The age-herald., 1901-01-15
VANDERBILT WEEDS
 MISS ELSIE FRENCH The Church Was Decorated With
 Gorgeous Lavishness CEREMONY WAS BEAU TlFUl Newport Took on SembIance of Its Summer Gayety Because of the
 Number of Wealthy Visi-
 tors to the Wedding.
CEREMONY WAS BEAUTIFUL

| Newport, R. l., January 14.-Afthough in | the depth of winter this we'll known water | ing place today took on a semblance of | its summer gayety because of the wedding of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, probably the | most wealthy of the third generation of l the Vanderbilt family, and Miss Elsie | French, charming Newport girl, and l former playmate of the bridegroom the daughter of MT. Frederick Orme French, resident of the city for many years. A brighter sun never shone for any bride and in spite of a crispness in the air, it did not seem to be a winters day. The ceremony took place at noon in the | Zabriski Memorial Church of St. John l Evangelist, far up in the old north part of | the city, on the very shores of Narragan- | sett Bay, once the center of Newports l fashion, but now far removed from the | social whir of Bellevue avenue. Mrs 1 French made the choice of her own place of worship and her own home for the scene of the marriage, instead of select ing the more pretentious but less familiar
 surroundings which would have been found
 in New York. Under these conditions the
 hundreds or more of guests were forced to
 make a journey to city as quiet at this
 time of the year as obscure country
 village.
 The festivities, however, d1d not suffer
 from these unusual circumstances.
 The Church Half Filled.
 The church, which was decorated with
 gorgeous lavishness, was only about half
 filled with guests, the invitations having
 been limited to relatives and close friends
 of the couple. The service was as ornate
 as the highest forms of the Episcopal church could make it, the wedding process sion was d picture of loveliness and fine gowns and the breakfast, which closed the formal proceedings of the day, was grand. Pink, green and white in many charm | ing combinations were the prevailing col | ors, the distinctive flowers being the glore | de la Reine Bengoras, the Golden Gate l roses with white azaleas and the specimen palm.
 The center aisle was lane of begonias | and asparagus standards eight feet high, | being trimmed with the feathery foliage | of the asparagus at regular intervals from 1 the entrance to the chancel. Baskets of | delicate pink flowers depended from the | standards.
 | Specimen palms thirty feet high lowered | high above the altar. Interspread among | the ferns and foliage which banked them, were great clnsters of white azaleas and l medalons of Golden Gate roses. On the | altar was an immense cross of ascension lilies.
 The programme of the organ concert | which occupied the hour preceding the ceremony, was selected by Miss French. The choir boys of the church marched in quietly at Il 20 o'clock and led in two of the hymns assigned to them.
 The ushers were: Messrs. Warrington Ftzhugh Whitehouse, Frederick Martin Davies Robert Livingston, c. Gerry, Cord Tel
 Potter Palmer, Jr., and w. Bayord Cut. ting, Jr.
 The Bridesmaids Gowns. The bridesmaids were Miss Pauline | French the brides niece; Miss Elsa Bron- | son, daughter of the late Frederick Bron- | son. Miss Isabel C. Stilman, daughter of l MT. James Stillman, of New York, who | shortly will become the bride of Percy l Avery Rockefeller, and Miss Edith Gray | daughter of Judge Gray, of Albany l The bridesmaids gowns were of pearl | gray crepe de chine combined with liberty | gauge of the. same color. Their hats were | also of gray elaborately frilled with knot | of gold in front. Each carried bouquet l of American beauty roses.
 The maid of honor Miss Gladys Wander | bit, sister of the bridegroom wore simi- l lar gown, although more modest in detail. At the altar MT. Vanderbilt met his bride. Together they stood before the steps of the chancel until pr. Beatt1e had finished read | ing the betrothal portion of the service, | when they ascended into the chancel and at | the altar Dr. Beattie completed the cere- | mony and pronounced them husband and wife.
 The Mendelssohn wedding march was played as the wedding procession moved down the aisle and out of the church. The ceremony occupied about seven minutes. For the reception the residence of Mrs. French had been prepared with great care. The broad verandas, all enclosed in glass, were lined with small pine trees, while within the house brilliant flowers met the eye. The bride and groom received their friends whie standing in the large hall beneath a canopy composed entirely of Golden Gate roses.
 The poinsettia, the crimson Mexican Christmas flower was the prevailing fea- ture of the decorations in the dining room. At the conclusion of the wedding break fast number of toasts were drunk to the health and happiness of MT and Mrs. Inc bri6 al 1aft tar in