The wedding breakfast may be served picnic fashion on a long table of boards decked with apple blossoms.  Toasts in strawberry punch are in order while an orchestra of robins and bluebirds sing in the apple trees round about—­unless the noise drives them away.  The little waiting maids should wear white aprons and white caps with an apple blossom sprig stuck in the top.

Following them came a flock of flower children, tiny girls and boys scattering flower petals from the high-handled baskets swinging in their chubby little hands.

Last of all, four abreast, came the bride and bridegroom, with the bride’s mother, who gave her away, on the right of the bride, and the best man on the left of the bridegroom.  The ribbon girls had accompanied the procession at the proper intervals holding the aisle ribbon, and the last two brought up the rear, winding up the ribbon as they came.

The reception took place immediately afterward on the lawn, and the guests were served with ice-cream and cake wherever they chanced to be by the attentive ribbon girls.

In the back yard at a long table a colored caterer superintended the service.

Altogether it was a most successful wedding and at the same time a fairly easy one to plan since there was no question of overcrowding in the house, although in case of rain it could have been managed there.

A WEDDING ON THE LAWN

A girl who lived in a small town and had a big lawn chose to be married outdoors in August.  The blossoming hydrangea hedge in front of the house was made thicker with small evergreen branches stuck down into the ground.  One corner of the yard where there was a natural alcove curving in among the shrubs, she picked out for the wedding itself.

The porch was decorated with Japanese lanterns and flowers, and beforehand the guests gathered in groups there or on the lawn.

When it was time for the ceremony, some girl friends of the bride marshalled the guests to the chosen place and then returned to the house to act as ribbon girls.  There were about a dozen of them in light summer dresses, and the first couple, holding the ends of long white ribbons, preceded the bridal groups, roping off an aisle across the lawn and among the spectators.

A chorus of young musical friends came first, singing the words and music of Lohengrin.

FALL WEDDINGS

A BLUE AND GOLD WEDDING

September and October weddings are always popular, partly perhaps because of the decorating possibilities of the autumn season.

Goldenrod and wild asters one thinks of for early fall.  At one evening home wedding where this blue and gold color scheme was used, the stalks of plumey golden rod seemed to be growing naturally along the stair rail; they were held in place at the uprights.