Often, at a big wedding, the sexton or one of his assistants guards the entrance to the gallery and admission is reserved by cards for the employees of both families, but usually the gallery is open to those who care to go up.  An usher whose “place” is in the side aisle may escort occasional personal friends of his own down the center aisle if he happens to be unoccupied at the moment of their entrance.  Those of the ushers who are the most likely to recognize the various close friends and members of each family are invariably detailed to the center aisle.  A brother of the bride, for instance, is always chosen for this aisle because he is best fitted to look out for his own relatives and to place them according to their near or distant kinship.  A second usher should be either a brother of the groom or a near relative who would be able to recognize the family and close friends of the groom.

The first six to twenty pews on both sides of the center aisle are fenced off with white ribbons into a reserved enclosure.  The parents of the bride always sit in the first pew on the left (facing the chancel); the parents of the groom always sit in the first pew on the right.  The right hand side of the church is the groom’s side always, the left is that of the bride.

[Illustration:  A CHURCH WEDDING “In the city or country the church is decorated with masses of flowers, greens and sprays of flowers at the ends of the six to twenty reserved pews.” [Page 354.]]

=SEATING THE GUESTS=

It is the duty of the ushers to show all guests to their places.  An usher offers his arm to each lady as she arrives, whether he knows her personally or not.  If the vestibule is very crowded and several ladies are together, he sometimes gives his arm to the older and asks the others to follow.  But this is not done unless the crowd is great and the time short.

If the usher thinks a guest belongs in front of the ribbons though she fails to present her card, he always asks at once “Have you a pew number?” If she has, he then shows her to her place.  If she has none, he asks whether she prefers to sit on the bride’s side or the groom’s and gives her the best seat vacant in the unreserved part of the church.  He generally makes a few polite remarks as he takes her up the aisle.  Such as: 

“I am so sorry you came late, all the good seats are taken further up.”  Or “Isn’t it lucky they have such a beautiful day?” or “Too bad it is raining.”  Or, perhaps the lady is first in making a similar remark or two to him.

Whatever conversation there is, is carried on in a low voice, not, however, whispered or solemn.  The deportment of the ushers should be natural but at the same time dignified and quiet in consideration of the fact that they are in church.  They must not trot up and down the aisles in a bustling manner; yet they must be fairly agile, as the vestibule is packed with guests who have all to be seated as expeditiously as possible.