The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-19
The Marriage of Ava Willing and
John Jacob AstOr.
OVER TWO MILLION GDoLLARs
Was What the Bridal Presents Represented
The Brides Dress-Pretty Bridesmaids
The Gossip Of Idle Tongues.

New York, to Miss Ava Willing, of Phila-
delphia. Not since young William Waldorf
Astor, cousin of the groom, led another
Philadelphia girl to the altar has the world
OF fashion been SO excited as over this
present Aston wedding. With becoming
reserve the members of the two families
have studiously avoided any public discus
sion OF the event, and yet for nearly a
month past column after column in the
most minute detail has been written and
read about the wedding. The names of
the high contracting parties have been on
the lips OF everybody in and out Of the set
to which they belong, until they have be-
come as familiar in social life as if they had
lived In the hearts OF the people for life
time. 1t is no common thing when we'd
ding party gathers amid the perfume of
SZOO00 worth of flowers and can cast its
longing eyes upon bridal gifts that cost
81, 900, 600.
At the grim and stately mansion of the
Willing family on South Broad street, yes
terday gay equipages came and went for
1ull an hour and let down under the porte
cochere their loads of beautiful women and
gallant men, rich old fathers and doting
large throngs of curious and gaping people
kept Jealous watch on the coming guests
At II o'clock the bridal party and members
OF the Astor family began to move and
soon alter the Bellevue and Stratford were
bareft of their important guests.
Every detail III the arrangements for the
great event was complete Monday night,
even to the observance of the law of Penn
sylyan1a relating to marriage contracts.
Shortly before o'clock Monday afternoon,
the groom and his father appeared at the
Office OF the license clerk of the Orphan S
court and procured the necessary license.
In the clerks room an amusing dispute
took place between the father and son as TO
the latter's age. Young Mr.. Astor said he
was so many years old and the elder Mr..
Astor disagreed with him. II ought to
know how old you are" the father ex-
claimed, you're my son. 'Thats's so re-
Joined the groom. But Pm myself and |
ought to know, too" The dispute was
settled and the young man finally procured
his license.
At 6 o'clock in the evening there was a
rehearsal of the ceremony at the Willing
residence. None but members and the
most intimate friends of the two families
were at the marriage service. Those from
New York already in the city were followed
yesterday morning by the remainder of the
guests to be present at the nuptials, reach
ing here little after IL o'clock.
The celebration of the bans took place in
the great drawing room. At l O'Clock
everything was in readiness. The guests
awaited the coming of the bridal party who
soon emerged from an adjacent apartment
into the great broad hal and thence to-
wards the floral chancel made of green
stuff and pink azaleas, under which the
bride and groom quietly took their places.
The procession to the altar started at l
o'clock, when the groom, especially at
tended by his best man, State Senator
Lispenard Stewart, entered the drawing
room he was also accompanied by the
minister, Rev. William Nelson McVicker.
DID,, Of Holy Trinity church. They were
preceded by the ushers. who made pass
age way by holding satin cords. There
were six bridesmaids-three from Philadel-
phia and three from New York They were
no doubt six OF the prettiest women that
the two great cities can claim for their own.
The bride looked very beautiful in her
bridal attire. Throughout the ceremony
she renamed perfectly composed, and like
the groom, who looked quite aristocratic
and easy, responded to the words of the
clergyman without trsmor. When all
had taken their stations, Mr. and Mrs.
William Aston and Mr.. and Mrs. Edward
Willing, parents of the contracting couple.
standing close by and their maids and
ushers forming circular group, DR.. Nc
Wicker, clad in full Episcopal robes. began
the ceremony. AS the words, Clearly be-
loved, we are gathered here in sight of
God and IN the face OF this company to JON
together this man and woman in holy mat
rimony," a tremulous feeling took posses
sion Of the entire assemblage as the reali-
cation at last followed the weeks of expec-
tation. 1t was over in the minute.
The official priest went on with
the beautiful words of the rit
ual. The important questions beginning.
AVA, wilt thou, etc. and s'John. wilt
thou, etc." were propounded in turn to the
man and the woman and each answered in
a low but firm voice, 81 will" When the
clergyman said, "Who giveth this woman
in marriage" Mr. Willing, father of the
bride, made motion of recognition. The
bride and groom then joined their right
hands and plighted their troth. This was
followed by the giving of the ring and as
the little golden band slipped on the taper
finger, the groom, with a tender but I'm
faltering voice, recited the important
words: "With this ring l thee wed, in the
name of the Father, and the Son and the
Holy Ghost, amen" All Joined in the
prayer Our Father which art in heaven, -
at the close of which Mr.. Astor kissed his
paratory to sitting down to the wedding
breakfast
1t was pronounced by all present one of
the prettiest weddings they had ever wit
messed. and the happy couple were show
cred with congratulations. The BRIDES
gown came over with Mrs Astor's a short
time ago. 1t was of white satin, designed
by Worth, as thick as a board and as soft
and rich as cream. The train was made in
fna
was trimmed with deep f1ounces of point
lace, caught in festoons with punches of
orange blossoms. The corssge was slightly
opened at the throat and filled in with lace.
matching IN pattern the superb point lace
veil, upheld by the groom's gift, magnifi
cent tiara OF diamonds made in the shape of
f1eur de lis The boquet which she car.
ried was OF orchids, valley lilies and orange
blossoms.
Immediately after the wedding breakfast,
which was grand affair, the rooms were
cleared for the reception which began at 8
O'Clock and was attended by fully 1000 peo-
pie, including 1880 New York guests. In
addition to the New York people there
were about eight hundred from Philadel-
phla, attending the reception, making one
OF the largest private receptions which
has ever taken place in the United States.
:, The bridal presents were many. More
than $2,OOO,OOO has been spent by the
wealthy relatives of both the bride and
groom. One of the most valuable ones
was that by the father of the groom-a
completely furnished house on Fifth ave-
nue., New York, where Mr. and Mrs. Aston
will take up their residence after their re-
turn from abroad.
A tiara of diamonds, which was the
groom's gift to his bride, is probably un-
surpassed by any in America.
The elder MIR. Astor's gift to his daugh-
ter-ln-laN was a double bow knot of dia,