Wedding weekend

Saturday, April 1, 2006
On Saturday I went with the young adults to sing at a wedding (in the youth choir) and that went all day long. I had volunteered to be one of the drivers, thinking that the wedding was about 20 minutes away. However, it was actually another town with a similar name over 2 ½ hours away! So that gave me a good chance to talk to the four girls I was driving about life in Bordeaux and ask all the questions that I have always wanted to ask, but never had the time to kill.

The wedding itself was interesting. In France, all marriages must take place legally at the mayor’s office in the town of your official address. Then, if the couple wants a “church wedding” they can have a ceremony after the “legal wedding” at the mayor’s. Even though the French Christians can have a church ceremony, there is no “I now pronounce you man and wife” since that has already been done; likewise, there aren’t vows either. But the pastor does an address and it gives the church a chance to feel like the marriage has been blessed in the presence of God. Afterward, we went to a cake-and-peanuts reception held the great hall of a nearby castle. It was high on a hill, overlooking a pond and the rolling green hillsides of the French countryside. I am sure their pictures will be beautiful! After the entire day driving to and from the wedding, not to mention the wedding itself, we were all starving, so we went out for dinner in downtown Bordeaux (see photo).

It was a great opportunity for me to speak French all day long and really get to know some of the young adults in the choir. I am starting to really feel a part of the church now.