WEDDING AT ST. STEPHEN'S

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2136, 16 May 1889, Page 2

WEDDING AT ST. STEPHEN'S

" " + Yesterday afternoon St Stephens Ohuroh was the; scene of a wedding ceremony In wbioh more than ordinary Interest was taken, owing to the contracting parties being well-known and highly esteemed residents of Ashburton, where also the parents of the bride have resided for years, the happy couple being Mr Richard Ernest Leohner, ohlef olerk at the Ashburton Post Office, and Mlv Bmma Madeline Bean, eldest daughter of Mr R. S. Bean. Long before the oeremony, which took pi toe at half-psst two o'olook, the building was crowded to Ha utmost capacity, and punctually at the time appointed the wedding party entered 'he church, the bride leaning on the arm of her father, and being acoompanled by fonr bridesmaids — ber sisters — Missel Annie, Edith, Lizz'e, and M*ud Bean; The bride was attired m a dress of oream silk with train, trimmed with deep laoe of the same co'or, and sprays of orange blossoms, veil of tulle, rloaly embroidered at the corners, and wreith of orange blossoms, and carried a magnificent bouquet composed of wa erlilleb, obryaanthemama, Japanese anemones, primulas, snowberrlsp, and malden-balr fern J the bridesmaids wearing dresses of mon green with o*rdinal sashes and hits to mitch, and carrying appropriate bouquets forwarded epeolally from Chrlstohuroh for tbe oooaslon. Mr W. D. Bean, cousin of tbe bride, officiated as best man, and the service was full ohoral, the wedding oeremony being parformed by the Rev Walter S. Bean, brother of the bride, assisted by the Rev E. A. Scott, Incumbent of St Stephen's. During the service two hymns were Bncg and a psalm chanted by tho choir, Mr H. Gates presiding at the harmonium, and, aa the wedding psrty left the Church, Mendelssohn's Wedding Maroh was played by Mr W. H. Kneen, and the ohuroh bells rang out a j )yous peal. The breakfast took p'aoe at the residence of the bride's father, where a large number of wedding present*, over sixty m all, aad some of these of a very valuable d isoriptioa were displayed, and the breakfast over tbe happy pair left by train for Akaroa where they will spend the honeymoon.