, 1901-01-15
GORGEOUS WEDDING
ALFRED VANDERBILT AND MISS
ELSIE FRENCH MARRIED
YESTERDAY.
Newport Took on an Appearance Of
Gaiety for the Occasion-eeauti.
full Decorations In the Church.
Two CIergymen Performed the
Ceremony-The Organ Music.

WpOT II. l., Jan. l4.-AltnOuSn
in the depth of winter this noted water
ing place today too, on a semblance Of
its summer gaietv because Of the we'd
ding of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt,
probably the most wealthy Of the third
generation Of the Vanderbilt family,
and Miss Elsie French, a charming
Newport girl and former playmate Of
the bridegroom, the daughter Of Mrs.
Frederick Orme French, .. resident of
the city for many years.
A brighter summer sun never shown
for any bride, and in spite of a crisp
ness in the air, it did not seem to be
a winters day.
The ceremony took place at 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 now
far removed from the social whirl of
Bellevue avenue. Miss Franch made
the choice of her WI place of worship
and her own home for the scene of the
marriage, instead of selecting the
more p%retentious but less familiar sur
roundings which would have been
found in New York.
Under these conditions the 100 or
more guests were forced to make a
journey to a city as quiet at this time
, OF the year as an obscure country Will
age.
The festivities, however, did not sui.
fer from these unusual circumstances.
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.
Most Ornate Wedding Service.
The service was as ornate as the
highest forms of the Episcopal church
could make it, the wedding procession
a picture of loveliness and fine gowns,
and the breakfast, which closed the for
NAL proceedings Of the day, was one
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 at
II O'Clock had the pleasure Of listening
to an organ concert and found leisure
to marvel at the floral decorations.
Decorations Of Church.
Pink. green and white in many
charming combinations were the pre-
vailing colors, the distinctive flowers
being the gloire de la refine bengoras,
the golden gate roses with white aza.
leas and the specimen palms.
The center aisle was a lane Of be-
gonias and asparagus. standards eight
feet high being trimmed with the feath-
cry foliage Of the asparagus at regu-
lar intervals from the entrance to the
chancel. Baskets Of d~eli..te pink flow
ers depended from the standards.
Specimen palms thirty feet high
lowered high above the altar. Inter-
spersed among the ferns and foliage
which banked them were great clus.
tiers of white azaleas and medallions Of
golden gate roses. On the altar was an
immense cross Of ascension lilies.
Organ Concert and Hymns.
The program 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 1920 and led in
two of the hymns assigned to them.
The program was as follows:
Overture-"Tannhauser" Wagner
Festival prelude .Guirand
"Serenade" Schubert
Hymn-"O Perfect Love-. Jeffrey
Choir.
Coronation march-"Le Prophetic.
....... ........... ..... Meyerbeer
Bridal chorus-"Lohengrin". Wagner
Choir.
Just as the tones of the "Lohengrin"
march breathed softly forth, the two
clergymen, Rev. George F. Beattie, rec
tor Of the church, and Rev. G. Brinley
Morgan, rector Of Christ church, at
New Haven, entered from the side
door, followed by the bridegroom and
his brother, Reginald Vanderbilt, the
best man.
At the same time the bridal process
sion started up the main aisle, the ush-
ers leading, followed by the four
bridesmaids.
J Eight personal friends of the bride
groom acted = ushers. They were
which all women approach with Undesirable