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| French Wedding Customs | Wedding Procession and Ceremony
Traditionally on the wedding day, the groom calls to his future wife’s home. The groom escort her to the wedding chapel in a procession, which usually headed by musicians. After them follow bride with her father, guests and the groom with his mother at the end of line. It is also traditionally that small children run around them and through white ribbons, which bride must cut. Such difficulties symbolized the path that the bride and groom must pass, working together in order to overcome difficulties throughout their lives.
During the ceremony, the couple is wed under the carre – it is a type of veil that is held over the bride and grooms head while the priest blessing them It is supposed to protect the couple from bad luck. The same carrel is used for the baptism of their children. Laurel leaves are scattered outside of the exit of the church or the couple walks through flower arch, when they leave the church.
In Southern France, the guests will throw coins and rice or wheat as the couple exits the church. It is a symbol of prosperity and fertility. At the reception party, the couple uses a toasting cup, symbolizing everlasting happiness. It is called the Coupe De Marriage. It is a two handed cup that is passed down through each generation.
 Other French Traditions Include the Following:
Guests at a traditional French wedding, bring the flowers and floral decorations with them to the ceremony.
The bride usually wears a wreath of flowers on her wedding.
As the bride and groom leave the church, they are showered with wheat or seed and the bride offered three loaves of bread.
As a very old tradition of French wedding, guests used to bring small cakes to the reception and pile them in the middle of a table, one on top of the other. The bride and groom would have to kiss over the top of them, to symbolize a long life together.
Chiverie (La Charivari) it is a big tradition in French wedding. On the wedding night friends of each side gather and bang pots and pans on their windows symbolizing long time joy and happiness. The friends are invited over for a drinks party.
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