such as an aspic of chicken, or ham mousse, or a terrine de foie gras, or other aspic.  The hot dishes may be a boned capon, vol-au-vent of sweetbread and mushrooms, creamed oysters, chicken a la King, or chicken croquettes; or there may be cold cuts, or celery salad, in tomato aspic.  Whatever the choice may be, there are two or three cold dishes and at least two hot.  Whatever there is, must be selected with a view to its being easily eaten with a fork while the plate is held in the other hand!  There are also rolls and biscuits, pate de foie gras or lettuce and tomato sandwiches, the former made usually of split “dinner” rolls with pate between, or thin sandwiches rolled like a leaf in which a moth has built a cocoon.  Ices are brought in a little later, when a number of persons have apparently finished their “first course.”  Ice cream is quite as fashionable as individual “ices.”  It is merely that caterers are less partial to it because it has to be cut.

After-dinner coffee is put on a side table, as the champagne used to be.  From now on there will probably be a bowl or pitchers of something with a lump of ice in it that can be ladled into glasses and become whatever those gifted with imagination may fancy.

Unless the wedding is very small, there is always a bride’s table, decorated exactly as that described for a sit-down breakfast, and placed usually in the library, but there is no especial table for the bride’s mother and her guests—­or for anyone else.

=THE BRIDAL PARTY EAT=

By the time the sit-down breakfast has reached its second course and the queue of arriving guests has dwindled and melted away, the bride and groom decide that it is time they too go to breakfast.  Arm in arm they lead the way to their own table followed by the ushers and bridesmaids.  The bride and groom always sit next to each other, she on his right; the maid of honor (or matron) is on his left, and the best man is on the right of the bride.  Around the rest of the table come bridesmaids and ushers alternately.  Sometimes one or two others—­sisters of the bride or groom or intimate friends, who were not included in the wedding party, are asked to the table, and when there are no bridesmaids this is always the case.

The decoration of the table, the service, the food, is exactly the same whether the other guests are seated or standing.  At dessert, the bride cuts the cake, and the bridesmaids and ushers find the luck pieces.

=DANCING AT THE WEDDING=

On leaving their table, the bridal party join the dancing which by now has begun in the drawing-room where the wedding group received.  The bride and groom dance at first together, and then each with bridesmaids or ushers or other guests.  Sometimes they linger so long that those who had intended staying for the “going away” grow weary and leave—­which is often exactly what the young couple want!  Unless they have to catch a train, they always stay