Wedding Bells.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7752, 2 March 1905, Page 2

Wedding Bells.

BEffis'ETT—PAIU

A very pretty and fashionable wedding, and at the same time one or tlio largest attended nuptial ceremonies yet celebrated in New Plymouth, was auspiciously solemnised yesterday afternoon ut St. Andrew's Presbyterian Chinch), when Dr. Jame:; Freeborn Dennett, who (or abou; two years practised his profession i. this town, and has latterly take - up has residence at Blenheim, and Miss Ida Grace, only daughter of -Mi and Mrs James I'aul, were united ii matrimony. i ho church had been most artisti cally -decorated for tie ;v;;' v occa sion by members of tin; cu ■ ■ >\tioii and friends, under ill Hi; lion of Mrs Bacon and i\iis» jUa Diarmid, and the effect 01 the beautiful'white iloial tributes, set 011 with palms and surmounted with a graceful design, was mo->t plowing. The sacred edifn 0 and precincts were thronged will a \ery large assemblage of guea.s, 11 .nds and residents, and the ceremony, which was performed by the lie v. S. S. Osborne, passed oil' with great eclat. Mr Perry successfully ollici a ted at the oigan, the concluding "Wedding Jlareh " being excellently rendered. The bride, who was given away by her father, was charmingly attired in a dainty creation of white Duchess satin, trimmed with Moniton ilaee. The blouse had a transparent chiffon yoke, and the folded skirt, which had a Court train, waa draped in the front with a plain panel. The bodice was finished on each side witll chilTon rosebuds, which were also entwined through the lace work. The bride wore an embroidered veil and wreath of orangti blossoms, and carried an exquisite shower bouquet | The chief bridesmaid. Miss Eve Biggs, wore a rich costume o heliotrope silk, the -bodice having 1 transparent yoke trimmed wit! French knots of heliotrope and grew isilk, and the skirt being fully tucked She wore a floral lmt of heliotropi and white to match, and carried < bouquet. Little Missies Norma Col Tins and .Jessie Homo, who looken delighted as assistant brides-maids were very tastefully attired in whit silK (Jreenaway dresses, with euil; Victorian hats. The little ones car ried cro o ks, ornamented with flower and 'streamers of white ribbon, s ! Mrs Paul-, mother of the bride, wor ai very becoming dress of black am white silk muslin over white glaz ■ Kilty, and IJ.ack and white to-ju . trimmed with ostrich pjumes, nni i carried a boulquet of pink and whiit • flowers. ■ 1 Mr J. Greenfield, of lfienheiiu, act i ed in the capacity of best man, am Mr J. Cunningham, of Melbourn 1 (uncle of the bride) as groomsman. : | After the ceremony an odjourr 1 ment was made to "Cairn Dhu, ■ the residence of the bride's parent* 1 where a big l'eception was held, till , gathering including nil the leadin , townspeople, and a number of visit ors. Garry's orchestra was present - and greatly contributed to the a i joy ment of the guests. The usu< i toasts were honoured with enthus' , asm, that "of the bride and I>rid< ' groom being proposed in highly fcl c citous terms* by Dr. Leatham. I 3 Walker, with whom the bridegrooi . had been professionally associate 1 also spoke appropriately on the o< r casion, and concluded by giving tl - I toast "The Bridesmaids." The He l i S, S. Osborne submitted that of tt - parents of the bride and bridegroon r which was also honoured with /est. . | The wedding presents were ver f numerous and handsome, and t< 1 gether with the scores of congrati , latory messages received from reli 2 tioiis and friends both in and beyon - New Zealand, bore eloquent test jnony to the popularity of the youn jcouplq, and the great esi'.cem i which they are universally held. > | The bridegroom's present to tli ' brido was a ring of half-hoop ( ' 'pearls ; to the chief bridesmaid pearl und ruby pendant ; and to U assistant bridesmaids half crescei ' 'pearl brooches. The bride's gift t " jtho bridegroom was a so'.id silvi s shaving set. • | l)r. and Mrs Bennett left by tl ' afternoon train, to the accompun |ment of a jovial "sencft-olT," on the: honeymoon trip to Napier, via Hi jwera. The bride's traveling diet I was of grey check twoed, with chiffon v«st ;-hat of grey an orange felt,, and ostx-ich feathi stole.

j WEDDING CUSTOMS. I The happy bride, as she dons her wedding vei'l on the eventful morning', can hardly he expected to bestow a thought oil the origin ami meaning of this enchanting piece of finery. She is perfectly content;, and very rightly so, to know that she is looking as charming and radiant as 'a bride should look. The veil, however, is a survival of , the Anglo-Saxon days, the custom then being for four ti'll gentlemen to hold over the bride's head during Jthe marriage service n square piece ol cloth, to hide her flushes. We are jto'd, however, that if she were a widow this part of the ceremony was 'omitted. The four tall gentlemen have been done away with, and a dainty and beautiful creation of laco has to-day taken the place of the simple piece of cloth. I That triumph of the confectioner's art, the bride caEo, has also u very ancient origin, and in its earliest form was nothing more than a small cako of wheat or barley. Half of this was oaten by the bride and half by the bridegroom, as a token of their having been .ioinod together for life, and it was at one time the custom to throw wheat 011 tho heads of the happy couple as they left the church. Th» wedding-ring itself, the symbol of everlasting love, is derived from a heathen source ; and, indeed, on this account the Puritans agitated for its abolition during the time of Cromwell. The custom of giving an engagement ring also da tes back many centuries, for in the time of the Roman Empire .{he lover always sent his betrothed a ring 11s a pledge although it appears that in those days the young lady had to be content with a ring of iron, without a stone of any kind in it. When the wedding-braakifast is over, and ihc newly-married pair start off gaily on the honeymoon, Build a chorus of congratulations and good wishes, there is ulways someone to throw an old shoe, or perhaps tie it on the, back of the carriage, as a sign of good lucklittle knowning, perhaps, that he is following one of the earliest-known customs that has been handed down to us. Tho meaning in this case has become somewhat altered in the course of time, as the shoe was originality thrown by the bride's father, arid signified that he had no longer' any authority over her. Should the shoe accidentally hit the bridegroom, it was considered to be an omen that the authority was transferred to him. The month of May is generally regarded with disfavour as a wedding month), and the prejudice, can be traced back to the superstition of the sarly Romans, by whom it was regarded as being the most unlucky season of the year. Tho following lines from a writer of these early lays means much the same as our jwn welt-known rhyme on the subject ; No tapers then shou'd burn, nor ever bride Link'd at this season long her bliss enjoy d. The wearing of orange-blossom is 1 custom borrowed from the Ha aliens, and introduced into England >y tho Crusaders. These delightfully fragrant little flowers, which are such an important feature ol" 0111 )«n weddings,, arc the Eastern sym)oJ of felicity, which, of course, it., lie very best thing they could mean o the trustful young couple who lave 'decided to fight life's battle ;ide by side for the rest of their lays'.: