Morning journal and courier., 1880-04-24
Priee'FOur Cents
Wedding Etiquette.
High English Authority Lays Down the Law in All Hts HIultifariOus Details

l quently issued in printed notes than on cards
 They are issued from ten days to fortnight before the ceremony, and usually run as fol- | lows: ''Sir John and Lady Green request the
 honor or Lord and Lady M. s presence at St. | Georges, Hanover Square, on Thursday,
 March IS, at Il o'clock, and afterwards at | 120 Grosvenor Gardens.'' Sometimes the | hour of the breakfast is specified. When such | Is the case it implies that the guests are not | expected to drive straight to the house from
 the church, but to present themselves about
 twenty minutes before the hour named It
 is, of course, obligatory that an invitation to a wedding should be answered at once, as pec- pie naturally wish to know the number of
 guests they may expect. The guests all as- semble at the church and there await the
 bride, the bridesmaids waiting on the porch
 and falling into their places behind her. The bride arrives in the carriage with her mother
 and her father receives her at the door, gives her his right arm and leads her up to the aI-
 tar-or, in case of choral or High Church wedding, to the center of the church where
 the first part of the service is performed and
 where the bridegroom, attended by his best man, awaits her. The brides eldest brother or some other near relative, should also be in waiting at the door to escort her mother, The
 number Of the bridesmaids varies according to taste; the bride chooses what costume they
 shall wear, generally indicating where it is to
 be procured, so as to insure uniformity but
 she does not present them with their dresses.
 gloves, or any other part of their equipment,
 The bridegroom provides the bride and the
 bridesmaids with their bouquets, which are
 sent to them in the morning. He also pre- sents each bridesmaid with souvenir, such as 8 locket, porte bonheur ring, brooch or fan.
 These are sent to them the day before and are
 worn at the wedding. The bridegroom is at tended by one friend as best man. whose duty it is to hold his hat and gloves, pay the fees, sec that the carriage is ready, and in short fNI Iya ell frn1 nH should be taken in properly matching the bridesmaids as to height, and they should clearly understand beforehand in what order they are to follow the bride up the church. ,
 AT THE ALTAR.
 When the procession stops they spread out behind her in 8 semi-circle the head brides maid-her sister if she has one, if not, the bridegroom's sister or some near relative takes her bouquet and gloves. The father or other relative who gives the bride away stands on her left hand, and at the inquiry "Who gives this woman to be married to this man" he places her right hand in that of the clergy man. It is, of course, the nearest relatives who stand close round the bridal party; it would be very bad taste for mere acquaintan- ces to usurp their places. Immediately the ceremony is concluded the newly married couple, with the clergy and the nearest rela- tives, adjourn to the vestry to sign the regis ter, the bride signing in her maiden name, DflQ6QTOOm receive the congratulations of the nearest rel atives. If favors are given they are distribu- ted, generally by The bridesmaids, while the wedding party is in the vestry. They are more usually given than not, but still there is nothing remarkable in their being omitted. Ladies' favors are generally spray of iessa- mine CT myrtle, with silver leaves and white satin ribbon; the gentlemen's spray of oak leaves and acorns, with silver and green leaves without ribbon The bridesmaids favors are generally slightly more ornamental, and often have spray of forget -me-not. It is the duty of the best man to see that the carriage is at the door, and he informsth bridegroom the newly married pair then walk arm in arm down the church, followed by the brides maids, in the same order as before and drive of first. It does not matter in what order the rest of the party follow them. When the wedding is in the afternoon, the guests go straight to the house, and the refreshments provided are such as are given at large af- terroon reception with the addition, of course, of the wedding cake. When the we'd ding is in the evening, all the guests attend in evening dress, and after the ceremony drive straight to the honse, where there is either evening party and a sitting down supper or a dance .ud an ordinary ball sup per, wedding cake being, of icourse, essen tial in both cases.
 AT THE HOUSE.
 Or reaching the house the bride throws up hsr veil, and receives the congratulations of her friends and acqusintances. In the in terval between the return from church and the breakfast the inspection of the wedding presents gives employment to the guests They are displayed on tables in the drawing room, with the names of the donors writ ten legibly on cards beside them. Some care is requisite to arrange them properly; they should not be too crowded, end they should be classifed-jewelry on one table, plate on another, china on third and so on. It is very usual to have afternoon party two days before the wedding to exhibit the pres- ente, and to this many are invited who are not asked to the ceremony itself; the trous- seau, too, is then generally exhibited This party is not necessary, but very frequent. It may be observed that groomsmen are not usual in good society, the bridegroom being attended by one friend, the best man. When breakfast is announced the bride and bride groom lead the way, and seat themselves either at the head of the table, or as is now usual, in the center, immediately opposite the wedding cake. The father of the bride fol- lows with the mother of the bridegroom, and seats himself next his daughter. During the interval before breakfast the hostess has indi- coted to the gentlemen what ladies they are to take, and they follow in due order of prece- dence, she herself going down last with the bridsgreom's father and sitting next the bridegroom. The best man always takes the head bridesmaid, and the others are taken by gentlemen assigned to them by the hos tess. It is usual for them to sit opposite the bride, but this is not essential Very fre- ouently the breakfast is not laid out on one long table, at which all the guests sit, but is served like ball supper, at long buffet, where the majority of the guests partake of the meal standing, while some small round tables are appropriated to the nearest relatives and principal guests
 AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE.
 The menu should include soup, cold saI- mon, mayonnaises of lobster and chicken, hot outlets, chaudfroid of chicken, larks, quail or something of that kind, cold lamb, chicken, ham. tongue and sweets. The table must be prettily arranged with fruit and flowers, the dishes being generally ornaEented with silver cosaques, etc, and the menus printed in sill ver Champagne is indispensable, and sher- " and claret are likewise offered. Neither tea nor coffee is offered, and ice is matter of taste which is as often omitted as not. It is the wise custom of the day to abolish speeches as much as possible. The guest of the high est rank proposes the health of the bride and bridegroom, and the bridegroom responds. It is quite obsolete to drink the health of the parents, the object being to curtail the speeches as much as possible. Previous to her health being drunk the bride cuts the cake, of which it is obligatory that everyone should eat tiny piece and then retires to change her dress, about quarter of an hour after which the guests adjourn to the drawing-room. Of course, at afternoon weddings there is no sitting-dow meal, only 8 buffet, with such as are given at afternoon parties with the addition of the wedding cake. When the adieux are over two white shoes at least should be thrown-one by the chief brides maid and the other by the best man. 1t is the farewell of the unmarried to those who have just left their ranks. If rice is thrown at all, it should be by the matrons, and not by the young ladies.
 AFTER THE WEDDING.
 The wedding of widow differs in some re- spects from that of girl She cannot wear orange flowers or simple veil or be married in white; but must select gray, violet, laven- der or some other color and wear bonnet with veil. She can have no bridesmaids nor are favors given, and, as a general rule, the wedding is quiet one and there is no break fast The wedding of a widower is in no re- spect different from that of bachelor, but if he have daughter 1t IS not in good taste that she should be bridesmaid. After the departure of the bride and bridegroom the party at once breaks up, and in London it is not customary to have any festivity in the evening" It is no longer usual to send cake or cards to friends at distance, and people dis