CHARTS: ATTIRE AND PROCEDURE

Wedding Attire

Bride's family establishes degree of formality of wedding—groom, groomsmen and both fathers conform to this in their attire.

The groom, best man, ushers and both fathers should all dress alike, but not necessarily the same in details. The cut of a man's jacket, the size of the pinstripes in his trousers should be individually his own. Sometimes variations in neckwear, gloves, spats or vests are decided upon for the ushers and the best man and groom.

In tropical and semitropical climates, summer attire for men may be adapted year around. Summer attire for women is the same as winter except for some differences in fabrics: therefore there is no chart for women's attire in summer.

DAYTIME (before 6:oo p.m.)—Fall—Winter—Spring

Bride

Bridal Attendants

Groom—Groomsmen Fathers

Wedding Gown— with train any length or to the floor or waltz length provided style and material are very formal—shoul­ders covered—long or short sleeves. White or pastel shades. Headdress and veil-fingertip— ¾—or full length to match gown.

Gloves optional. Shoes—shell pump material and color of gown.

Hose—champagne color.

Jewelry—seed pearls or heirloom jewelry. Bouquet or prayer book.

Cocktail or evening dresses—long or short. Covered shoulders-long or short sleeves. Material and color ac­cording to season. Headdresses to match. Shoes—shell pump or ballet slippers to match dresses. Hose—champagne colored.

Gloves—optional. Jewelry—strand of pearls and pearl ear­rings or other conservative choice. Bouquets.

Honor attendants dressed like each other—style and/or color same as brides­maids or not as preferred.

Oxford gray cutaway coat
Striped gray worsted trousers

Pleated white shirt with starched collar (turned down or wing).

Gray, small patterned ascot tie (with wing collar) or four-in-hand or bow tie (with turned down collar). Gray gloves—or buff; gloves to match waistcoat except when that is dark to match cutaway; suede preferable. Double or

single breasted waist­coat, gray or buff, or to match cutaway. Black calf straight tip shoes.

High silk hat (optional). White linen or silk handkerchief. Spats optional. White

braces, black socks, white studs. Chesterfield top coat. Boutonnieres: sprig from bride's bouquet, for the groom. Best man and both fathers—gardenias. Ushers—white car­nations.

DAYTIME (before 6:oo p.m.)—Fall—Winter—Spring

Mothers

Guests

Short dressy afternoon or full length dresses—both mothers the same length but different styles and colors—shoulders covered or a stole worn. Long—¾—or short sleeves. Any color except black, and mate­rial according to season. Gloves—essential—above elbow with short sleeves—otherwise short. Shoes—suitable to dress. Some little headdress or hat. Jewelry: elegant. Fresh flower corsage. Evening bag.

Home weddings: headdress and gloves optional.

Women:

Dressmaker suit or cocktail dress-short any color or fabric according to season—shoulders covered for church ceremony—long or short sleeves—some head covering. Gloves, bag, shoes, jewelry suitable to costume.

Home wedding: headdress and gloves optional.

Men:

Cutaways or gray stroller coats with correct accessories (rare). More usu­ally, dark business suits, white shirt, conservative tie.

DAYTIME (before 6:00 p.M.)—Fall-—Winter—Spring

Groom—Groomsmen
Bride             Bridal Attendants              —Fathers

Wedding gown: floor length—with or with­out a sweep train—or waltz length. All other same as formal.

Waltz length dresses (might be floor length if very simple in style and brides gown is long). All other same as formal.

Oxford gray stroller coat.

Gray double-breasted waistcoat.

Four-in-hand tie or bow tie.

White turned down collar shirt.

Plain toe black calf shoes.

Black socks.

Gray suede or mocha gloves—optional. Black or gray Hom-burg hat.

Gold, pearl or stone studs and links. Topcoat as for formal wedding.

Note: sometimes cutaway and acces­sories are worn for semiformal weddings.

DAYTIME (before 6:00 p.m.)—Fall—Winter—Spring

Mothers

Guests

Same as for formal except dresses should be a bit more conservative in style and full-length ones are less likely to be worn. Accessories are same as formal.

Women:

Very much the same as for a formal

wedding, bearing in mind that it is

better to be underdressed than

overdressed.

Men:

Stroller coat and accessories (rare).

Dark business suits.

DAYTIME (before 6:oo p.m.)—Fall—Winter—-Spring

Bride

Groom—Groomsmen

Bridal Attendants  —Fathers

Short wedding dress in white or pastels— or street dress or go­ing away suit. Headdress without veil or with face veil or shoulder length veil.

Gloves optional. Shoes—suitable to cos­tume.

Jewelry conservative. Bouquet or prayer book permissible. Corsage often preferred.

Type of dress or suit to tie in with that worn by bride—acces­sories suitable to costume.

Small bouquet or corsage according to which is worn by bride.

Dark blue business suit (plain, without checks or stripes). White shirt—turned down collar.

Silk tie—four-in-hand or bow, dark blue or black, may have a small white pin stripe or dot.

Dark blue or black socks.

Black straight tip shoes.

White linen handker­chief.

Dark hat—smooth finish, or black Hom-burg or gray felt. Note No.

