The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-22
THE HOME WEDDING
By JULIA HOYT (Mrs. Lydtg Hoyt)

The home wedding is less expensive generally more informal Unless the house is very large it is of necessity less formal, for there must be fewer guests. They are in closer proxim ity to each other and besides, the atmosphere of ones own home is less formal than that of a church. In my opinion, though home wedding may be very pretty and appealing, 1t can impressive beauty that a church we'd ding, when rightly handled, can have.
 From the large number of letters I have received from readers of my articles I have gathered that many people are confused in their concep- tons of what really constitutes an informal wedding. If my personal opinion were asked. I should say that should have my wedding as simple as possible (which does not mean that it cannot be lovely). and l should call it informal.
 But let me answer one of my cor respondents questions immediately No matter how informal the wedding, no matter how few the guests. the bride may always wear a veil. pro- vided she wears white dress. A girl may wear a veil and orange i I. f44 1 the only thing to prevent her is her own desire to be married in colored dress.
 If a girl is married in a travelling dress or even light colored one, it presupposes a very informal wedding, and consequently she has not more than one attendant. Also if the bride does not wear the wedding dress and veil, it is usual for her to wear a hat
 The home wedding is usually man. aged in much the same manner as Q church wedding, perhaps the only dif- ference being that the bride does not have as many bridal attendants. As 8 general rule, it is possible for her to have only from two to four ushers, from one to four bridesmaids, and a maid or matron of honor.
 
 mother receives the guests and the father rarely appears until he brings his daughter into the room for the ceremony. The bridal procession en- ters in precisely the same way that 1t enters the church.
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 The Assembling or the Bridal Party.
 For this reason the second floor of the house is usually reseirved for the assembling of the bridal party. When it is time for, the ceremony the ushers come down the stairs first then the bridesmaids, maid of honor, and last the bride, leaning on her fathers arm. If the brides father is not living and she has no brother to do this office, she comes in walk ing with her mother, who stands be- hind her throughout the ceremony, as is the custom for the father This Is the same in church wedding. "A room should be provided, pre- ferably on the same floor where the ceremony will take place, where the clergyman may don his surplice and after the ceremony remove 1t. This room also serves as reception room for the bridegroom and the best man It is always an advantage when the room in which the ceremony Is
  main or hall entrance is then used by the bride and her attendants and the other by the clergyman, the bride groom and the best man.
 The furniture is usually moved out entirely or is pushed up against the wall. It is not customary to provide seats for guests at a home wedding except for old people. They stan, while other guests arrive, and remain standing throughout the ceremony and reception.
 At one end of the room is an im- provised altar of flowers, prayer | bench and perhaps small railing The bridegroom enters with his bes man following the clergyman and awaits the arrival of the bride, faclna tre guests, as he would in church The guests should have arrived few minutes before the hour stated I the invitation, as the ceremony | supposed to take place at the time in dicated.
 When the clergyman and bride groom enter for the ceremony th' IT. other leaves her place-at the en trance where she stood receiving ant goes to the left side of the alta:- witt | the rest of the brides family group Sometimes small space on eact side of the altar is measured off witl | white ribbons to prevent the guest: crowding too near and thus deprive | the family of their rightful place. O O O.
 The Ceremony.
 As the bridal party enters. the degroom come sea little forward tc | claim his bride. The entire bridn party stands in the same formation as it would in church. Ushers stant Ion both sides, the bridesmaids and | the maid of honor at the brides left | the best man at the bridegroom :