312 THE HOME, FARM AND BUSINESS CY( '!.< MM-DIA. 



and unmarried they must be, handsome they should be, good-humoured 

 they cannot fail to be, well-dressed they will of course take good care to 

 be. Let the bridegroom diligently con over his circle of friends, and select 

 the comeliest and the pleasantest fellows for his own train. The principal 

 bridegroomsman, styled his " best man," has, for the day, the special charge 

 of the bridegroom ; and the last warning we would give him is, to take 

 care that, when the bridegroom puts on his wedding waistcoat, he does 

 not omit to put the wedding ring into the corner of the left-hand pocket. 

 The dress of a groomsman should be light and elegant ; a dress-coat, for- 

 merly considered indispensable, is no longer adopted. 



Etiquette of a Wedding, 



The parties being assembled on the wedding morning in the drawing- 

 room of the residence of the bride's father (unless, as sometimes happens, 

 the breakfast is spread in that room), the happy cortege should proceed to 

 the church in the following order : 



In the first carriage, the bride's mother and the parents of the bride- 

 groom. 



In the second and third carriages, bridesmaids. 



Other carriages with the bride's friends. 



In the last carriage, the bride and her father. 



Costume of the Bride, 

 A bride's costume should be white, or some hue as close as possible to it, 



Costume of the Bridegroom, 



Formerly it was not considered to be in good taste for a gentleman to 

 be married in a black coat. More latitude is now allowed in the costume 

 of the bridegroom, the style now adopted being what is termed morning 

 dress: a frock coat, light trowsers, white waistcoat, ornamental tic, and white 

 or gray gloves. 



The Marriage Ceremony, 



The bridegroom stands at the right hand of the bride. The father stands- 

 just behind her, so as to be in readiness to give her hand at the proper mo- 

 ment to the bridegroom. The principal bridesmaid stands on the left of the 

 bride, ready to take off the bride's glove, which she keeps as a perquisite and 

 prize of her office. 



