The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-11-09

New YORK, Nov. 6.-The most magnificent
wedding that ever took place in this city,
probably in this country was that OF Miss
Consuelo Vanderbilt to the young Duke Of
Marlborough to-day. All that immense
wealth. high rank, fashionable attendance
and popular interest could contribute toward
making the occasion a memorable one was
there in Overlooking measure. No princess
of the blood ever had a more splendid we'd
ding. Few have ever started in life with
richer dowry 1t took two Bishops and sew
eral clergymen to marry this young couple,
and the Ambassador from the greatest court
in the world acted at witness. The Governor
of the State spectator and every lead.
ing family in the metropolis was represented
among the invited guests.
GORGEOUS SPECTACLE IN EVERY WAY.
Such notable gathering of fashionable So
cietv is rarely seen. The most noted organist
and the leading orchestra of the city played
the wedding marches. A fortune was eN-
pended in the floral decorations The dis
play of new gowns was dazzling in the eX-
IRENE. 1t was a gorgeous spectacle in every
way. 1t lacked the uniforms, the orders, the
glitter of a similar foreign function, but in all
| else-in beauty of flowers, bridesmaids, mu-
sic and decorum-it was the most impressive
of weddings Yet. in point Of popular inter
est. the waiting crowd outside the church was
more remarkable than the ''swelldOm inside.
| Fully 5000 men and women stood tor hours
waiting for "A chance to see the BRIDE ana
groom, and many had hopes of getting inside
the church, if not during the services, at least
| afterwards in order to view the decorations
The women were especially eager and per
sistent. and ii took all the tact and experience
of the police to keep them within bounds.
There was another crowd in front of the
Vanderbilt residence, and hundreds waited
at the Plaza Hotel in hopes Of seeing the
Duke, but he gave them the slip
The florist was afraid to remove the flowers
from the church after the wedding so eager
was the crowd for souvenirs of the occasion.
| A successful raid was indeed made upon
some plants borne from the church by unsus-
pecting assistants of the decorator. One
! dramatic incident Of the wedding ceremony
WAS the presence of the brides father. Mr..
| ". H. Vanderbilt. who escorted her to the
altar and gave her away. As is well
| known he is divorced from her mother. who
directed with great intelligence. all the pre-
parations for the wedding. and was. of course,
present at the ceremony.
! A LOVE MATCH.
Rank and wealth joined together have
| "iamor that is all the more brilliant IN Il dean
ocratc country. The bride is still iii her
| ..teens," hardly known vet personally to
! !
country only once in the Peers, when he made
| the address to his sovereign at the opening of
! Parliament. ii was Il creditabIe effort for one
so Young and inexperienced. Their meeting
| was casual and accidental. Sympathy led to
| the deeper motive, and there should not
| be one unkind or suspicious word sand about
this international match. The Duke met the
Young woman in his own country, surrounded
by his own home influences. He followed
! her to America, pleaded and won.
The Duke of Marlborough was mhappily
| subjected to Il brief delay in the arrival of his
! bride. but that. after all, was the fault of his
own habits of punctuaity, for he insisted
upon being before the altar at noon precisely,
! although courierS bad assured him thai his
! bride would be IL few minutes late.
An estimate was made today Of the cost OF
! this wedding Including the gowns, the
decorations. the music, the presents, the
catering, etc. it is thought to have cost more
! than $500. 900, 10 which by rights should also
| be added the brides dowry, said to he So.
10000 Her wedding gown cost nearly
$1,000.
A squad Of 80 policemen were on hand to
keep the entrances to the church clear.
ARRIVAL OF THE GUESTS.
By 10 o'clock they had their hands full to
keen the fast increasing crowd moving. At
that hour the church doors was thrown open
and Is minutes later the first of the guests, in
tent on securing good places from which to
witness the bridal procession and the cere-
monv, began to arrive. Entrance to the
church was gained by the main doors on Fifth
avenue. From 10. Is O'Clock carriages rolled
up. their occupants quickly passing into the
church As the hour for the ceremony drew
nearer the crowd became larger and larger.
The steps of the houses and the sidewalks up
and DOWN the Avenue were damned until 1t
was almost impossible for the pedestrian to
obtain passage through the crowd. Traffic
ON Fifth avenue was practically al a standstill
by noon, owing to the crowds which filed the
street. The police succeeded, by hard work.
in keeping clear passage for carriages.
FLORAL DECORATIONS IN THE CHURCH.
The church within was decorated to the
perfection of the florists art. No expense
was spared to make the interior Of the edihce
as beautiful as possible
The veStibule was converted into a bower
of tropical vines and foliage. The walls were
lined with the rarest palms and the ceiling
hung with soft vines. From the dome of the
church mdssye strands of foliage and flowers,
lilies. roses and chrysanthemumS were hung.
Around the six columns supporting the dome,
broad s;lShes of pink and white chrysanthe
NUNS and ferns were wound from base to CAPT.
tai. Medallions of maple foliage were tasten-
ed to the front of the galleries. while garlandS
Of white and pink cosmos were so thlckly
festoned along the gallery rail as almost com
pletely to hide the wood work. Pendant from
the gallery rail about the entire church were
orchids, pink, green and mauve. with dark
green foliage.
Across the chancel stood three high Gothic
arches of bride roses and lilies, with back
ground of asparagus ferns. The chancel rail
was concealed by lilies of the valley, while
the gates were hidden under Farleyense ferns
and white Catalyeas palms, and trailing vines
were placed on the window lodges on the back
of the chaBcR;, In the rear of the chancel
was mass of palnls--and white and pink
| flowers. such as roses. aHaleas, lilies and
| chrysanthemums.
| On the altar was four tall vases filled with
various kinds of lilies. On either side Of the
chancel rail were banks of fern, with growing
bushes of bridesmaid roses interspersed.
| The choir and organ stalls were almost hid
| den by banks of roses and lilies, fringed at
the bottom with pink and white Alpine vio-
! lets, taking the place CT choir curtains, with
arches of pink and white roses,
Vines were twined about the columns bank
ing the organ, springing from bushes Of roses
growing at their base. In the pulpit was
century old palm, and around its sides were
+; garlands of orchids and a drapery of ferns.
~
gates of lilies and roses were placed.
THE MUSICAL PROGRAMME.
The full choir of the church was in the choir
alcoves George William Warren, the organ
ist of the church, assisted by Il harpist, had
charge OF the mnsic. At 1915 O'Clock the
concert began, and continued until IL Is.
The full New York Symphony Orchestra
was stationed in the gallery at the northeast
ern corner Of the church, under the direction
of Walter DamrOsea.
At u o'clock the officiating clergy, attired
in their clerical robes, entered from the yes
try room. Bishop Littleiohn, who offciated'
followed by Bishop Potter and the Rev. John
Wesley Brown, rector Of the church. took
their stations at the chancel and waited the
arrival of the bride and bridegroom.
THE BRIDAL PARTY.
A few minutes before II O'Clock carriages
containing Mrs. Vanderbilt and the brides,
maids drove up to the church. Mrs. Wander
bilt was accompanied by her two sons vii
liam K and Hago2a. The Duke and his
cousin, Hon. Ivor Guest his best man, ar
! rived at she church at 1l.55 O'Clock and en-
tered through the yestry door,