Time Traveling in Paris

This weekend, I finally got to Paris for the first time! Kind of. (It wasn't exactly the part of Paris most people see.) The Dollé's were invited to 1930s, Charleston-themed Parisian wedding (France is a decade behind, I know), and I, the temporary, semi-family member, also went along as a guest (I'm not sure what else you would call it.) Considering I didn't know the bride or the groom, or even their names for that matter, I guess I was kind of a wedding crasher. Depends how you look at it. Anyway, it was an absolutely fantastic weekend, and I can tell you now that it will be difficult to fit all the highlights into this post!

We drove to Paris early Saturday morning and the ride was a little over 6 hours. We arrived at the Mairie, or town hall, in the south of Paris for the ceremony. (I saw the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur from the car, but that was about it.) I was surprised to find out that all marriages have to be held at the Mairie. Only the mayor is allowed to pronounce a couple "man and wife"; no priests have the right to do this under national law. Some couples decide to have a ceremony at a church after the official ceremony, but it seems like it would be kind of a downer to be married twice in the same day. The ceremony at the town hall was short, informal, and unemotional if you compare it to a standard church wedding. It was about 30 minutes long, and only so many guests could fit into the small room. No organ was playing, no songs were sung, the vows were brief, and people were dressed in regular clothes. It was very different from all the weddings I have been to before, but like always, there was a beautiful bride and a groom grinning from ear to ear.

After the official marriage, we went to the hotel to change into our 1930s costumes and headed over to the reception, which was in an old mansion on the banks of the Seine. It was absolutely gorgeous and classy, but at the same time there wasn't anything stuck-up or pretentious about it. The atmosphere was comfortable, and the setting was beautiful. From about 6-8, there were drinks and appetizers being served. Everyone was either holding a champagne glass and listening to the jazz singer by the grand entrance, gathering around the large fireplace for lively conversation, or taking pictures of the bride and groom at every available moment. The couple looked so happy all night long, and they were such good hosts. Even though they didn't know me before the wedding, they both greeted me warmly by name and had my gifts and place setting all planned out.

The wedding party reminded me of a mini-Rotary exchange group. There were people from all over the world and family and friends had flown thousands of miles to take part in the marriage. The groom was from France, but several of his family members flew in from Madagascar to celebrate. The bride and her family were from Nouvelle Calédonie, a small island in the Pacific, and then there was me, the lone American. My gifts from the wedding party included vanilla, handmade baskets, and soap flown in with the matron of honor herself all the way from Madagascar. I have literally, no joke, spent all afternoon smelling the fragrant sticks of vanilla sitting on my desk.

Dinner started at around 9 pm and finished right around midnight. The food was delicious; crab cakes with avocado and salsa for a starter, chicken with silky-smooth mashed potatoes and vegetables in a really expensive-tasting mushroom sauce for an entrée, a salad with cheese and fig bread after the meal, and for dessert, a table filled with mini cakes, chocolate fondue, and fruit. To top it all off, there was an endless amount of champagne and wine from Bordeaux, and oh my goodness, my mouth is watering again.

The dancing began at around midnight. The jazz music of the 1920s transitioned into modern music and everyone shook off whatever fatigue they were feeling to begin dancing the night away. There were a lot of French songs, but there were also a lot of the American standards like YMCA and Cotton-Eyed Joe. When the Cotton-Eyed Joe started playing, I got really excited and jumped up to the dance floor; finally, one song I knew! I started doing the dance in front of everyone, and then stopped short when I realized no one else was doing anything even slightly resembling the cotton eyed joe. I have never felt like more of a hill-billy in my life. Songs might hold true from country to country, but don't expect the dance to.

We headed back to the hotel at 3 am, and the party was still going strong when we left. I finally got to bed at 4, only to have to wake right back up (or so it felt) to go to the brunch the morning after. Brunch was in the same mansion, and it was just as beautiful during the day. Sun was shining through the huge windows, and everyone was sitting down to a lovely buffet feast. We stayed for about 3 hours and left in the early afternoon for the long drive back to Privas. It was a beautiful weekend, and I wish Sebastian and Sara (I finally found out their names) a long, happy life together!