hrough courtesy to his prospective bride a male
member of her family, frequently her brother. Six ushers are the usual
number, although four are quite sufficient. Some few men have been known
to dispense with the services of the best man and have only ushers, but
this is not exactly correct at a fashionable church wedding. The ushers
can be very easily omitted if the ceremony is to take place at the
house.

_The bridegroom_ presents his best man and his ushers with their ties,
their gloves, and tie pin, which is a souvenir of the occasion, as well
as their _boutonnieres_, or "buttonholes," to accept the last English
expression, to be worn at the ceremony.

The tie, gloves, and tie pin are given to the best man and the ushers at
the farewell bachelor dinner; the _boutonnieres_ are ordered at the
florist's and sent to them on the morning of the wedding. Lilies of the
valley are the favorite wedding flowers, but the floral arrangements are
regulated by the bride's family, who possibly have a certain color or
flower scheme for the church decorations, and the "buttonholes" must be
in keeping.

_The bridegroom_ generally provides hansoms or _coupes_ to drive his
ushers to the church from their respective residences. As the bride's
family provides the carriages for the _cortege_, these other vehicles
may be dismissed at the church.

_The bridegroom_ himself drives to the church in a hansom with his best
man.

If it is a house wedding these carriages need not be provided. In this
country the _bridegroom_ does not give the bridesmaids any token or
present. In England he presents them with brooches or bracelets. In New
York the bride presents her maid of honor and bridesmaids with souvenirs
in the shape of lace pins, brooches, or bracelets.

_The bridegroom_ always gives to his bride a handsome wedding present,
which is to be worn or carried on the happy day. It may be a diamond
tiara, it may be a diamond star, it may be jewels of any kind which he
can ascertain would be acceptable to her, or it may be a prayer book.
_The bridegroom_ does not provide any part of the bride's costume.

If the bride should carry flowers instead of a prayer book, this special
bouquet is the gift of the bridegroom, but the flowers for the
bridesmaids are provided by the bride.

The expenses of the wedding notices in the newspapers and the fee to the
clergyman are paid by the bridegroom through the agency of the best
man.

The wedding ring