The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
WEDDING JOURNALISM.



Springfield Republican.
A comparative study of the London and
New York methods of reporting weddings
In high society for the leading newspapers
must convince that there is little to
choose between them. New York's Sunday
papers described with immense attention
to detail the event of the day at Newport,
which consisted in the application for
marriage license by Reginald Claypool VAN
derbilt and his fiance. The Sun, for ex-
ample. printed nearly column, headed
Vanderbilt Gets a License" To those
who never got a marriage license the de-
scription that followed might have been
interesting; in any event, the incident was
the feature of the day in Newport and
New York
The Sun had full and unbiased account
Shortly before noon "the young couple drove
UP to the city hall in runabout and en-
tered the office of the city clerk" 1t seems
that "they had been expected" for City
Clerk Stevens at once ushered them into
his private Office. Did that ever happen be.
fore? Never. For the first time in New.
ports history-and Newport is an old town
"a marriage license was issued behind
closed doors But the reporters could not
be baked The answers made by the young
couple were public property, "as they had
to be filed in the record book" And the
Sun prints all the answers Miss Nelson's
age. the place of her birth, her mothers
maiden name, her fathers occupation, the
number of times she had been married be-
fore (of course, she had never been married
before). and on; likewise about Mr.. Van
derbilt, aged twenty-one-all this was print
ed in the Sun. Now we read that "when
this was completed Mr.. Vanderbilt asked
what the fee was, and was informed that II
was 81. He took a crisp $40 note from his
pocket and handed 1t to the city clerk, who
gave him 50 in change. Mr.. Vanderbilt and
Miss Nelson then went away. Miss Neil
son wore blue sailor costume and toque
hat of red velvet" Remember that this
merely tells about getting the marriage Ii
cense; the wedding itself Is yet to come.
1t must not be supposed, however, that
Ii Is only in New York that the weddings
of young people of social Importance get
the miscr,oscOpical attention OF great and
there took place the marriage OF Lord Rose
bery,s eldest daughter. Lady Sybil Myra
Caroline Primrose to Lieut.. Charles Grant,
son OF Gen. Sir Robert Grant. AS social
event a Rosebery wedding was to England
what Vanderbilt wedding is to America.
| the occasion. On the morning of the we'd
ding day the London Chronicle, a conserva-
tive old sheet, printed in the middle of a
page large pictures Of the bridal pair, with
garland of primroses over them, and with
huge headlines. "To-day's Wedding The
Bride and Bridegroom" Under the pictures
was a highly iattering almost fulsome,
article which began in this style:
Good wishes for the happiness and pros
| perity of her married life will assuredly
| attend to-day's bride. Lady Sybil Primrose
not only from host of relatives and per-
| sonal friends. but from thousands of un-
known well-wishers all over the country"
h fah hfsrA - -
| differs somewhat from the New York high
| style. the difference is only a matter of
detail. 1t is good journalisticvfo form over
| there TO begin with offering best wishes
| to the noble bride. Readers of our rural
weeklies will at once recognize in IL a
good old style or rural reporting in vogue
| in the back counties of America. Very like
| ~ the custom was originally brought here
| from England. New York editors would
| do well to note this. and catch on" New
York society would welcome the adoption
| of the style IL they only knew that it came
| from England and Is still in use in London
newspaper offices.
Another thing noticed In the reports of
| the Rosebery wedding is that il is good
| journalistic form in London to mention
| the presents TO the bride. The Chronicle
| tells us that Mr.. Balfour gave To Lady
| Sybil "a beautifully bound volume of
| Brownings Dramatic Romances and Lyr-
| ics.' while the archbishop OF Canterbury
| The King and Queen sent a diamond brace
| let. and the Rosebery tenants a silver
bowl. This custom of printing list of
wedding presents has Of late been thought
! rather provincial by some OF our up-to-
/ date American metropolitan editors but
| with true journalistic instinct IL has been
! chung 10 by our country weeklies. The
| rural editor may now have the satisfac-
| ton of knowing that here again he really
| has the highest English sanction.
| But the main point 10 remember Is that
society everywhere is interested In itself
| so awfully. tremendously interested
| that the newspapers will go TO almost any
extreme in the point of detail TO satisfy
| its craving TO know all about the wedding
Gated. IL may be at Johnson's Four Cor
| ners Or at New York. at London. IT.
| In that particular locality, the young
| couple are only high enough in the social
| scale. the papers thereabout will manfuliy.
| zealously do their part; and this. as is
proved right here and now. Is as true of
| the London Chronicle and the New York
| Sun as Of the Washington County Banner
OF Liberty.