The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-10
A CHURCH WEDDING.
= Clergyman Outlines the Duties of Pc

OhORSH WEDDINz.
CIsrEynan Outlines the Duties of Poo
pie Who Are SUPPOSED to Assist.
The objectionable etfstonn of rehearsing
church weddings has been recently intro
auced with the natural result that at a
fashionable wedding the pretty brides
maids and the manly groomsmen group
themselves around the altar of the Lord
like q minstrel troop or a ballet chorus.
No rehearsal is needed. Ladies and gen.
tlemen will naturally group themselves
gracefully whether at q levee, a wedding
or a funeral, and clowns will look like
clowns though they rehearse their move
ments under the direction of the sexton a
dozen times. The Book of Common Prayer
provides that "the persons to be married
shall come into the body of the church
with their friends and neighbors, and there
stand together, the man on the right hand
and the woman on the left"
The father of the bride should enter the
church with the bride on his left arm, and
take her to the chancel steps, where she
should be met by her future husband. The
father should then recede few PAGES 20
his daughters left and remain standing.
The chief bridesmaid should stand one
pace behind the bride and take her gloves
and bouquet, thus leaving the bride with
both hands ungloved. am aware that it
is customary for the bride to remove one
glove, or TO cut of the fourth finger Of the
left one, but this is not churchly. The
marriage ceremony is of a sacramental
character, and tine joining of hands should
be the uniting of ungloved hands.
Unfortunately in modern weddings the
bridesmaid of the good old church days,
who was a young person of utility, has
given place to the maid of honor who is a
thing of ornamental beauty. The master
or ceremonies at our modern marriages has
clearly lost the original conception of the
bridesmaids onerous duties. She is not
there for the express purpose of making
herself look as pretty and as interesting as
she can, but to render, if necessary, i'm
portant services. Ancient custom assumes
that the bride is naturally in very trying
and difficult position, and needs on such a
public occasion the sympathy and support
of young friend.
Consequently, it is the bridesmaids duty
not only TO hold the gloves and the bou-
quet, as already stated. but the smelling
sai Is to revive dropping energies, aud pin
two to readjust if necessary the bridal
Ceil. In fact, there are numberless ways,
known only to womankind, in which a
bridesmaid can be useful as well as orna-
mental at a church wedding. Nor do her
responsibilities cease until she finds her
friend a welded wife, leaning lovingly on
the arm of her husband as they walk down
the middle AISLE while the organ peals
forth the inspiring tones of the wedding
march.
The bridegroom's best man should also
take his place behind the bridegroom. He,
too, holds responsible position. 1t is his
duty to see that his friend is on time, a
bridegroom late for a wedding being a
most serious affair He should also see
that the marriage ring and the fee have
been duly provided, and he should retain
possession of the same until they are re-
Quired of the bridegroom by the officiating
priest. Nor are his duties over with the
wedding march He should see that an
nouncements of the marriage are sent, and
duly paid for, to the morning journals
and that pleasing little notices of the fash
ionable wedding shall appear among the
weddings, Present and Future" of the
society journals. In fact, the bridegroom's
best man is usually very fussy, ofhcious
and important individual, who is expected
to fall in love with one of the bridesmaids.
The other bridesmaids and gentlemen Of
the party should gracefully group them
selves behind the contracting parties, not
with studied effect, which is often gro
tesque and ridiculous, but with an uncon-
scious attitude of reverence which be-
cometh the house of God.
When the bride and bridegroom have
taken their places they should reverently
kneel until the priest has commenced the
service.
The prayer book provides that the min
lister shall receive the woman at her
fathers or friends hands, and when the
question is put, "WhO giveth this woman
to be married 10 this MANI" instead of an
awkward and meaningless nod of the
head il is ordered that ''the father or friend
shall place the womau's hand in that of
the priest, who shall cause the man with
his right hand to take the woman by her
right hand" This part of the service in
nine cases out of ten is an occasion Of en-
bsrrassment simply because neither priest
nor people follow the instructions of the
prayer book
The marriage service of the church is d.
vided into two portions-"the giving and
taking" and ''the church's benediction'-
the civil and religious ceremony After
the ring has been given and taken, the
English Book of Common Prayer" d.
rects that the married parties shall then
proceed 10 the altar, while their friends
and neighbors remain standing in the
body OF the church. The civil part of the
ceremony having been performed. the
priest then pronounces them man and
wife from the altar and gives them the
church's benediction. The whole struc-
ture Of the prayer book service is intended
for a church wedding, and the marriage
ceremony loses its dignity as a religious
service when performed in a private dwell
ing.-Rev Thomas P Hughes, D. D., in
New York World