left him, on her left and a step or two
behind her. The clergyman stands a step or two above them, and reads the
betrothal. When he says "Who giveth this woman to be married?" the father
goes forward, still on her left, and half way between her and the
clergyman, but not in front of either, the bride turns slightly toward her
father, and gives him her right hand, the father puts her hand into that
of the clergyman and says at the same moment: "I do!" He then takes his
place next to his wife at the end of the first pew on the left.

=THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY=

A soloist or the choir then sings while the clergyman slowly ascends to
the altar, before which the marriage is performed. The bride and groom
follow slowly, the fingers of her right hand on his left arm.

The maid of honor, or else the first bridesmaid, moves out of line and
follows on the left hand side until she stands immediately below the
bride. The best man takes the same position exactly on the right behind
the groom. At the termination of the anthem, the bride hands her bouquet
to the maid of honor (or her prayer-book to the clergyman) and the bride
and groom plight their troth.

When it is time for the ring, the best man produces it from his pocket. If
in the handling from best man to groom, to clergyman, to groom again, and
finally to the bride's finger, it should slip and fall, the best man must
pick it up if he can without searching; if not, he quietly produces the
duplicate which all careful best men carry in the other waistcoat pocket,
and the ceremony proceeds. The lost ring--or the unused extra one--is
returned to the jeweler's next day. Which ring, under the circumstances,
the bride keeps, is a question as hard to answer as that of the Lady or
the Tiger. Would she prefer the substitute ring that was actually the one
she was married with? Or the one her husband bought and had marked for
her? Or would she prefer not to have a substitute ring and have the whole
wedding party on their knees searching? She alone can decide. Fortunately,
even if the clergyman is very old and his hand shaky, a substitute is
seldom necessary.

The wedding ring must not be put above the engagement ring. On her wedding
day a bride either leaves her engagement ring at home when she goes to
church or wears it on her right hand.

=AFTER THE CEREMONY=

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the minister congratulates the new
couple. The organ begins the recessional. The bri