Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-03-08
A Marrlage Ceremonr ln-scotInnd.


A correspondent of the st. Louis Re
publican, who attended a wedding in
Scotland, is moved to discourse there
upon:
The Scotch marriage laws singularly
entrap the people into irregular mar
riages; still they take a good deal of
pains to make regular marriages suffi-
GENTLY difficult. They seem, on the
whole, aimed to catch rogues, and to
make well-meaning people quite GER
tain of their sobriety and prudence.
When a marriage takes place in any
parish it is necessary for one of the
parties to have resided in the parish
forty days preceding the event. The
letter of the law had in this case been
fulfilled by the prospective bride. A
week before the marriage all the family
had come to Edinburgh, and the mar
riage took place in the long drawing
room of 1.-THE Royal Hotel" The we'd
ding guests were hidden from two to
four, and the invitations to the ball
were for nine in the evening. My party
was perhaps ten minutes late, and as
we entered the room, the invocation
prayer was already being offered. The
bride and bridegroom stood at the head
of the room, and at the side Of the bride
were the eight bridesmaids, alternating
in blue and pink, arranged like the
horn Of crescent, and with their pro-
fusion of flowers looking like floral
procession in the Athenian bas-reliefs.
Beyond the bridegroom was a row of
children gaily dressed and covered with
flowers. The bridegroom was in sim
pie dark colored morning suit, just such
as he would have worn if he had been
working in his Office, and all the other
gentlemen were in similar dress. "Dress
coats" are worn only ut evening parties,
except, 1 believe, at court. The we'd
ding ceremony was very long, and very
prosy, and very careful i'll securing a
full promise of obedience on the part
of the bride, and was, ] was told, in all
these three respects peculiar. In Scot
land there is no definite form of mar
riage service as in England, simple
promise between the two contracting
parties in the presence of witnesses, be-
ing sufficient to constitute legal mar
riage SO the clergy has the option of
making it difficult and disagreeble, or
easy or delightful, Just as he likes.
After congratulations from few of
the friends, the party broke up into
separate groups, and the bride and
bridegroom circulated among them as
they would at an ordinary party. Wine
and basket of cake went round, while
the father and mother of the bride were
informing the guests who they should
lead or by whom be lead to the dejeuner.
In fifteen minutes after the marriage
was over the crimson hangings that
formed the background of the bridal
party were slipped aside, disclosing
tables loaded with flowers and cold
viands. The host led the way to one
table and the hostess to another; while
the bridal party took the lead to third.
1t is usual at Scotch weddings to have
at least three tables, one to the bridal
pair, a second to the parents, and a
! third to the bridesmaids. But on this
occasion, as but few of the interested
parties claimed to be speakers, it was
agreed that all but the first should be
dispensed with. After tLree-quarters
of an hours merry talking, and moder-
ate eating and drinking, the clergyman
rose and proposed the health of the
bride and bridegroom in an affectionate
speech, in which he mentioned that he
was chest man" at the marriage of the
parents of the bride. The bridegroom
made neat response, and the party
rose. and drank to the toast.
There followed q round of hearty
cheers, and the guests were again seated
We supposed the festive speeches had
ended, but not so. The super-excel
lence of the wine had miraculously en-
dowed the tongues, and the Edinburgh
NJ p. proposed the health of the father
and mother of the bride, and the father
responded, and the guests rose an6
drank, and again came round of cheers
Then graceful youth among the
groomsnlen proposed the health of the
fair bridesmaids, and another gentle
faced young man responded for the
modest eight, and again the guests
rose and drank and the cheers followed
Then we were asked to drink to thu
health of the honored parents of tn,
bridegroom. When we were again
seated and the cheers had ceased, / wa
expecting to hear some member of tn
family propose the health of the guests
but just now there was rustic, and
saw the bride and bridegroom leading
the way from the room. They were t.
leave on the train at four o'clock. TIL
guests followed to the drawing-room
conversation began, and coffee came in
In half an hour it was announced tina
the carriage was waiting for the Bird
and bridegroom, and the guests arrange
themselves along the sides of the hal
to see them pass out. AS they drov
away, old slippers and pennies wer
thrown after them, as an auspiciou
omen and perhaps to propitiate goo