While the bride and bridegroom are passing out of the church, the bridemaids follow slowly, each upon the arm of an usher, and they afterward hasten on as speedily as possible to welcome the bride at her own door, and to arrange themselves about the bride and groom in the reception room, half of the ladies upon her side and half upon his—­the first bridemaid retaining the place of honor.

THE USHERS’ DUTIES.

The ushers at the door of the reception room offer themselves as escorts to parties, who arrive slowly from the church, conducting them to the bridal party, and there presenting them by name.  This announcement becomes necessary when two families and two sets of friends are brought together for the first time.  If ladies are present without gentlemen, the ushers accompany them to the breakfast or refreshment room, or provide them with attendants.

At the church the ushers are the first to arrive.  They stand by the inner entrance and offer their arms to escort the ladies, as they enter, to their proper seats in the church.  If a lady be accompanied by a gentleman, the latter follows the usher and the lady to the seat shown her.  The ushers, knowing the two families, understand where to place the nearer, and where the remoter relatives and friends of the bridal party, the groom’s friends being arranged upon the right of the entrance, and the bride’s upon the left.  The distribution of guests places the father (or guardian) of the bride at the proper place during the ceremony.

ANOTHER FORM OF CHURCH CEREMONIALS.

The ceremonials for the entry to the church by the bridal party may be varied to suit the taste.  Precedents for the style already described are found among the highest social circles in New York and other large cities, but there are brides who prefer the fashion of their grandmothers, which is almost strictly an American fashion.  In this style, the bridemaids, each leaning upon the arm of a groomsman, first pass up the aisle to the altar, the ladies going to their left, and the gentlemen to their right.  The groom follows with the bride’s mother, or some one to represent her, leaning on his arm, whom he seats in a front pew at the left.  The bride follows, clinging to the arm of her father (or near relative), who leads her to the groom.  The father waits at her left and a step or two back of her, until asked to give her away, which he does by taking her right hand and placing it in that of the clergyman.  After this he joins the mother of the bride in the front pew, and becomes her escort while they pass out of the church.

In case there are no bridemaids, the ushers walk into church in pairs, just in advance of the groom, and parting at the altar, half of them stand at one side and half at the other.  While the clergyman is congratulating the bride, they pass out in pairs, a little in advance of the wedded couple.