James Nachtwey's photos—but everyone was swanning around with champagne amidst the photos of utter sadness and the horrors of war. It was one of the big reasons that launched our leaving Paris.
Actually, Heather?….I wasn't referring to folks holding ceremonies/celebrations for divorces…….but the fact is (I read about this a short while back in the New York Times) folks ARE doing exactly that. I kid you not.
Apparently, this goes on among youngish-middle-aged & minimally-middle-class (large parties aren't cheap) folks who sort of just assume that everyone gets married at LEAST twice in this life….and they want to make it clear that their feelings about the divorce are perfectly "amicable", etcetera…..so,let's just have a "divorce party", invite all the friends and family, and make it clear that we're, actually, pretty excited (!) to be moving on with our individual, new&improved lives…no hard feelings!!!,,,no one needs to worry!!!
I don't know…I find the whole notion…..creepy? I'm scarcely some hidebound, ultra-orthodox (I'm an Anglo-Cahtolic, basically) advocate of perpetuating a painful relationship…but, simultaneously, I'm taken aback by the notion of acting as though a divorce were something done lightly….as we all just do from time to time?…..do they play Cole Porter's "It Was Just One of Those Things!" as background music at these events????
If I were invited to one, I wouldn't go,simply because I don't think I could carry off acting, for several hours, casual about the matter… "Oh well….these things just HAPPEN, you know? And we're still Good Friends!!! More bubbly, anyone???".
So, yes, I have turned into my own grandmother (in terms of both her attitude regarding sacraments and a nose that becomes more prominent with each passing year). I should emphasize that she was divorced (the first in our family) in her early thirties and never re-married. As far as I'm concerned a divorce is a sometimes quite necessary, but inevitably solemn event….I can't imagine celebrating one.
—-david terry
http://www.davidterryart.com
I do believe they have started as they mean to carry on, Lisa. And I am delighted to have you here!
I love that story, David.
You are a wonderful writer, Loree. Don't let those doubts tell you otherwise…although, come to think of it, every writer I know has doubts all the time!!!
Absolutely!! A good reminder! And THANK YOU!!!!
So happy that you stopped by Penelope! And "ain't that the truth"! Sorry to hear that is not the case only in France…
Thank you for your beautiful last post,
xo,
H
You are welcome, joyful! You always bring the same to mine when you stop by. 🙂