Wednesday, August 16, 2006

FrenchHusbands.com








I don’t have many funny French anecdotes to deliver to, but in the meantime I thought I’d answer the most popular question I get about living in France: “How did you meet your husband?”

Well, like all great love affairs of our time our romance began on the internet. We met quite clumsily and by accident. I had just left New York City and was trying to settle into rural life in upstate New York. I was friendless, jobless, and bored silly. After 8 weeks in the wilderness I began formulating my escape plan to get out of not only the state of New York, but the US in general. Quite randomly I picked Italy as a destination. I went full steam ahead with my escape plan to get an Art residency in Italy. I bought about 10 “teach yourself Italian” books, and joined an International chat group where I never actually spoke one word of Italian and ended up talking to the other Anglophones. At some point I stumble upon a French guy’s profile that had a funny quote on it from a Seinfeld episode. I shot him a one sentence e-mail to say hello and then promptly forgot all about him. He returned from his vacation in the US to find my e-mail and replied. No sparks flew, but we just really liked talking to each other. Finally after a few months of chatting I begged my mother for $600 to buy a plane ticket to France.


I got off the plane at Charles de Gaulle and there he was. We spent 4 or 5 days in Paris together. He took me to the top of the Eiffel tower for my birthday and then bought me a “gaufre” with powdered sugar and whipped cream as a stand–in for birthday cake. The next day we jumped in his car and drove to the south of France where we spent a few days wandering through Aix en Provence. At the end of the trip we drove back to Paris where we tearily said goodbye at the airport not knowing when or where we would see each other again.


For the next year it was back and forth transatlantic flights every 1-2 months. And although we accumulated a mountain of frequent flyer miles, it was exhausting on all levels. In hindsight, I think the real reason we got married was so we could stop spending all our money on airfare. Long story short, a year after we met we ran off and got hitched without telling anyone except two of David’s friends who acted as our witnesses. David wore a hilarious 3 piece pinstriped grey suit. I wore black patten leather knee-high stiletto boots, a black mini-skirt, a white blouse and a goofy white H&M flower pin in my hair. (Don’t believe me? I have video footage.) At the time I didn’t speak French, but David convinced the deputy Mayor that I did. I didn’t understand a word of the ceremony. I did however manage to say “I do” at the right moment because David squeezed my right hand so hard that he almost broke my pinky bone. This is the only photo we have of our wedding day.

Since David is an only child, and I’m my mother’s only daughter, we immediately went about planning the religious ceremony for our families. (Plus I just wanted a big fancy white dress.) In May 2005 we finally professed our all encompassing undying love or whatever for each other in front of family, friends, God, and a few pigeons & squirrels that were in the park with us.
My mom performed the ceremony. We jumped the broom. It was fab. My family and a few friends flew in from the States and stayed for a week and we all partied it up with David’s family.
So just to recap, I never learned Italian or got to make art in Italy, but I did marry an adorable French boy, and I spend my days working on my artwork in France.

Close enough.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is a really romantic story! And I loooove all the photos!

Nobody said...

And they lived happily ever after.

or...

Et ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants.

buzzgirl said...

Terrific story! Those are great photos.

Um, you didn't mention the name (and URL ) of the "international chat group." I'm just saying...

Of course, if David has any single friends who wants to marry an American girl, maybe you could be my pimp...er...matchmaker.

Jennifer said...

What a great story of love across the miles!! My husband and I met in a similar way (but no Italy). Your photos are fabulous!!

Run Around Paris said...

This is an amazing story - I LOVE it! I wish you guys all the best!!

B said...

Thanks for the comment on my blog. Yes, I eagerly expect to be forever changed by my trip to Paris. Buzzgirl beat me to it...but I may be asking you for that website one day! :-)

Amazing photos...you are both so beautiful and your story gives me so much hope for the future - I so hope to fulfill my dreams in France too!! Best wishes.

Kim said...

awww you do have a soft side ;)

Ksam said...

Those ARE some great photos!

And I too know a ton of American women married to Frenchmen. Personally I think it's because French women are so high-maintenance yet passive-agressive at the same time that all the good men go hunting abroad for wives!

lara stein pardo said...

Great story! Thanks for sharing it. Nice photo illustrations too.

Gumbo Girl said...

I love your story, your wedding photos, and your Brooklyn-esque take on Paris. Perfect filter for me. I really enjoy this blog.

Emily said...

I love a good French love story. :) Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

l was wandering through your posts curious about how you met.. Then l found this. What a beautiful heart warming story! Sometimes life takes you to an even better place.
Ps. Your photo's are so beautiful!

o said...

i love reading true love stories...anyway, according to your comments, i thought you are single and angry. lovely wedding pictures.

Aaron Grunwald said...

I heart this post. It's always the seemingly small and random tangents and coincidences that lead to true love!

Alicia said...

Wow what a great blog and inspiring story. That is truly a "fairytale" romance of sorts with great pics to boot. I definitely heart your story and wish you two the best.