The wedding invitation

4 MN

The wedding invitation

A wedding invitation sent to me by Vincent, one of my English cousins, and here I am, carpooling to Rouen at the beginning of October. There’s an impressive cathedral over there, but above all, the family car is waiting for me, packed full of bags, trinkets, my parents and one of my elder brothers. We set off at nighttime and the weather does not bode well. Lightning strikes here and there and an almighty downpour crashes down on our windscreen. We arrive in Dieppe later than planned. Only five hours to wait before embarking on the ferry at 4 in the morning. I stretch my legs looking over the blackest of waters. Only the noise of waves rolling in over the pebbles reminds me I’m at the seaside. Behind me, there’s an esplanade, a circus and horses grazing. Even they seem sleepy. I desperately try to get some shut-eye, stretched out on the back seat of the car, my legs hanging out the window. I’m freezing down to my bones. I pull up my Billy and Buddy blanket my parents so graciously lent me.

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The boat is on time. The cars are now piling up in endless rows, their drivers faces rivalling with those of insomniacs. Inside the ferry, there are no longer money machines like in my childhood memories. After having nodded off briefly next to my brother, I head outside on the deck. The sun rising over the cold sea is of an implacable beauty. On the horizon, I catch a glimpse of Newhaven’s lighthouses and its innumerable coloured houses.

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Let’s head to Brighton! My brother has never driven on the left-hand side. We roll along to the incessant noise of exasperated drivers’ horns. On each side, intrigued sheep stare at us while grazing on the green grass. We desperately look for somewhere to stop and end up, against our will, in an overpriced car park. The pier looks like the one in Blackpool, which I had visited twenty years earlier with my mum. There’s a Ferris wheel and dozens upon dozens of games everywhere, flickering with brash colours, true money-pumping machines animated by joy and music. The town is at once quirky and attractive. We wander around a park, and listen to music while walking beside the Royal Pavilion, an impressive Anglo-Indian style palace. After our very first English breakfast, we head out in the cold again, strolling down little streets sprinkled with cosy cafés, concert halls, vintage shops, record shops and young people dressed like Pete Doherty.

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The clock is ticking, and the parking price too. It’s time to head for Oxford. After unimaginable traffic jams, we finally put our suitcases down in the inn. Inside, everything is shabby-looking, and the smell of rancid sweat makes us feel nauseous. We eat some Japanese to cheer ourselves up, and proceed to getting lost in this museum-like town where every single building looks like its been pulled straight out of a Harry Potter film. We haven’t slept properly for more than 35 hours. Our eyes are getting heavy! Before collapsing on mattresses that have long past their prime, we enjoy a few pints in a pub’s noisy garden. The night can only be better. We wake up early and abruptly. The English breakfast served to us is, without a shadow of a doubt, the United Kingdom’s worst breakfast of all time; one of the customers even complains of a spider bathing in its plate. We vaguely smile. We get changed in a field near the wedding venue, another one of our parents’ funny ideas in order to not crease up our clothes.

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After a few embraces and the discovery of the family’s latest additions, the ceremony begins in one the hotel’s rooms, its walls bedecked with paintings of greyhounds. The speeches are amusing and moving at the same time. The assembly goes from laughter to tears in an instant. After a little nap, what comes next is the norm:  cocktails, good food, and plenty of wine. What isn’t quite the norm is the closing time: 10pm. After having danced like maniacs during aperitif time, we go to bed with a vague impression of “work not quite finished”. The following day, we routinely head down for breakfast: bits of toast, sausages, mushrooms, baked beans… Just the time for a quick stroll around the charming village and we hit the road towards my uncle’s house in Bicester. Come evening, and my aunt Maria dishes up her best chilli con carne for us, washed down with two good bottles of wine.

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I could go on forever about the rest of the story: my bus to Oxford, students playing cricket, uniform-wearing school children, rugby fields, and the train to go and see my cousin in Bristol. I could tell you about the 80 young residents of that youth hostel, of that peaceful place where you drink, eat locally sourced food, and listen to good concerts for hardly nothing, of that £5 bus ride to London, of my gymnastics on the platform, of my wanderings down Brick Lane. But for now, the only thing I truly want to do is stuff myself with big slices of jam-covered toast and good old croissants.

 

Valentin Porcher

Interview réalisée par Valentin Porcher
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After you have submitted an order, the Customer receives by email and without delay a confirmation of his approval of the Order.

The Customer also receives by email and without delay, a receipt of the order sent electronically, regarding as a confirmation of the order (“Order Confirmation”).

