Hey ! They based it on a Christian marriage service !

Yesterday evening was my first wedding outside a church context - in a lovely hotel chateau in Martillac.

Everything was very beautiful; beautiful château, beautiful weather, beautiful couple, beautiful wedding, beautiful reception, the hoteliers worked very hard to make everything special, and God was very kind to everyone.

It struck me after the ceremony that the French civil ceremony in the mairie is modelled very closely on a Christian marriage. Where we read the Bible, the maire reads extracts from French marriage law. Of course, the maire finds it hard to proclaim love like Jésus'. All he can say is "The couple ought..." We can announce a glorious and profound and immense love that married couples can make it their lifelong calling to reflect.

Afterwards we ate delicious grilled meats for apéro, then the meal was duck. I was sat next to "Miss Canette" and she proclaimed everything good !

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