Go clothes shopping with a French friend, unlike an English friend they will not let you buy that thing you love that makes you look hideous because they will have no qualms about telling you the truth.
9 Likes
French men have no inhibitions about peeing at the side of the road or, if their van is parked in your drive and they are working on your property, peeing against a tyre of their van. It is advisable therefore never to go chasing after a French artisan because you want to speak to him if he has disappeared to the other side of his van. Wait for him to reappear.
It’s one of the reasons why our dogs love French van tyres and why Bertie has to go round smelling and marking each tyre. 
6 Likes
It does seem to have changed since we came here . But then everything has changed.
And Bonne Continuation in the restaurants.
We chuckled over that when we first came.
It seemed that they were hoping that the rest of the meal would be good.
We never wear our ‘smart’ clothes here.
we went to our neighbour’s funeral and the family looked as though they were going to the supermarket,
not yours obviously.
2 Likes
This REALLY shocked me when I went to the first funeral I’d been to, I put on a nice black dress, thick tights, my nice long boots and everyone else (bar the family) seemed to be just in whatever they were wearing that day, mostly jeans etc. Luckily it was cold so I just kept my coat done up so as not to feel overdressed 
1 Like
That reminds me - there’s usually a book of condolence open at the funeral for everyone to sign, something I’d never come across in the UK.
Oh I didn’t see that! Mind you it was a cold winters day in the graveyard as he didn’t want a church service.
I haven’t been to many so can’t talk from personal experience other than the odd few but it sounds as if it’s normal? I imagine @vero will know for definite…
It seems to that for some weddings there is a “vin d’honneur” served after the service for the plebs but I could be extrapolating a general principle from the odd occasion 
When you’re seated at a table, waiting to be served, don’t put your hands in your lap. Most English people do this. The French will place their hands on the table, where you can see them.
3 Likes
There certainly was at the one we attended. in fact there’s a real need to pace yourself at French weddings and probably have some food and a bottle of water hidden about your person.
The one we went to:
Started at 2pm. Head for the mayor’s office for the civil ceremony.
Steps of the mayor’s office - official photos: bride and groom / immediate family / immediate relations / friends/ entire group / English friends / further relations / etc / etc
4pm. head to the church: full-on church service (I realise not everyone will have this)
Steps of the church - official photos: bride and groom / immediate family / immediate relations / friends/ entire group / English friends / further relations / etc / etc
At this point OH wondered if he could nip across the road from the church to the bakery and get himself a stale croissant - I warned him he would have pastry flakes all down his beautiful suit.
6pm Drive to salle de fete in back of beyond
vin d’honneur for the world and his wife did include a few nibbles - I wondered how rude it would be to grab an entire plateful.
9pm those of us invited for the wedding breakfast finally get a chance to sit at the table (feet killing me by this stage)
The singing (much of it robust and vulgar) started about midnight. Dancing thereafter.
Having no stamina I think we escaped about 2am. The family and many of the guests continued to the next morning.
3 Likes
Yes, it is totally amazing. They make no effort at all.
I think I’d be quite upset if they didn’t.
Oh, wait… !!
1 Like
The way it should be 
1 Like
I don’t think it’s a case of making an effort, it’s just different. I’ve been to loads of family weddings (French) where nobody, including me, has worn a suit. Same thing at my brother-in-law’s funeral. No disrepect at all, just the way it is here 
Oh and I remember the first time I went for a teaching interview here, I got told to take the suit off and put a pair of jeans and a jumper on instead. I duly did and I got the job. I haven’t worn a suit in over 15 years (apart from a funeral back in the UK, I had to buy one for it!)
2 Likes
Very different.
1 Like
reminds me… 
I attended a good friend’s Daughter’s wedding in UK after I had been in France for a good number of years without a suit or tie (as I didn’t possess such items after leaving UK) and some of the guests were in tails,cravats and the works. It took some guts to be so non-compliant but was encouraged after the reception by a number of people telling me how brave they thought I was attending in the manner of casual attire chosen. Having explained it was the way of the French they all seemed to acknowledge the simplicity and sensibility of it.
I have learnt from my time in France that it’s the ceremony which is important, not the faff, pomp and circumstance that so often surrounds it…
4 Likes
You wear what you want to weddings depending on grandness of event, civil or church, what happens next, how close you are to the bride and/or groom. But mainly you wear what you like wearing and that is obviously very subjective. I have never been to an unsmart one (ie everyone is very chic BCBG but maybe that is just my family) and I have always been prepared for an (on average) 18-hour party.
Birthday parties can be similar (marathons acc to British people, who are early to bed types I have noticed).
We get into shape in the summer holidays for this sort of event from our teenage years on, by going en boîte and dancing until 6ish then having breakfast and finally going to bed at about 8, or going off to do our holiday job or sailing or something, then doing it all over again. Happy times
This is why we have such long summer holidays, because we need time to train in order to be fit enough.
13 Likes
I knitted my own wedding dress.
3 Likes
OH what’s to know if you knitted or crochet the dress.