The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-29

BridsegrOOms Who Want to Save Money
Ought to Run Away.


| BFfdgegrOOms Who Want to Save Money
Ought to Run Away.
| Baltimore American.
| ''For good round fee for marrying couple
said an eminent divine of this city not long ago,
commend me to the bachelor who thinks he
has turned the marrying age, and then suddenly
finds buXom widow who seizes his heart and
hand and leads him to the altar. That man
| invariably pays a large fee. l don't know what
the cause IS, but when widow IS one Of the con-
| tracing parties the fee is always the largest"
Ministers tell strange tales in regard to mar
riaGe fees-that u.s. when they will tell about
| 'them-and the present boom in the matrimonial
| market has placed pleasant smile on many a
| elergymans face. Some ministers always give
the wedding fees to their wives, others devote it
! to the house, while others again lay it aside
| for their contribution to the mission fund. The
fee varies according to the happiness of the groom
! 0ftentimes this little item in his wedding ex-
| penses botfIers him more than his clothes. He
| does not know what he can give to make it look
| decent, for there are many who are anxious
to get off with as little possible, while again
| there are others who think the amount they are
going to give is too small. and as the joyful &C.
| casion approaches they add another ten to the
7 amount. In olden times the groom had to at
\ tend to all these matters himself, but now the
best man not only engages the carriages and
makes the arrangements with the sexton and
organIst, but pays the preacher-with themoneY
| given him by the groom. The fee to the minis
ter varies from So to $780, although the latter
| figure is very rarely reached, especially in this
I city.
81 once married a couple,H remarked a min
ister, land after the ceremony waited for the
| groom to pay his fee. 1t private wedding
at the parsonage, and the groom handed me out
a 81 bib and asked for 50,eents change. 1 gave
it to him. Such cases are rare. The groom
| generally has the fee in an envelope sealed
| which he hands me before he leaves
the house 1t generally is a good sum-
| In large weddings, the best man, gen
at Tor tho L Month O wa
| the house, slips acheck drawn by the groom, in
to my hands One time 1 had pair of gloves
/ given me by a groom. thought it strange at
the time, and having no use for them, laid them
| aside. One day had occasion to take them out
and, to my surprise. l found s. gold piece in
7 each finger. Whenever get pair of gloves
now, look them ever well before I put them
| away"
| While the groom always gives the minister
something, it has become fashionable for the
minister to give the bride something-that is,
when it is a large wedding, and the fee is gen
! erous. The Dinister generally presents the
| bride with tie prayer book he marries them
| with. The names of the contracting parties
are on the fly leaf, with appropriate text
and their rector's autograph. Those who run
away and get married generally get off the
| easiest in regard to expenses. There the fee
is less, because the minister is unknown; the
man has no heavy bill for carriages for the
| bridesmaids and the minister; charges from
| the sexton for gas and opening the church. Nor
| has he to pay the organist to grind out the we'd
| ding march. The florist. when he returns, does
not speak as he passes by, for he has been cut
ont Of his money for brides and bridesmaids
bouquets. His bill for gloves and cravats
is absolutely nothing. All these glories
I are his, but he misses the good time
with the boys at the dinner given him before his
marriage. He does not see all the friends he
ever had in church looking at him as he walks
down the alsle nor does he get grand lift in
furnishing his house by letting the bride receive
presents from her friends. The man who is
/ about to be married goes the plan that it hap
/ pens only once in a lifetime, and, conse-
/ quently, he is lavish with all the money he has
| saved for the occasion A wedding suit is
/ ing suit, for if his wife is to appear
in her trousseau ON the bridal trip he must ap-
| pear in new suit, too. Therefore, the tailor
/ comes in for from 1925 to $3.50. Then his haber-
| dasher has whack at him. He must have new
/ and spotless linen, cravats and gloves which cost
| from $50 to $40. Then the carriages to and from
| the church, which cost about $50 the minister's
fee, and servants. for if there is time a servant
wants to wish you luck it is at wedding, and
/ they expect small gratuity for such
good wishes Then the barber steps in. A
| wedding shave and hair brush costs just five
| times as much as an ordinary one, and besides
/ the extra touches to the groom, the ushers also
| need ''scrape" and brush OF course, the
| groom has to buy his diamonds for the bride and
it costs to buy precious stones These little ex
| tras amount up alarrningly, until before the
/
| mis- bridal tour he has a continual drain on his
pocket Nor does this drain cease at
| that time, for the tour is generally con
Quoted the principle of moneys no
object" for, of course. the young man
does not want to appear mean before his young
| bride. So the money goes. If the groom has
expenses, they are Insignificant to those of the
brides father. If there is reception it comes
hard on him. There is first of ALL the brides
trousseau. The figures vary to such an
alarming extent that it would be folly to ap-
proximate them. Then comes the bills for the
feast" The caterer sends his bill, which
varies with the supper or breakfast served
Then the orchestra has to be paid. The
florist comes in for his share while the carriages
have to be paid for, extra service charged, Wines
cigars and general breakage of china. glass, etc.
| The policeman on the beat-and sometimes an
extra one, if the wedding is large one-has to
be remembered. Five dollars for detective to
watch the presents, and sometimes an extra
amount to a jeweler, for the loan of some of the
numerous and expensive gifts. Then each
member of the family has to give the bride a
present. and papa is called upon to pay for them
| and his own in the bargain. Thus the amount
sweIls. Any one who has been there knows
| how it is himself. Thus it will be seen that with
the present boom there is some money being put
in circulation and the people say, Let the
weddings go on