Connecticut western news., 1884-12-03
THE COST OF A WEDDING.
BIG BILLS THAT ARE CHEERFULLY
 PAID.
Details of the Expense to the Brides Father
 and the BridegrOOm-A Brilliant and Costly Array.
From the N. I. Tribune. 1

ments being on liberal but not extrav- agant scale. The estimate is for six | bridesmaids and six ushers, a reception and collation. with wine for 500 people, | floral decorations, etc. The total cost is calculated to be a little over S5, 900 for 1 tbe brides father and S1, 900 additional ! for the bridegroom's clothing, brief bri- l dal trip, etc., leaving out his present of | diamonds, etc., to the bride.
 Many of the items in the expense of a wedding depend entirely on ones liberali- | ty. For instance, the rector of a fash ionable church receives variety of sums in marriage fees. but he expects $50 ! from rich people, at a church wedding especially. Yet it is not always the rich est people that pay the most. The fees run from S10 to $50, sometimes reaching S100, but rarely over that. The bride groom is expected to pay this, and gives ! the money to his best man for that pur pose. Different churches charge differ ent amounts for the use of the building for weddings. Sometimes half goes to the church and half to the sexton. In other cases the whole fee is perquisite of the sexton, gas, etc., being paid for by him or by the persons hiring the use of the church. When chimes are rung aa additional charge is made of S5 or BIO. The man who calls carriages, unless engaged with the collation., is an extra expense and costs from S5 to SI0, or more, according to the size of the wedding, the time he works and the number of assistants he has.
 Canopies are occasionally dispensed with in pleasant weather, but even then they protect guests from the gaze of by- islanders and so are necessary to a we'll appointed wedding. It is well to have the carpets of the parlors and refresh ment room covered with crash and the steps outside should be csrpeted to pro- tect ladies in slippers or thin-soled shoes from the cold. Camp chairs must be hired for seating people. They take up little room and are easily moved. The cost of refreshments depends entirely upon the quality of the viands, the ex- tent of the bill of fare, the time of year, price of delicacies, etc. Most of the del. icacies of the season, hot and cold, will be served in the best style for S2 head, and from that the price goes down to Sl for plain luncheon. A table tastefully decorated is usually set in the dining room and the viands distributed by the walters. The guests sit about on camp chairs or stand if they cannot get & seat. Hebrews sit down to regular dinner at their weddings. Champagne is usually an extra charge, though the estimate for the collation. occasionally includes wine.
 The wedding invitations being 1000 in number, there will usually not be over 500 guests remaining to the recep- tion. Often, for good reasons, the reception is limited to 8 few of the nearest relatives and intimate friends, who alone receive cards. But where anything like a large company is enter tained at the house it is likely to cause dissatisfaction if all invited to the church do not also have cards for the house. Six pieces of music are not too many though a less number Is sometimes go along with. Some weddings have as many as ten or twenty pieces. A piano violin, cornet, flute and bass viol art desirable. Floral decorations may be o any degree of costliness. For $400 ont can have the church chancel set witt palms and evergreens and the parlorI and railways decorated with plants, tn, l mantels banked with roses, 8 wedding bell hung over the bride and groom anC floral devices and smilax to decorat, doorways, windows, etc. Tht bouquets for the bride and bridesmaid: are usually purchased by the bride groom and cost from $50 to $100, O more, according to the price of roses Wedding invitations cost $l5 for thu first hundred and S5 for every additions hundred from the engraved plate. The, are generally delivered by special mes sengers.
 It is a common custom to get detec tive from the Central Office to watcl the presents when they are displayed Certain officers are always detailed fo such work. A policeman to keep orde on the sidewalk is another necessity Extra servants to attend to the door wash dishes, etc., are supplied by tn caterer. But several extra servants ar usually needed to look after the com fort of guests in the dressing rooms ant wait on the family at church and at tn, house. Hairdressers are kept busy or some days going from house to hous, attending to the cultures of brides.
 The largest item, of course, is tht brides rousseau. As many young ladies are not content with less than dozen dresses, costing from $50 to S50C apiece, it is best to put generous esti mate on this expense. Indeed, there Ii : no limit to it except the parents purse for trousseaus sometimes cost tens o thousands of dollars. The bride, 1T some cases, gives the bridesmaids theil dresses, though they generally buy them for themselves. Being usually composed of surah, or nuns yelling, ol other comparatively inexpensive mate rial, they do not usually cost over $50 tC $100 each. The bill for a bridal toile of white satin embroidered in pearls ol brocade velvet, with point lace, not in frequently reaches $500.
 It is not always the case that tht bridegroom gives dinner to his usherE and best man, but they usually give . him dinner. If he is a man of wealth however, the dinner for the young me1 IS customary, and so are gifts of scarf pins or cuff buttons for souvenirs. The sum of $500 is moderate for g. shorI bridal trip, while if the fair bride longs to see the Rhine, the Alps, or the Nile, the sum must be multiplied many fold
 It will easily be seen why it Is that some people are we'll of and yet too poor to marry, why so many young mer remain bachelors and so many fathers are only sustained in the trying hour ol weddings by the thought that the out. lay will not have to be met again. -. EXPENSES OF A CHURCH WEDDING AND RFCEP
 TIoN.
 Use of church. ...................S 25 Sexton and assistants nts. 25 Carriage superintendent ......... 10
 Organist. m
 Ten carriages . .... 4O
 Two canopies. IS Nfash Ter parlors. s.................. Camp chairs, 100 10
 Refreshments, 800 people .......... 1000
 Champagne. e....................... 300 | C gars 5O
 Mus c, SIX pieces. s................. 90
 Floral decorations. ons................. 400
 Wedding invitations, 1000. ..... co
 Delivering invitations - 1O