He neglects to tell me, until the morning of the wedding, that the groom's mother is expected to escort her son down the aisle. French custom, he explains. Of course, he and his fiancée are already 'married.' Ah yes, another French custom. The first marriage took place at the mairie—town hall—on the previous Saturday.

As I accompany him down the aisle of L'Église Notre-Dame de Versailles, I can't help but notice the tourists watching the ceremony. They loll against the pillars in sweatpants and sneakers. Some click cameras. Our friends, who have flown from Australia to be there, appear bemused to see the Mother of the Groom on the arm of her nervous son.

Bondi wedding
a rose petal surfs
the breakers