Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-15
A GORGEOUS DISPLAY
At NEWPORT WEDDING.
MISS ELSIE FRENCH BECOMES THE
WIFE OF ALFRED GWYNN
VANDERBILT.
THE WEDDING PROCESSION
THROUGH THE GAYLY DECORATED
CHURCH WAS A BRILLIANT
PICTURE IN COLORS.

AO4oA
we'll known watering place to-day took
on a semblance of its summer gaiety
because of the wedding of Alfred
Gwynn Vanderbilt, probably the most
wealthy of the third generation of the
Vanderbilt family, and Miss Elsie
French, a Newport girl and former
playmate of the bridegroom, the
daughter of Mrs. Frederick Orme
French, a resident Of the city for many
years. A brighter sun never shone for
any bride, and in spite OF a c%rispness
in the air, it did not seem to be a win
ter's day.
The ceremony took place at noon, in
the Zabriski Memorial church of st.
John the Evangelist, far UP in the old
north part of the city, on the very
shores of Narragansett bay, once the
center of Viewpoints fashion, but not
far removed from the social whirl of
Bellevue avenu Miss French made
the choice of her OWE place of worship
and her own home for the scene of her
marriage, instead of selecting the more
~pretentious but less familiar surround
ings which would have been found in
New York Under these conditions
the hundred or more guests were fore
ed to make a journey to a city as quiet
at this time as an obscure village. The
festivities, however, did not suffer
from these unusual circumstances.
The church was decorated with gorge
Gus la~vishness, was only about half
filled with guests, the invitations hav-
;nr haan 1ipoit0d fn tho relatives and
close friends OF the couple. The SER
vice was as ornate as the highest
Forms of the Episcopal Church
could make it, the wedding procession
a picture of loneliness and fine gowns,
and the breakfast, which closed the
formal proceedings of the day, was n
of the grandest ever served in this
city.
Although the ceremony was set for
noon, an hour or more before that
time saw the arrival of some of the
guests at the church and those who
came about IL O'Clock had the pleas
ure of listening to an organ concert
and found leisure to marvel at the
floral decorations. Pink, green and
white in many charming cor binatlons
were the prevailing colofs, the dis
tinctive flowers being the glorie de La
Refine Begonias, the golden gate roses
with white a~Zelaes, and the specimen
palm. The center aisle was a lane
of begonias and asparagus, standards
eight feet high being trimmed with
the feathery foliage of the asparagus
1T regular intervals from the entrance
Of the church to the chancel. Baskets
of delicate pink flowers depended
from the standards. Specimen palms
80 feet high lowered high above the
altar. I~nterspersed among the ferns
and foliage which banked them, were
great clusters of white azeleas and me-
dallions Of golden gate roses. On the
altar was an immense cross of AScen-
sion lilies.
The Programme of the Organ
Concert
which occupied the lot preceding the
ceremony, was selected by Miss French
The choir boys of the church marched
in quietly at 11:20 and led in two Of
the hymns assigned to them. The pro-
gramme was as follows: Overture,
.Tannhauser," Wagner; festival pre-
lude, Guirand; s%erenade, Schubert;
hymn, 20 Perfect Love-" jeffrey (sung
by the choir; coronation march, lie
Prophet" Meyerbeer; bridal chorus.
Lohengrin, Wagner sung by the choir.
Just as the tones of the "Lohen-
grim march breathed softly forth, the
W clergymen, the Rev. George F.
Beatty, rector of the church, and the
Rev. G.. Brindley Morgan. rector of
Christ church at New Haven, entered
from the side door, followed by the
bridegroom and his brother, Reginald
Vanderbilt, the best At the
same time the bridal procession start
ed up the main aisle, the ushers lead
ing, followed by the four bridesmaids.
Eight personal frien.s of the bride
groom acted as ushers. They were
Messrs. Worthington Fitzhugh White
house, Frederick Marin Davies, Rob-
ert Livingstone Gerry, Ord Preston,
Ernest 1selin, William P. Boarden,
Potter Palmer, Jr., and w. Bayard
Cutting, Jr.
h bridesmaids were Miss Pauline
French, the brides niece; Miss Elsa
Bronson, daughter of the late Freder-
lex Bronson; Miss Isabel c.. Stillman,
daughter of Mr.. James Stillman. of
New York who shortly will become
the bride of Percy Avery Rockefeller,
and Miss Edith Gray, daughter OF
Judge Gray of Albany. The brides
maids gowns were of pearl gray crepe
de chine combined with liberty gauze
OF the same color. Their hats were
also of gray deliberately frilled. with
a knot of gold in front. Each carried
a bouquet of American Beauty roses.
The maid of honor, Miss GLADYS Van
derbilt, sister of the bridegroom. wore
a similar gown, although more mod
est in detail.
Some Distance Behind
walked the bride, leaning on the arm
OF her brother, Amos Tuck French.
The brides gown was of ruch ivory
white satin. the skirt having a train
more than three yards in length. The
long, close-fitting sleeves of satin were
finished with deep cuffs of exquisite
lace. The high collar of the corsage
was OF lace. The bottom OF the skirt
around the long train was trimmed
with tulle and sprays Of orange bios
SONS. The bridal veil, entirely cover
ing the gown and falling to the end
OF the train, was a magnificent piece
OF Brussels point lace and was the
same veil worn by her sister when she
married Gen. Eaton in England ten
years ago. The bride carried Z bou-