Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-06
AFFAIRS FOR BRIDE MANY
Small Wonder Heads of Some Get
Turned.
SHOWERS" ORIGINALLY MODEST
Small Events at First, Have Grown to
Gigantic Proportions in some
Cases RivalIing PretentiOus-
ness of NuptiaIs.

II is a privilege indeed to be a June
bride in this day and age when friends and
relatives, customs, fashion-directors and
manufacturers combine in the making of
lovely things. The time has never been
when the young woman just entering into
her first new nome and the new life that
accompanies II was so generally tie object
of attentions tending to make her path
beautiful, inviting and easy. So lavish in
fact, is the attention bestowed upon her
that Il is a well balanced girl indeed
whose head is not turned at least a little
bit by it. From the time the engage
ment is announced until the last handful
Of rice has been hurled against the win
dows of the train that carries her off for
that season Of bliss designed as the honey
moon. the present day bride is the reel
pient of attentions fitting for a princess
and that, It must be confessed, often
border upon mistaken ~klndnes
First there comes that announcement. II
the girl is In society" this is usually made
through the medium Of some unique, or at
least smart, social affair. The strife after
something out of the ordinary has evolved
the cleverest sort of announcement par
ties. 1t is the popular thing nowadays for
a girl TO keep her engagement secret even
from her best girl friend until she is ready
to tell everyone about 1t, and the more
complete the surprise the greater is counted
the success Of the announcement.
And after the announcement is made. II
the wedding is set for within a MONTH, the
round of given-in-honor affairs begins. II
seems preferable just now to reserve the
announcement Of the engagement until a
short time before the weddings month or
two.
When at last the date Of the wedding is
given out then begins the round of show
ers, and luncheons, and teas, and dinners,
n kensingtons, and all the other things
that AVE been devised in honor of brides.
The Showers" originally the most mod
est little affairs given only by the most in
innate girl friends, and then in absolute
secrecy, have assumed proportions almost
as pretentious in point of outlay as a tea
or even the wedding itself. There is no
longer any secrecy about 1t, for 1t appears
on the social calendar a week in advance
and it's scope ranges from kitchen utensils
through the linens, bric-a-brac and every
thing in the way Of personal lingerie to a
supply Of preserved fruits sufficient for
the first few spreads in the new home.
OF course all these attentions are most.
acceptable to the young couple just start
ing out, but taking into consideration how
general has become the custom of making
wedding presents, these preliminary gifts
are a bit hard on the friends for, of course,
the kitchen utensils must be of the very
best enamel, the linen must be fit for "oc-
casions," nothing but silk hosiery and
nainsook would be fit for a bride, while
cheap" bric-a-brac would be ~inexcusable.
And when the cards rave been issued for
the wedding there comes a new round of
gift-making and as the wedding exceeds
the shove in Importance, so the wedding
gift must surpass those previous offerings.
However, all this is the affair of the
friends; the bride is the princess and all
Of this is her right and her due-so long as
her friends Will.