Strange to say, at that epoch, people still imagined that a wedding was a private and social festival, that a patriarchal banquet does not spoil a domestic solemnity, that gayety, even in excess, provided it be honest, and decent, does happiness no harm, and that, in short, it is a good and a venerable thing that the fusion of these two destinies whence a family is destined to spring, should begin at home, and that the household should thenceforth have its nuptial chamber as its witness. And
In Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables," the author reflects on the perception of weddings during a certain era, when society viewed them as personal celebrations. Weddings were considered intimate events that brought families together, where joy was welcomed and deemed an essential component of the marriage union. This belief emphasized that such celebrations should occur in the home, symbolizing the beginning of a new family life.
Hugo elaborates on how the merging of two lives in marriage was thought to begin within the domestic sphere. The idea was that a wedding, marked by both cheerfulness and sincerity, contributed to the overall happiness of the couple. This perspective highlighted the significance of home as a sacred space where the couple could share their first moments of married life, surrounded by the warmth of family and the charm of their new commitment to one another.
