The ushers should be at the church at least a half-hour before the
guests begin to arrive. They wear small buttonhole bouquets of flowers
like those used in the decorations of the church, which are sent them
there by the florist.

In seating the guests they should take great care to seat in the
reserved space only those whose names are on the list given them as
belonging there. Therefore, they ask the name of each guest whom they
do not know before assigning him his seat. Sometimes, however, each of
these special guests is provided with a card which he gives to the
usher.

When a gentleman and lady enter the church together, the usher offers
his right arm to the lady, and the gentleman follows them as they
proceed down the aisle. When several ladies arrive together, the usher
offers his arm to the eldest, and requests the others to follow as he
conducts her to her seat.

Each usher asks of each guest whether he is friend of the bride or
bridegroom, and seats him accordingly, upon the left of the church if
a friend of the bride, upon the right if a friend of the groom. In
case the bridegroom is from the distance, and therefore there are few
of his friends present, this custom is not followed.

Immediately before the bridal party appears, the mother of the bride
is escorted by the head usher to a seat in the front pew. Any sisters
or brothers of the bride who may not be in the bridal procession enter
with their mother.

Meanwhile the bridal party has been gathering, the bridesmaids going
to the home of the bride and there receiving from her their bouquets,
which are the gift of the bridegroom. Thence they take carriages to
the church, where they all arrive at the hour set for the ceremony.
When the first carriage arrives, containing two of the
bridesmaids,--as the carriage of the bride and her father is the
last,--the head usher closes the inner vestibule door, and the other
ushers see that all entrance at side doors is barred. When the bride
arrives the outer street doors are closed, and the procession forms.
Two of the ushers have already carried the broad white ribbon down the
sides of the main aisle, thus shutting in the pews, and have taken
down the ribbon barrier across it.

The bridegroom and his best man have come in a carriage by themselves
and entered the church by the vestry door. They and the clergyman
await the notice of the bride's arrival.

The organist, who has been playing appropriate selecti