The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-19
HOW TOGETMARRIED
Mrs. John Sherwood on Wed
dings in Polite Society.
BRIDESMAIDS AND HONEYMOON


Rice and clippers, clippers and ricei
quaint oM symbols Of all that's nice
In n. world made up OF sugar and spics,
With 2 honeymoon always shining,
A world where the birds keep house by twog
And the ring dove calls and the stock dove COOS,
And maids are many and men may choose,
And never shan love 60 piningI"
Hthere were no weddings there would
Be no ''art of entertaining" 1t is the key
note, the initial letter. the open sesame Of
the great business Of society.
Therefore. certain general and very, per
haps, unnecessary hints as to the conduct
Of weddings in all countries may not be
out of place here.
In London wedding in high life, or as
the French call it, sshilif, I" is q very sweep
ing affair. five were to read alone the
descriptions in the Court Journal Of one
wedding trosseau furnished to . royal
princess, or Lady Gertrude Somebody,
We should say with Fielding that "dress is
the principal accomplishment of men and
women" and as for the wedding cake
which is built at Gunters, it is q sight to
see, almost as big as Mont Blanc.
The importance of Counter" is assured
BY the '.Epicure's Almanac published in
1915, and for many years this firm sup
piled the royal family. When George III.
was king the royal dukes stopped to eat
his pines in gratitude for the sweet re-
pasts furnished them in childhood, but
now the Buzzards of 1877 Oxford street also
are specialists for wedding cakes.
Leigh Hunt, writing one of his pretty
little essays, described one Trumbui
Walker as the "artist who confined him
self to that denomination" meaning we'd
ding cake. His mantle fell on the Buzz
yards.
This enormous cake and the equally
enormous bouquet are the chief distinct
i've marks in which . London wedding
differs from ours.
To be legal, unless by special license Of
the archbishop of York, weddings in Eng.
land must be celebrated before u o'clock.
The reason given for this law is that be-
fore 1870 gentlemen were supposed to be
drunk after that hour and not responsible
for their own promise and expression
made at the altar. In France a singular
difference of dress OH the part of the
groom exists. He wears always q dress
coat and white cravat, as do all his
ushers and immediate friends. It looks
very strange to English and American
eyes.
The wedding breakfast in England Is
often sit-down affair with speeches.
1t is not followed in our country often !;
perhaps it is well to omit the speeches.
And now, how does q wedding begin? As
for the premonitory symptoms, they are
in the air for several weeks. It is whispered
about amongst the bridesmaid it gets into
the papers. 1t would be easy to write .
volume, and it would be q useful volume
if it brought conviction to the hearts of the
offenders, on the wrong done to young
ladies by newspapers who assume without
authority to publish the news of an en-
gagement.
Many match has been broken off by
such q premature surmise on the part of
some not well-informed person, and the
happiness of one or more persons injured
for life.
Young people like to approach this most
important event of their lives in great
mutual confidence and secrecy; conse-
quently society newspapers should be very
careful how they either report an engage
ment or declare that it is "off." Some
times rumors prejudicial to the gentleman
are circulated without sufficient reason,
and Of course much i'll feeling is engen-
dered.
The first intimation of an engagement
should come from the brides mother, and
the young bride fixes the day of her we'd
ding herself.
Then the father and mother or guard
ians of the young lady issue cards, NAM
ing the day and hour Of the wedding.
Brides often give the attendant maidens
their dresses, or if they do not do this they
suggest what they shall wear.
The groom gives the bridesmaids lock-
cts, bracelets or rings, and presents each
of his ushers with scarf pins or studs,
something by which he shall remember
the day.
The fashion of groomsmen has passed
away, and the happy man is only attend
ed by "best man, one friend at the altar
who holds his hat and otherwise sustains
him.
The bridesmaids still hold their own, al
though pretty fashion has been intro
duced of a "lady of honor" who proceeds
the bridal procession intoehe church.
Six ushers generally precede the party
into the church, after having seated the
guests. These are generally followed by
six bridesmaids who walk two and two.
No one wears veil but the bride herself,
who enters on her fathers arm.
The bridal dress is of white with long
train; the veil of tulle or real lace, must
be fastened with orange blossoms.
But ali this may be varied if the bride
chooses, and travelling dress and bonnet
substituted. Young widows who marry a
second time must not wear white or wells.
The fact tina. the bride is in white satin.
and often with low neck and short sleeves.
and the groom in full morning costume, is
much criticised in France.
The invitations to the wedding are very
simple and explicit: