=For Women.=--Elaborate afternoon and reception gowns are worn at church
or house weddings held in the morning or afternoon. Hats are to be worn at
the following reception or breakfast, and gloves should be laid aside only
while one is eating. For the immediate family of the bride or groom, deep
mourning should be left off for the wedding-day, and gray and lilac, or
black and purple, be worn instead.
At an evening wedding, full dress may be worn, or else very elaborate
high-throated, long-sleeved gowns, without hats, and with white gloves.
A maiden bride should dress in white, and should wear a veil, of lace,
tulle, or gauze. Whatever the material of the wedding-dress may be, its
skirt should be trained, and for a noon or afternoon ceremony the waist
should be high-necked and with long sleeves. For an evening wedding, the
bodice may be cut out in the throat, and be without sleeves. Few jewels
should be worn, and those preferably the gift of the family or the groom.
White gloves and shoes should be worn.
For a second marriage, the bride should wear a traveling dress, or, if the
wedding is elaborately celebrated in church, a handsome reception gown. In
both cases, a hat should be worn. The costume must not be purely white,
but should be light and not somber in color.
=For Men.=--Guests at a noon or afternoon wedding should wear the
conventional afternoon costume: black frock coat, gray trousers, a
four-in-hand or Ascot tie of light color, waistcoat of white pique or one
matching the coat, patent-leather shoes, gray gloves, and a silk hat. At
an evening wedding only full dress is permissible. For a morning wedding,
the same costume may be worn as in the afternoon, but it is more usual to
wear a full suit of silver-gray wool, the coat being what is known as the
English walking coat, a rather long cutaway. A black cutaway waistcoat to
match and gray trousers are always proper. Gray gloves, patent-leather
shoes, white linen and broadly folded silk or satin ties are suitable with
these latter costumes.
The groom at a noon or afternoon wedding should wear a black or dark-blue
frock coat; high, white, double-breasted pique waistcoat or one matching
the coat; gray trousers; white linen; a full-folded silk or satin tie, of
light color, with a pearl pin; gray, suede gloves, patent-leather shoes,
and a top hat. For a night wedding, full evening dress is necessary.
The best man dresses as nearly as possible like the groom.
The ushers should dress as nearly alike as possible. For day weddings,
black frock coats, gray trousers, white pique or black waistcoats,
full-folded necktie, of dark silk with a lighter pattern, and gray gloves.
Hats should not be carried during the service, but left in charge of some
one in the vestibule. For evening weddings, full dress must be worn. The
boutonnieres sent by the bride are always to be worn, as are the groom's
gifts, whether sleeve-links or scarf-pins. Gloves should be kept on while
serving in the aisles.