Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-03
IN WHITE AND GREEN
PALMS FOR CHURCH AND
LAUREL FOR HOME.
A Girl Choir is the Loveliest of Ad-
juncts-Bride and Her
Retinue.
Written for The Evening Star.

Weddings are the only social functions
where Dame Fashion finds her iconoclastic
progress baked by the powers Of tradition
and sentiment. In the ball room she may
supplant the stately minuet by rag-time
two-steps, and the musicale of old drawing
room days may give place to polite vaude-
vile, but weddings will be weddings to the
end Of the chapter. With a delicate touch
she may alter decorations and other trif1ing
details, but in many Of the more important
points, the bride of 1903 goes back two or
three generations for precedent, as well as
for the family bridal veil.
Happy is the bride whom the sun shines
on and who also is enveloped in the veil
that her mother and her grandmother were
1t may be a trife yellow with age, but it
will reek with lavender or rose petal odors
and lend a distinction not to be secured
from the latest importation in real lace.
The ancestral veil Is bound to occasion
comment and rouse envy in the hearts Of
prospective brides, whose grandmothers
were not thoughtful enough to hand down
that accessory Of their wedding frocks.
Green and white are unquestionably the
correct COlOrS for the m1dWinter wedding.
Indeed, this is white winter in all sorts
of decorations, a fact upon which interest
ed parties may be congratulated, for no
other color scheme is at once so simple and
effective If 1t be a church wedding, white
flowers harmonic most correctly with the
dignified surroundings; and if the ceremony
is at home, they prove decorative with any
furnishings.
For church weddings chrysanthemums
make the best showing, smaller blossoms
being dwarfed by their surroundings. In
large churches where the altar is banked
with palms, florists are resorting with great
success to the artificial plants. At st. Bar
tholomew's, the milionaires' church, in
New York city, florist recently employed
artificial cocoanut palms which lowered to
the ceiling and were banked in by smaller
varieties. The palms nearest the chancel
and around the choir stalls were natural.
Artificial plants are set in Christmas tree
holders and are cheaper and much easier
to handle. 90
All Space is Needed.
In house wedding few palms are en-
ployed, as every inch of floor space is need
ed Laurel Or southern smilax is used eff
fectively, and roses and carnations are less
cumbersome than chyrsantnemums. The
decorations for house wedding should be
lighter than for church, function, and
they reflect more accurately the taste Of
the bride and her mother. r
A very beautiful effect was attained at
recent house wedding where 1.-The decora-
tons were In the inevitable green and white.
A broad staircase in the square hall, which
was in full view of the guests assembled
in the drawing room, was wreathed in smi-
lax, caught with white rosebuds. Down
this came the procession headed by six
young girls in the simplest of white frocks
of mousseine de sole, carrying lilies of the
valley and maidenhair fern They sang the
bridal chorus from "Lohengrin and formed
an aisle at the foot of the stairs through
which the rest of the bridal party passed
into the drawing room. The well-trained
but girlish voices sounded the keynote for
the entire function, which was marked by
an elegant simplicity which can be attained
only in ones own home.
1t was at this same wedding that the little
flower girl carried lilies of the valley in a
Ship and the brides cake was distributed
in wee boxes of silver and white brocade,
tied with silver cord.
The matron of honor is still seen at
church weddings, but she is apt to be too
stately figure for the simpler house func-
ton. In fact, unless a house is truly pala-
tial in size and appointments, the bridal
party should be small The length of
church aisles lends itself admirably to
retinue Of pretty girls and broad shouldered
men, but the same number Of people make
the average drawing room look small and
cramped.
Plain and Simple.
In the matter of wedding dresses there Is
no happy medium. Either you are much be-
ruffied and befrilled or you are severely
plain. Either you are enveloped in clouds
Of tulle and lace or you wear a satin or
SILK WHICH literally SldIlOS alone ana is
made accordingly. And hgh-necked frock
you must wear, no matter what the ma
terial employed.
A recent bride who rebelled on this one
point and introduced a surplice effect said
1t was the one cloud In an otherwise bril-
liant wedding day sky. Every woman who
came up to wish her joy fixed disconcert-
ing gaze on that V-shaped neck.
Pearls are the preferred jewels for the
brides ornaments, and they are also intro
duced in the passementerie used in trim
ming the dress. The new drops or pendants
formed Of seed pearls, are used extensively
in combination with satin and peau de soie
Despite the efforts Of modistes to intro
duce MORE as wedding dress fabric, it
has not attained any popularity. You must
take your choice between the sheen of
satin or the futter of chiffon.
For house weddings mousseline de sole
and point d'esprit hold their own for maid
of honor and flower girl. For church cere-
monies heavier goods are employed, broad
or similar soft fabrics for the wee maid
who carries the flowers. For the latter
styles are very simple when the heavier
textures are employed. y,
His Taller Fits Him Out.
1t is mistake to think that just any
dress suit will do for the groom. He re-
ceives as much attention from his tailor as
the bride from her modiste. The tailor Is
apt to think this is one occasion of a mans
lie When ne is the cynOSure of many criti-
cal feminine eyes and he forthwith intro
duces the small details which distinguish
this years evening suit from last seasons.
suit recently sent home by "a 9Th ave-
nue. tailor showed several Innovations in
the finishing. The stripe down the side of
the trousers was Of a tightly woven silk
braid in a distinct pattern and very diff
ferent from the absolutely plain effect of
last year. The braid which finished the
top Of the waistcoat was irregular in it's
weave. like coarse double-edged saw, and
very narrow and very fiat, and Visible only
| upon close examination. The same pattern
appeared on the buttons, and the coat had
deep and clearly defined cuff
A single spray Of lilies of the valley, or
very small rosebud, is used for the groom s
buttonhole. The brides bouquet is still of
| the shower type each blossom being tied
| to narrow ribbon. White roses and lilies
Of the valley are the favorite combination,
| although those who are ready to pay IS
cents to 81 a blossom may select white or
chids.
| For the going-away gown the new tailor
| ed effects are chosen. This means tailored
| lines in the cutting, but considerable elab-
Grafton in the trimming. Even lace Is in
troduced In such costume and is not con-
| sidered homogeneous, no matter how heavy
| the fabric.
! Care Of the Nails.
Instead of scrubbing the nails with a
L l~,rC 10 ~ llrrnO