here there is but one bridemaid, if she be escorted at all, which is
not always done, it should be by some friend, not the "best man,"
whose duties in attendance on the groom are all-sufficient.

Bridemaids should not refuse the proffered honor, if possible for them
to accept. If, after acceptance, unforeseen circumstances should occur
to prevent participation in the festivities, no time should be lost in
sending a regret and full explanation, so that her place may be
supplied in time to prevent disarrangement of the entire plan.

A Church Wedding.

A church wedding is more picturesque and solemn than any other form of
celebrating the marriage rite and the etiquette of all full-dress
affairs of this nature is essentially the same.

The groom drives first to the church, accompanied by his "best man"
and enters either vestry or church parlor. The relatives, the mother
of the bride and the bridemaids now drive to the church in carriages,
closely followed by the carriage of the bride and her father.

By this time it is supposed that the carpet and awning, if it is a
city church, are in place, the invited guests assembled, and the
bridal procession immediately forms, entering the church and passing
up the aisle to the strains of the wedding march. In England a lovely
innovation is made on this threadbare custom by having a chorus of
boy-voices sing an epithalamium, or wedding ode, during their
progress. This custom has found its way here in some ritualistic
churches where the vested choir march, two and two, at the head of the
bridal procession, singing as they march. Sometimes as high as forty,
and even seventy, in number swell the _cortege_.

The order of progression is as follows: first the ushers, (unless
there are choristers to take the lead) who march up the aisle by
twos, keeping step with the music, then, if there are child-bridemaids,
they follow in the same order. Some brides have two, some four or six
of these dainty dots of maids. The children are followed by the grown
bridemaids, also two by two. Sometimes children alone fill the place,
there being no grown maids. The maids, both children and grown folk,
are arranged according to their height and the harmony of color in
their gowns.

[Illustration: THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY.]

After them comes the bride leaning on the right arm of her father. It
sometimes happens that she walks up the aisle alone, and again that
she is accompanied by some male relative wh