News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-12-18
WILSON-AST0R WEDDING.
SIMPLICITY OF TIE GER RENIONY AND
DRILLIANCY OF TIE RECEPTION.
A Notable Society Event-Festivities in
hich the Poor Were Not Forgotten.


Which the Poor Were Not Forgotten.
[From the New York Herald
Miss Caroline Schermerhorn Astor,
the youngest daughter of Mr.. and Mrs
William Astor, was married to Mr.. Mar
shall Orme Wilson. The ceremony was
performed at the Astor mansion, at the
southwest corner of Fifth avenue and
Thirty-fourth street, by the Rev. Nor
gan Dix, d. D., rector of Trinity
Church, in the presence of the families
of the bride and groom and few special
friends.
Had stranger been present he would
scarcely have imagined that the affair
Il Was! the great society event of the sea
son. There was such an entire absence
of display, not only at the wedding cere
mony itself, but even at the reception
that followed thing was conduct
ed so quietly. The whole affair was
characterized by democratic simplicity
and good taste that was in striking con-
trast to the show and glitter that is af-
fected by the 1aOuUeaaGr riches.
1T was in the art gallery or ballroom
that the wedding ceremony was per-
formed. The daylight had been shut
out and the gaslight was softened and
subdued as it shone through the colored
skylight. The bridal party were to stand
at the lower or west end of the ball
room, and there were concentrated the
floral decorations. There was no mar
riage bell, but the florists ingenuity had
been successfully taxed to produce
something novel and beautiful ii design
and execution. The great fireplace and
cilimneypiece at this end of the room
were covered with fragrant roses, lilies,
carnations and other sweet blossoms.
There was no fire on the hearth, and
tall, luxuriant tropical plants waved
their graceful leaves and branches in the
tiled recess beneath the mantel. At each
side was tall column made entirely of
roses. These floral pillars reached up to
| the ebony mantel, on each side of which,
almost obscuring two great Japanese
vases, were banks of flowers, that on the
right supporting a cornucopia of roses,
from which sprays of lilies of the valley
seemed to be falling. The air was heavy
with the perfume of these flowers.
which were the only decorations. A
carved reading desk was placed in front
of the floral bower for the use of the pre-
siding clergyman, and there were two
prize dieaGr upon which the young couple
were to kneel to receive the benediction
of the Church. Two silken cords were
stretched down the centre of the room
to form an aisle through which the we'd
ding party were to pass.
AT half-past three o'clock in the after
noon the members of the families of the
bride and groom entered the room and
took their places on either side of the
silken corded passage way. Lander's
orchestra, concealed behind bower of
foliage, played soft and sweet music,
and the eight ushers marched in to their
places.
A moment later the orchestra broke
forth with the stirring and triumphant
wedding march from 'Lohengrin," and
the bridal procession entered and passed
up the aisle, having come from the
drawing room through the dining room,
and SO into the ballroom. First came
the groom, escorted by his brother and
best man, Mr.. R. 7. Wilson, Jr. Then
came the bridesmaids, eight in number
Miss Harriet Weller, Miss Belle Will
son, Miss Marion Langdon, Miss May
Robbins, Miss Fanny Swan, Miss Helen
Beckwith, Miss Georgiana Hecksher
and Miss Sarah Stuart. After the
bridesmaids followed the bride, leaning
ON the arm of her father.
The bride was dressed in a robe of
satin trimmed with point lace, front en-
broidered in silver in the design of a
cluster of roses, front and sides trimmed
with orange blossoms; veil of rare old
family lace presented by the brides
mother fell gracefully over the
shoulders, the waist was cut V shaped
and trimmed with lace, demi sleeves
trimmed with the same. She carried
bouquet of orange blossoms. Her orna-
ments consisted of necklace of dia-
monds presented by the groom, and
pearls. The bridesmaids wore white
satin dresses, elaborately embroidered,
tulle wells and ostrich tips. They car
ried bouquets of la France roses and
lilies of the valley.
The bridesmaids also carried as pres
ents from the bride lace fans, with pearl
sticks, inlaid with gold and hand painted.
The groom's presents to the ushers were
gold scarf pins set with diamonds and
rubies. Mrs. Astor wore white satin,
trimmed with point lace, square cut
waist filed in with lace. Mrs. Coleman
Drayton, nee Astor, wore canary col
ored satin robe, elaborately embroidered
and trimmed with point lace, Mrs. J. r.
Roosevelt wore a costume of pale pink
satin trimmed with old point lace.
The Rev. DIR. Dix, of Trinity Church,
where several generations of the Astor
family have worshiped, had taken his
place in front of the bower of flowers,
clothed in his clerical robes. When the
bridal party had ranged themselves be-
fore him, the bridesmaids standing in
semicircle at either sides, the clergyman
began the marriage service of the Protes-
tant Episcopal Church. He read the i'm
pressive and beautiful words of the ritual
with much expression. The bride made
the responses timidly, but the groom
spoke clearly and distinctly. The relig-
ious ceremony was soon over, and then
the happy party marched into the draw
ing room to receive the congratulations
of their relatives and friends, while the
musicians played the Swedish We'd
ding March,"
At four o'clock the reception began.
Carriages rolled up to the doors of the
house in rapid succession, and every
body seemed to be coming at once.
Five hundred invitations had been sent
out, and the drawing rooms were soon
filed.
Probably the most striking circum-
absence of show and parade which had
been the characteristic of the wedding
ceremony. There was preponderance
of beautiful women and handsome men;
but very few of the guests were in even
ing dress. The ladies for the most part
wore their hats or bonnets and were in
costumes which might have been worn