2.  A wedding present—­jewels if he is able, always something for her personal adornment.

3.  His bachelor dinner.

4.  The marriage license.

5.  A personal gift to his best man and each of his ushers.

6.  To each of the above he gives their wedding ties, gloves and boutonnieres.

7.  The bouquet carried by the bride.  In many cities it is said to be the custom for the bride to send boutonnieres to the ushers and for the groom to order the bouquets of the bridesmaids.  In New York’s smart world, the bridesmaids’ bouquets are looked upon as part of the decorative arrangement, all of which is in the province of the bride’s parents.

8.  The wedding ring.

9.  The clergyman’s fee.

10.  From the moment the bride and groom start off on their wedding trip, all the expenditure becomes his.

=WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES=

   1 year, paper
   5 years, wood
  10 years, tin
  15 years, crystal
  20 years, china
  25 years, silver
  50 years, gold
  75 years, diamond

Wedding anniversaries are celebrated in any number of ways.  The “party” may be one of two alone or it may be a dance.  Most often it is a dinner, and occasionally, an afternoon tea.

In Germany a silver wedding is a very important event and a great celebration is made of it, but in America it is not very good form to ask any but intimate friends and family to an anniversary party—­especially as those bidden are supposed to send presents.  These need not, however, be of value; in fact the paper, wooden and tin wedding presents are seldom anything but jokes.  Crystal is the earliest that is likely to be taken seriously by the gift-bearers.  Silver is always serious, and the golden wedding a quite sacred event.

Most usually this last occasion is celebrated by a large family dinner to which all the children and grandchildren are bidden.  Or the married couple perhaps choose an afternoon at home and receive their friends and neighbors, who are, of course, supposed to brings presents made of gold.

CHAPTER XXIII

CHRISTENINGS

A child can, of course, be christened without making a festivity of it at all—­just as two people can be married with none but the clergyman and two witnesses—­but nearly every mother takes this occasion to see her friends and show her baby to them.

Invitations to a christening are never formal, because none but the family and a very few intimate friends are supposed to be asked.  In this day invitations are nearly all sent over the telephone, except to those who are at a distance, or else friends are asked verbally when seen; but it is both correct and polite to write notes.  Such as: 

    Dear Mrs. Kindhart: 

    The baby is to be christened here at home, next Sunday at half
    past four, and we hope you and Mr. Kindhart—­and the children if
    they care to—­will come.