=THE GROOM COMES FORWARD TO MEET THE BRIDE=

As the bride approaches, the groom waits at the foot of the steps (unless he comes down the steps to meet her).  The bride relinquishes her father’s arm, changes her bouquet from her right to her left, and gives her right hand to the groom.  The groom, taking her hand in his right puts it through his left arm—­just her finger tips should rest near the bend of his elbow—­and turns to face the chancel as he does so.  It does not matter whether she takes his arm or whether they stand hand in hand at the foot of the chancel in front of the clergyman.

=HER FATHER GIVES HER AWAY=

Her father has remained where she left him, on her left and a step or two behind her.  The clergyman stands a step or two above them, and reads the betrothal.  When he says “Who giveth this woman to be married?” the father goes forward, still on her left, and half way between her and the clergyman, but not in front of either, the bride turns slightly toward her father, and gives him her right hand, the father puts her hand into that of the clergyman and says at the same moment:  “I do!” He then takes his place next to his wife at the end of the first pew on the left.

=THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY=

A soloist or the choir then sings while the clergyman slowly ascends to the altar, before which the marriage is performed.  The bride and groom follow slowly, the fingers of her right hand on his left arm.

The maid of honor, or else the first bridesmaid, moves out of line and follows on the left hand side until she stands immediately below the bride.  The best man takes the same position exactly on the right behind the groom.  At the termination of the anthem, the bride hands her bouquet to the maid of honor (or her prayer-book to the clergyman) and the bride and groom plight their troth.

When it is time for the ring, the best man produces it from his pocket.  If in the handling from best man to groom, to clergyman, to groom again, and finally to the bride’s finger, it should slip and fall, the best man must pick it up if he can without searching; if not, he quietly produces the duplicate which all careful best men carry in the other waistcoat pocket, and the ceremony proceeds.  The lost ring—­or the unused extra one—­is returned to the jeweler’s next day.  Which ring, under the circumstances, the bride keeps, is a question as hard to answer as that of the Lady or the Tiger.  Would she prefer the substitute ring that was actually the one she was married with?  Or the one her husband bought and had marked for her?  Or would she prefer not to have a substitute ring and have the whole wedding party on their knees searching?  She alone can decide.  Fortunately, even if the clergyman is very old and his hand shaky, a substitute is seldom necessary.

The wedding ring must not be put above the engagement ring.  On her wedding day a bride either leaves her engagement ring at home when she goes to church or wears it on her right hand.