OUR COMING BRIDES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 470, 2 March 1933, Page 7

OUR COMING BRIDES

USEFUL HINTS UPON~™~ PROPER WEDDING ETIQUETTE. There :are quite a number of weddings looming on the horizon and the other day I read some very useful hints about wedding eti'quette which I think may be of interest to some who are thinking of having the banns. At the Church. The bride should not see- the bridegroom on the wedding: day until they meet at th'e church. The bride is given away by her father, brother or oth'er male relative or intimate family friend. With hina alone she drives to the church, being the last of th'e wedding party to .leave the house. Front seats on the right of the centre aisle are reserved for the relatives and special friends of the bridegroom, and on the left for those of th'e bride. ' The bride goesi to the chaneel steps on the right arai of her father, followed by the bridesmaids in their appointed order; arriving, at tho steps she takes the position on the left of the waiting bridegroom; the father steps backj and to her left; he steps forward again to give her away. At the conclusion of the urarriage service the bride enters the vestry to sign the register on the left arm) of the bridegroom: the register is signed, the bride using her new name for the first time. She returns to the church on her husband's left arm: they drive away from the church' quickly so as to receive their first guests for the reception. Wedding Etiquette. Bride's parents provide the wedding trousseau. This would be elaborate or ordinary, according to their means. A reasonable trousseau would consist of say half a dozen of each article of underwear. Wedding presents must be acknowledged as soon as received. Bridegroom furnishes the home. Bride ish'ould come to him with a good trousseau, so that she will not want clothes renewals for some time at least. Bride also should supply the house linen, etc. He pays (per medium of his best ■man) the clergyman's fee. This grades from £1 to £5, according to one's circumstances. In these depressed times there are not many £5 fees. Wedding breakfast is in th'e care of the bride'® parents. At one time these functions were very formal, but nowadays they are little more than a reception at which light refreshments are served, and the newly-weds and their parents receive the guests. Speeches at these receptions or wedding hreakfasts, unfortunately, are iatill popular. It is generally a time of torture for the groom. Friends laud the newly-weds to the skies and the groom has to suitably respond. Honeymoons are now considerably shortened, and a week or couple of weeks holiday is considered sufficient hefore starting the serious business of houselceeping.

| The best man and the chief bridesl maid are akin to the principal boy in i the pantomime — they are on the stage : most of the time. She sees to it that the bride is properly attired, and generally is her factotum, carrying out the bride's wishes, and attending to small personal ®ervices, so that j the lady will not be flustered or have | a heart attack on this day of days. ! Similar duties happen with the best j man. He ha® to see that the groom > does not keep the lady waiting at the I church; that his tie is straight 'and 1 that he is conventionally garbed. He { attends to motor hire both to and from the church, keeps everyone and j everything merry and bright, and pops j out th'e wedding ring at the p'sycho- , | logical moment. It is a direful time | for a nervous groom, and most of i them are very nervous. The best man i is the little gloom-chaser and soothes j out all th'e difficulties that may arise. | During the ceremony he stands on the bridegroom's right and to the | rear, taking care of the bridegroom's fhat and gloves; hc goes to the vestry j with the bride and bridegroom to i sign the register, escorting the brides- ! maid, who is his special partner durI ing the festivities; he sees the bridal couple into their car, also the bride's parents, and is agreeable to all. Bridesmaids. These are chosen by the bride from among her friends and relations. If the bridegroom has si®ters, it is polite to ask one of them to act. As the bride invariably wears white it is wise to get the bridesmaids to sport colours — which must be in good taste and definite, such as rose du Barri or da,ffodil yellow. Bridesmaids all await the bride at th'e church door and follow after the bride and her eseort up the church aisle.