ymbol of eternity, of which the clergyman is one, thus
symbolizing the sanction of the church.

After the ceremony the clergyman congratulates the newly wedded
couple, and the bride takes the right arm of her husband, walking thus
down the aisle, the bridal party following in reverse order, the
ushers therefore last. Even at a stately church ceremonial it has been
known for the bride to stop and kiss her mother before passing down
the aisle.

The duties of the maid of honor during the service are to take from
the bride her glove and bouquet as the clergyman asks the bride and
bridegroom to join hands. Then it is her care to remove the veil from
before the face of the bride when the ceremony is over, and to turn
the train of her gown that it may fall rightly as she passes up the
aisle.

Occasionally when there are two main aisles to the church, the bridal
procession enters on the one amid the friends of the bride, and
returns on that amid the friends of the groom, to signify that the
bride has now become one of them.

The best man follows the clergyman to the vestry, hands him the fee,
if the groom had not before done so, and passes down the side aisle to
signal for the bridal carriage, and to give the bridegroom his hat and
coat. He then goes to the bride's house, where he assists the ushers
in introducing the guests to the pair.

The organist starts up a very joyous march at the conclusion of the
ceremony, and continues playing while the guests are dispersing.

Following the bridal procession the families and intimate friends of
the couple pass out before the audience, as the ribbon barriers which
reserve the aisle are not taken down until all have passed out. If the
reception is at the home, this gives the bridal party time to enter
the carriages; if the reception is in the church parlors, it gives
time for them to take their places in the receiving line.

At the bride's home there is now time, before the guests arrive, for
all of the bridal party to congratulate and felicitate the bride and
bridegroom, and also to sign after them the register of the marriage,
which is in the care of the best man. This is usually in the form of a
book bound in white, with the initials of the bride and bridegroom
embossed upon it, and opportunity is usually given for the wedding
guests to add their signatures also.

The bride's mother, who is the real hostess of the occasion, stands
near the entrance of the room in which the