until the “crowd thins” before going to dress for their journey.  At last the bride signals to her bridesmaids and leaves the room.  They all gather at the foot of the stairs; about half way to the upper landing as she goes up, she throws her bouquet, and they all try to catch it.  The one to whom it falls is supposed to be the next married.  If she has no bridesmaids, she sometimes collects a group of other young girls and throws her bouquet to them.

=INTO TRAVELING CLOTHES=

The bride goes up to the room that has always been hers, followed by her mother, sisters and bridesmaids, who stay with her while she changes into her traveling clothes.  A few minutes after the bride has gone up-stairs, the groom goes to the room reserved for him, and changes into the ordinary sack suit which the best man has taken there for him before the ceremony.  He does not wear his top hat nor his wedding boutonniere.  The groom’s clothes should be “apparently” new, but need not actually be so.  The bride’s clothes, on the other hand, are always brand new—­every article that she has on.

=THE GOING-AWAY DRESS=

A bride necessarily chooses her going-away dress according to the journey she is to make.  If she is starting off in an open motor, she wears a suitably small motor hat and a wrap of some sort over whatever dress (or suit) she chooses.  If she is going on a train or boat, she wears a “traveling” dress, such as she would choose under ordinary circumstances.  If she is going to a nearby hotel or a country house put at her disposal, she wears the sort of dress and hat suitable to town or country occasion.  She should not dress as though about to join a circus parade or the ornaments on a Christmas tree, unless she wants to be stared at and commented upon in a way that no one of good breeding can endure.

The average bride and groom of good taste and feeling try to be as inconspicuous as possible.  On one occasion, in order to hide the fact that they were “bride and groom,” a young couple “went away” in their oldest clothes and were very much pleased with their cleverness, until, pulling out his handkerchief, the groom scattered rice all over the floor of the parlor car.  The bride’s lament after this was—­“Why had she not worn her prettiest things?”

The groom, having changed his clothes, waits up-stairs, in the hall generally, until the bride emerges from her room in her traveling clothes.  All the ushers shake hands with them both.  His immediate family, as well as hers, have gradually collected—­any that are missing must unfailingly be sent for.  The bride’s mother gives her a last kiss, her bridesmaids hurry downstairs to have plenty of rice ready and to tell everyone below as they descend “They are coming!” A passage from the stairway and out of the front door, all the way to the motor, is left free between two rows of eager guests, their hands full of rice.  Upon the waiting motor the ushers have tied everything they can lay their hands on in the way of white ribbons and shoes and slippers.