The Customer receives electronically, the confirmation that the Goods have been dispatched.

The delivery shall take place at the location indicated by the Customer at the time of the Order.

Additionally, by undertaking these different steps to Order, the Customer accepts to strictly comply with this Agreement, in accordance with section 1316-1 of the French Civil Code.

The Vendor undertakes to deliver the Goods and Services subject of the Order Confirmation. In the event that a Good ordered is unavailable, the Vendor will promptly inform the Customer about this.

However, under section L.122-1 of the French Consumer Code, the Vendor reserves the right to cancel your Order if the Order is abnormal, involves bad faith or for any other reason that is under the sole discretion of the Vendor. The Vendor also reserves the right to reject orders from any customer with whom the Vendor have an ongoing legal dispute regarding a prior order.

Free delivery and exchange offered

For orders over €120, delivery is free.

Returns are free from France thanks to our prepaid label.

Prices and delivery times

Shipping cost

Collection points: €5

Home delivery with signature: 7.5€

Free delivery for orders over 120€

Delivery time

2-4 working days

Allemagne, Autriche, Belgique, Bulgarie, Chypre, Danemark, Espagne, Finlande, Grèce, Hongrie, Italie, Malte, Pays-Bas, Pologne, Portugal, République Tchèque, Suède, Ukraine

Shipping cost

Home delivery: €9.5

Free delivery for orders over 120€.

Delivery time

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Andorre, Biélorussie, Croatie, Islande, Monaco, Norvège, Royaume-Uni, Russie, Suisse, Turquie

Shipping cost

Home delivery: €9.5

Free delivery for orders over €120

Delivery time

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Bahamas, Canada, États-Unis, Mexique

Shipping cost

Home delivery: €15

Free delivery for orders over €120.

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Home delivery: €27

Free delivery for orders over €120.

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Arabie Saoudite, Bahreïn, Chine, Corée du Sud, Émirats Arabes Unis, Hong-Kong, Indonésie, Israël, Japon, Malaisie, Qatar, Singapour, Taiwan

Shipping cost

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Free delivery for orders over €120.

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Home delivery: €27

Free delivery on orders over €120.

Delivery time

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Returns

You have received your order but the product does not suit you?

You can return your products within 15 days of receiving your package, for any order.

For the festive season, the deadlines are extended to 30 days.

The items must not have been worn, washed or damaged and must be returned in their original packaging, in perfect condition for resale.

How do I return my package from France?

Return shipping from France is free via Mondial Relay.

To return your parcel, it is very simple :

  1. Go to “My account”, in the “My purchases” section,

  2. In the list of your orders, select your order,

  3. If your order is eligible for return, please tick each product you wish to return. If a product has been ordered in several copies, you can indicate the quantity to be returned.

  4. Indicate the reason for the return at the bottom of the order details and click on “Request a return”. You can track your return request in the “Returns” section of the “My purchases” section.

  5. Once your return request has been validated by our team, all you have to do is stick your pre-paid label (provided at the time of delivery) on the package, insert the completed returns form in the parcel and drop it off at a Mondial Relay point.

How can I return my package (International online returns)

International return packages are at the customer’s expense (including cost of shipment by the chosen carrier, customs & duties, taxes, etc.)

To return your parcel, it is very simple :

  1. Go to “My account”, in the “My purchases” section,

  2. In the list of your orders, select your order,

  3. If your order is eligible for return, please tick each product you wish to return. If a product has been ordered in several copies, you can indicate the quantity to be returned.

  4. Indicate the reason for the return at the bottom of the order details and click on “Request a return”. You can track your return request in the “Returns” section of the “My purchases” section.

  5. Once your return request has been validated by our team, simply download the return form and place it in your package. 

  6. Send your package to the address indicated on the return form.

Want to make a return request with a guest account?

It's very easy : contact us by email at service-client@olow.fr indicating your order number, the items you wish to return and whether you wish to request a refund, a credit note or an exchange.

How long does it take to get my money back once my package has been sent?

Refunds will be made within 10 days of receipt of your items and automatically to the account associated with the credit card used for payment or to the Paypal account used for payment.

Is it possible to return my item in the shop?

No, for all internet orders, returns can only be made to the address mentioned above.

What can I do if my item has a defect?

We take great care in the manufacture and finishing of our products. However, if you wish to report a manufacturing defect on a product, we invite you to contact our customer service by e-mail: service-client@olow.fr.

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