On the wedding day

How do I congratulate the newly-weds (les jeunes mariés) ?

“Toutes mes félicitations”

“Félicitations”

“Tous mes voeux de bonheur”.

Of course, you must “faire la bise” to the “mariée” the bride, if you're a man or a woman.

Regarding the groom, if you're a woman, you also “faire la bise”, if you're a man “serrer la main”. You might see some men “faire la bise” to the groom. It means they are very good friends or very close family members.

Why do they give me some rice at the exit of the church ?

As everybody congratulates the newly-weds, people go out of the church before the newly-weds, waiting for all this congratulating ceremony to end.

At this moment, in most of the weddings, one of the guests comes with a basket full of rice.

Take some and keep it in your hands.

Rice means happiness. So, when the newly-weds go out, everybody throws it's rice on them !

Sometimes, people give the guests petals of flowers. It's the same.

Why does she keep her flowers ?

Sorry, but in France, the bride keeps her bunch of flowers. We do not have this tradition, we don't want to know who will get married next !

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