Smyrna times., 1880-05-19
Wedding Etiquette.
A HIGH ENGLISH AUTHORITY LAYS DOWN THE
LAW IN ALL ITS MULTIFARIoUs DETAILS.

The invitations for a wedding are more
frequently issued in printed notes than on
cards. They are issued from ten days to a
fortnight before the ceremony, and usually
run as follows: "Sir John and Lady Grean
request the honor of Lord and Lady NJ 3
presence at st. Georges, Hanover Square.
on Thursday, March Is, at IL o'clock, and
afterwards at l20 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 min.
utes before the hour named. 1t is, of
course, obligatory that an invitation to a
wedding should be answered at once, as
people naturally wish to know the number
OF guests they may expect. The guests all
assemble 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 father receives her at the door.
gives her his right arm and leads her up to
the altar-or, in case Of a choral or High
Church wedding, TO the centre of the
church, where the first part of the service
ls performed and where the bridegroom,
attended by his best man, awaits her, The
| Oflde 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
! boquets, which are sent to them in the
morning. lie also presents each brides
maid with . souvenir, such as a locket,
| porte boEheur ring brooch or fan. These
are sent to them the day before and are
worn at the wedding. The bridegroom is
attended 10y one friend rs best man, whose
duty 1t Is To Eoid his hat and gloves, pay
the fees see that the carriage is ready, and
in short, take all trouble off his hands.
Some care should lie taken in properly
matching the bridesmaids as to hight. and
they should clearly understand beforehand
in what order they are to follow the bride up
| the church.
At TIRE ALTAE.
When the procession stops they spread
out behind her in a semi-circle the head
bridesmaid-~her sister if she has one, if
not, the brideSgro0m's sister or some near
relative-takes her boquet 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 clergyman. 1t is, of
/ course the nearest relatives who stands
close round the bridal party it would be
very bad taste for mere acauaintances to
usurp their places. Immediately the cere.
mony is concluded the newly.married
couple, with the clergy and the nearest.
relatives, adjourn to the vestry to sign the
registrar, the bride signing in her maiden
name, and it is there that the bride and
bridegroom receive the congratulations of
the nearest relatives. If favors are given
they are distributed generally by the brides.
maids 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 a spray of jessamine or myrtle,
with silver leaves and white satin ribbon
| the gentleman's a spray of oak leaves and
acorns, With silver and green leaves, with.
out ribbon. The bridesmaids favors are
generally slightly more ornamental and
often have spray of forget.me-not. 1t is
the duty Of the best man to see that the
carriage is at the door, and he informs the
bridegroom; the newly married pair then
walk arm-in'arm down the church, followed
by the bridesmaids, in the same order as
before, and driye off first. 1t does not
matter In what order the rest of the party
fellow 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 a large afternoon re.
csption, with the addition, of course, of the
wedding cake. When the wedding is in
the evening, all the guests attend in even.
ing dress, after the ceremony, drive straight
to the house, where there is either an even.
ing party and sitting down supper or a
dance and an ordinary ball supper, a wed.
ding cake being, of course, essential in
both cases.
ATTHE HOUSE.
On reaching the house the bride throws
up her veil, and receives the congratula.
tions of her friends and acquaintance. In
the interval between the return from the
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 name
OF the donors written legibly on cards
beside them. Some care is requisite
to arrange them properly; they should not
be too crowded, and they should be classi-
hed-jewelry on the one table, plate on
another, china on q third and so ON. Il is
very usual to have an afternoon party two
days before the wedding to exhibit the
presents: and to this many are invited who
are not asked to the ceremony itself; the
trosseau, too, is then generally exhibited.
This party is not necessary, but very fire..
quent. 1t may be observed that grooms.
men are not usual in good society, the
bridegroom being attended by one friend,
the best man. When breakfast is an.
nounced the bride and bridegroom lead the
way, and seat themselves either at the
head OF the table, or as is now usual, in the
centre, Immediately opposite the wedding
cake. The father of the bride follows with
the mother of the bridegroom, and seats
himself next to his daughter. During
intervals before the breakfast the hostess
has indicated to the gentlemen what ladies
they are to take, and they follow in due
order OF precedence, she herself going down
last with the bridesgroom's father and sit.
ting next the bridegroom. The best man
always takes the head bridesmaid, and
the others are taken by gentlemen as.
signed to them by the hostess. It is
usual for them to sit opposite the bride,
but this is not essential. Very frequently
the breakfast is not laid out on one long
'NOAV' az "hiCh all Lhe guests sit, but is
served like ball supper, at a long buffet,
wnere the majority OF the guests partaks of
the meal standing, while some small round
tables are appropriated to the nearest rela.
tiVes and principal guests.
AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE.
The menu should include soup, cold
salmoni nayonnaises of lobster and chicken,
hot outlets, chaudfroid of chicken. lark
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
ornamented with silver cosaques, etc, and
the menus printed in silver. Champagne
Is indespensible, and sherry and claret are