New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-06-02
BRIDAL CUSTOMS IN PARIS.

BRIDAL CUSTOMS IN PARIS
From the foreign correspondence of " lie Re
oublcaine, the new French daily just started
n Newly ork, We translate portions of an inter.
esting letter on the marriage costumes and Gus
toms now in vogue in the gay metropolis
You have requested Inc to give you an ac-
count OF the changes which have been made of
late in wedding preliminaries The opportu-
nifty is now furnished me, Mmlle. de S. having
ospoused the Count de t., and Camille v mar
ried Captain NJ You can judge without my
help what difference there necessarily must
be in the corbeHieS, and how far what | may
say Of the one will fail to apply to the other
Almlle. lie S. had dowry Of 100000 francs
that is an income Of % GOO livres. The cor6eWe
(according to etiquette years revenue,) was
strictly valued at 10000 livres, and if the dow
ager countess had not added some very fine
diamonds, the sum named would have been
found entirely insufficient. For the past month
the Count has every day sent magnificent bou-
quet, the flowers Of which have each time been
different from the last chosen, the luxurianee OF
his conservatory attording him the opportunity
to bestOw the agreeable surprise.
On the day Of the civil contract, (j0ur du
cOntrdt,) the cOr6eiHe and trOSseau were shown
together, though this custom is every day be-
coming more rare, for the very good reason
that whatever belongs to the outward form and
ceremony is not necessarily connected with mere
oatentation. Many persons prefer quietly to &c
through all the details of the preliminary cere.
monial, and then pass on, SO never to occupy
the position of mere idlers. 1he wedding bal
! fbGN de H0cfS) has been given up for SOM
| years, Nothing justified it--neither conve
nienee nor happiness, the latter particularly
which always avoids hustle and crowds FoI
what is there in the usual forms of pleasure tc
satisfy the heart at such a moment 1t is thus
that every thing is brought into the g soiree du
c6ntrdt." After private family gathering, to
listen to the reading of the marriage conditions
strangers are admitted TO examine the gifts Of
fered to the bride This custom is, however
greatly abused having of course a considerable
influence on the presents of both the c0rbeiht
and trosseau, for where the public are expected
| to eriticise and judge of an expenditure made
for its own especial qualification, q certain
weakness for ostentaton will be sure to reveal
itself
In the middle Of the grand saloon of the hote
s., which you will remember as decorated il
white and gold but which is now hung anl
draped en- idmpas bleu. upon a magnificen
table, the mosaic top of which rests upon TIL
wings of two golden gritiins, was placed n larg'
| Buhl casket, This was the corbeWe. From it
open top carelessly depended the beautiful laces
the bridal dress of Alencon lace, an Englis
pioiette or demi-veil and scarf with 6erthes an
rolantes, (capes and rufflesl en- point de BrUr
eHes.
These rare laces were gift from the count
ess dowager Upon the table also were the Jew
els. Very fine diamonds, some of them set in
classic manner, while the setting of the other
seemed TO await the choice Of the young wife
jewel box, containing a pretty payure of dia
monds and ruhes, composed of five waist buck
les, plaques dc cOrs0ge, a bouquet for the head
and another for the glrdle-a flower branch Sc
with stones en- 9iademe, with ar-rings t
match, Besides this pGrUre of stones of dill
ferent colors was noted as n chef deurre of in
genious design By the side of a pearl suspend
ed to garnet by thread of gold, was pear
shaped emerald, which little bird of enamele
silver, perched upon a bit of s0ybie1, drops frol
its beak From the clasps of the hracelt
springs a mass of jeweled branches uniting in
trunk which encircles the arm. A single brac,
let was in the form of green enameled dragon
with diamond wings, golden head, and tongt
of flame Next We're very pretty little box,
(ecrjasJ containing the jewels for mornir
wear fbYour dH mafin) plain bracelets, me.
Hg6SJ, also chateieiHe with watch and seal
pins for the 'kerchief or the head, with jewele
buttons for the sleeves.
Nou thus see | have not forgotten owe yo
an exact account of the novelties which I'll
jewelers. art has produeed-a legitimate al
whose manipulators have too long forgottt
! that they have had a Beneyenuto Cellini for
master.
Among the lresses-few in number, which
all right enough when one marries in April
there were two very remarkable--one in gauz
with small square figures woven in silver, r
i sembling tilagree work; the other in white ia
feta, with a unique design repeated in, eyel
breadth; q group of roses perfectly drawn, al
shaded en- canldieu, with a single graduate
color Il bright rose below shading off near t
girde into II hortensa pale that it becom
Is almost white.
Upon pretty toilette table of pear wood
I. style of Louis Nv--were thrown three very bea
, tiful shawls--an India caehemere, of an oran
:. ground--a long French eachemere, with bla
ground, and a square India cachemere
! qudrtreS faces.
There was a crowd early around pear tt
IN bureau, on which were placed the fowers-f
s in numbers, since the balls for this year 0
over, but so beautiful that they ioere as mu
=. admired as the ielreiS
y; The parures of the bride-all orange flow
T. "a wreath of Bengal roses and white lilies
: set of Parma violets and jonquilles, compo:
r this goodly array, In deep dish of Sev
=: porcelain were thrown the fans given by frien
q. The two bridal fans, magnifcently painted Q
u, mounted in ivory and mother of pearl, were
themselves, in little basket covered with la
ne NJ. On a carved oak cabinet might be seen
household purse, and by its side charm
ii porte monnaie, in lava, with steel frame.
re- re; word only now about the trousseau. 1t suti
he that it was very suitable, very complete, an'
the same time carefully and invitingly arrang
In thinking over this affair, which has int
ested so many as we'll as myself, have CONT
a. the conclusion that this ceremony of the c
: tract has a charm about it to which the most
e. different must yield. 1t is not yet irrevoea
j. like the church marriage ceremony, and yet
by cannot be surprised into examining only f