Wedding invitation

[Lou]

Hi

I've done a search but not really found exactly the response I was hoping for.

We have been invited to a wedding - our first in France - and are not too sure of the etiquette.  It's complicated further by the fact that we don't really know the people very well - they are next-door-but-one neighbours and we really know them through their two kids who have been fascinated by us since we moved in (funny English people who can speak French but sound strange doing it) and often come round to say hello and laugh at our accents! My husband has helped them with their bike chains a couple of times, and we've sent them home with surplus tomatoes from the garden - we know their parents to say hello and "ca va" to, how are the kids, etc but that's about it.

(sorry this is turning into a saga)

Anyway dad turned up at the door last weekend with an invite in his hand to two parties - one is to their "obseques qui clotureront notre celibat" which I thought was quite a nice way of putting it! which I assume is a sort of stag/hen do. This is at their house this weekend. The other to the ceremony at the Mairie the weekend after, with aperitif afterwards at the salle de fetes.

I have already sent a little card back saying thanks very much, we'd love to come. 

What should we wear?? Should we take a gift?? I don't want to cause offence by doing something awfully wrong.  I was thinking of being casual for the first party, slightly smarter for the wedding itself, and maybe taking a bottle of decent champagne and/or nice artisan chocs by way of a pressie.  Found a thread where people mentioned a box at the reception for money, so will go prepared for this too!

Any advice please?

Many thanks.

Lou

[Val_2]

Do as  I did and simply ask them what you should wear and is there a present list. Ours asked for donations for a nice honeymoon which everyone put money into envelopes and placed in a box at the reception. We were lucky and told to come in casual wear, jeans if preferred as it would be a knees up and not a snooty do and as it was there were rastafarians, new age types,old hippies and every day people like us.

[Lou]

Thanks Val.

The wedding was yesterday - they also had a honeymoon fund and box at the reception so no problems there.  Dress varied between very smart suits and ties to jeans and casual shirts - we fell somewhere in the middle!  Lovely sunny evening, loads of people, delicious aperitifs and everyone smiling....

My only disappointment at my first French wedding was not being able to hear the ceremony itself as there was about 4 times as many guests as the room in the Mairie would hold!

Lou