Wedding Customs Around the World - France
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France is an important part of Europe, and French wedding customs contain a mix of customs from other cultures, together with those developed locally.
The idea of the bride’s trousseau originated in France, and comes from the French word trousse which means bundle. This is a collection of clothing and household linen which was stored in a hope chest or wedding armoire.
In French villages it is customary for the groom to escort his bride-to-be from her home to the place where the wedding will take place in a procession with musicians, friends and family. Children will stretch long white ribbons across the road for the bride to cut as she passes. In Brittany briars are also placed as obstacles in the road and the groom must remove them or pay for people to remove them, which represent obstacles that will have to be overcome in their new life together.
During the wedding ceremony a silk canopy called a “carre” is held over the head of the bride and groom as they are blessed by the priest. This is to protect the couple from descending malice. This same piece of silk will wrap their children when they are baptized. When they leave the chapel aromatic laurel leaves may be scattered across the path for them to walk over.
At the wedding reception, the newlyweds toast each other from an engraved, double-handled goblet (la Coupe de Marriage), which is usually passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom.
The traditional French wedding cake is a croquembouche which was invented in the late 1600’s. The cake is made of small, creme-filled pastry puffs piled in a pyramid and covered in a caramel glaze and spun sugar. The concept originated from the Middle Ages when guests would stack little cakes which newlyweds had to kiss over without disturbing the stack.
The French often hire a professional to “behead” the champagne. This expert uses a sabre, or cavalry-style sword, to whack open the bottles. The tradition goes back to the way Hussars under Napoleons command celebrated victories.
After the reception, those invited to the wedding may gather outside the newlyweds' window and bang pots and pans until they are invited into the house for some more drinks in the couple's honor. This is known as chiverie.