Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-16
THE SUMMER WEDDING
RED AND WHITE ROSES ARE a
POPULAR DECORATION.
How to Build a Bridal Bower or for
an Outdoor Cere-
mony.

| Written for The Evening Star.
Inst as June is the favorite bridal month,
| IT Is pre-eminently the season of home we'd
d,nps The wealth of bloom which nature
offers affords ample opportunity for house
decoration: and If it be country wedding,
cramped room space may be obviated by
wide omen doors and windows and the
guests spread out into the world OF out-of-
doors.
Roses are the most favored flower for
summer weddings. and June brings them
to perfection in almost every section OF the
country. The sweet-scented garden varie-
ties may be cut with a lavish disregard OF
waste till their masses make the rooms We
in fragrance with the summer air. A war
Of the roses occurred at last years June
wedding in a country town. so valiantly did
the red and white beauties vie for pre-emi-
nence. They came from all the neighbor-
ing gardens, mngling friendly wishes with
their odors. The gardens also yielded a
heaping basketful of fresh rose petals, with
which>the young couple were pelted on their
departure These thorness roses made a
much prettier shower than the customary
rice, and are less disastrous to floors and
carpets.
Chicken wire makes a fine foundation for
floral decorations, and as a background for
the floral bower under which the ceremony
is performed. If the bower is erected along
blank wall a length of the wire can be
fastened at it's center to the ceiling and the
ends, which reach to the floor in gentle
curve, screened by moss and foliage.
Twined branches of red and white roses are
frequently used on the trells, or only the
white varieties can be used if desired.
If the bower occupies corner of room,
the Wire screen should take the form of a
Ghn1 ont w inc 1fyUa r6 md
to the ceiling by an invisible wire at the
top. Branches of mountain laurel, with
waxy pink and white blossoms, will make
an effective screening.
If a fireplace is used for a background
the shell-like screen should rise from the
top of the mantelpiece. In this case trail
ing vines may entwfne the wire with grace
full effect. A wooden board, protecting the
mantelpiece. should be covered with damp
earth and blooming plants. Vines similar
to those in the screen should also hang
from the mantel nearly to the floor. The
fireplace itself should be completely filled
with foliage and bloom. Flower boards
or shallow boxes might also be placed on
the window sill or on the narrow stands in
front of pier glasses with charming effect.
If a bay window must be utilized for the
bower it is good plan to screen it entirely
with the wire. Wild ferns. interviewer to
hhide the wire. will transform the window
into a shell of living green. If the sweet
mountain ferns be obtained they will
be fragrant well beautiful.
There is a growing tendency to make the
summer wedding much of an outdoor
function as possible. If the house is bless
ed with porches they are generally made
use of. if not for the ceremony itself, at
least for spreading the wedding breakfast
An old-fashioned country house was the
scene of an exceptionally pretty wedding.
The ceremony was held in the wide central
hall. The guests were seated in the par
lors on either side and on the porches.
The young couple faced the door and the
June sunshine, streaming in through the