1: all men do not have to wear the same material or cut.

Note No. a: for a dressed-up informal wedding, men some­times wear the oxford gray stroller and accessories.

DAYTIME (before 6:00 p.m.)—Fall—Winter—Spring

Mothers

Guests

Unfussy, soflined dresses in street length or dressmaker suits. Any color except black—covered up look at neckline and in sleeves. Gloves, hat and handbag (except for a home wedding) to harmonize. Shoes suitable to the costume. Jewelry conservative. Fresh flower corsages.

Women:

Any good looking smart dress is covered up or suit with suitable
accessories.

Hat and gloves essential.

Color optional.

Men:

Dark business suits.

EVENING (after 6:00 p.m.)—Fall—Winter—Spring

Bride

Bridal Attendants

Groom—Groomsmen Fathers

Same as daytime ex­cept that gown may be somewhat more décolleté—and it may tend to be more lavish.

Same as daytime ex­cept that they may be more elaborate in keeping with the bride's outfit.

Midnight blue tail­coat and trousers. White starched pique shirt—wing collar, white bow tie.

Single breasted waist­coat of white pique.

Pearl studs and links. White gloves.

White silk or linen handkerchief.

Silk hat (optional). Black socks.

Black patent leather shoes.

White silk muffler. White braces.

Black or blue over­coat.

EVENING (after 6:oo p.m.)—Fall—Winter—Spring

Mothers

Guests

Same as for formal daytime except dresses may be elaborate or more décolleté (with a stole for the cere­mony). Lengths may be long or short as long as both mothers are the same.

Women:

Should dress as for formal daytime except dressier and more elabo­rately. Lengths of skirts may be short, ankle or to the floor accord­ing to what the other guests are wearing.

Men:

Wear tailcoats with correct acces­sories if that is the custom in a particular locality. More often will a dinner jacket and accessories be correct. A dark business suit is al­ways permissible even if other guests are wearing dress clothes.

EVENING (after 6:oo p.m.)—Fall—Winter—Spring

Groom—Groomsmen

Bride              Bridal Attendants              —Fathers

Same as for semifor-light-daytime.

Same as for semifor-midnight blue mal daytime.

mal weight tuxedo, singledouble breasted.        

White dress shirt with fold collar.

            Dark blue bow tie.

            Black studs and cuff  links.

            Midnight blue Hornburg hat.

            Black socks—Black patent leather shoes.

            Cummerbund and gloves—op tional.

            Topcoat as for formal wedding.

Dark blue business suit and accessories as described for infor­mal daytime.

Dark tuxedo and ac­cessories if it is a     dressed-up informal wedding.

EVENING (after 6:oo p.m.)—Fall—Winter—Spring

Mothers

Guests

Same as for formal evening or scaled down in keeping with the bride's attire.

Women:

Cocktail or afternoon type dresses —ankle or waltz length—with suit­able accessories—not too décolleté. Hats or headdresses and gloves re­quired for the ceremony.

Men:

May wear dinner jackets. More often wear dark business suits.

Very much the same as informal daytime.

Women:

Same as informal daytime.

Men:

Dark blue business suits.

MEN'S ATTIRE—SUMMER—(Decoration Day to Labor Day).

Daytime

Evening

In Metropolitan areas-Cutaway or oxford gray morn­ing coat with natural or white linen vest and spats and gloves.

2. In Suburbs:

All white suit (linen, silk or gabardine), or white sack jacket with blue trousers. White shirt with stiff collar. Blue and white tie. Panama or straw hat. Plain white buckskin shoes (black with dark trousers). White handkerchief, gloves and spats omitted.

Boutonnieres are usually white, even on a white jacket.

3. Formal Summer Garden Wed­ding:

Bluish gray sack jacket or dark blue and white flannel slacks, or all white suits. Accessories same as No. 2 above.

1. Metropolitan Areas—for a very formal wedding—tailcoat with correct accessories just as for a formal winter evening. However, in general, summer weddings are not considered as formal as winter ones.
2. Most generally accepted in metropolitan areas or suburbs: White dinner jacket, single or double breasted, and midnight blue trousers.

Dark blue or black tie.

White dress shirt with black or blue studs (folded down collar).

Black socks.

Black calf straight tip shoes, or brushed leather dark blue shoes.

Cummerbund optional.

Milan or panama hat.

Gloves omitted.

Boutonnieres same as for formal daytime.

MEN'S ATTIRE—SUMMER—(Decoration Day to Labor Day).

Daytime

Same as for formal summer day­time.

Metropolitan areas: Dark blue business suit of pesante, Italian silk or other hot weather fabric.

Accessories as for informal win­ter daytime (except hat may be summer weight). For suburban areas: All white suit or light sack jacket with dark trousers or dark blue sack jacket with white flannel trousers.

Accessories as for formal sum­mer daytime.

Evening

White dinner jacket and accesso­ries as for formal summer evening. (Or dark dinner jacket as described under semiformal winter evening).

White dinner jacket and accesso­ries if it is a dressed-up informal wedding.

Otherwise dark blue business suit and accessories as described in in­formal winter daytime (suit and hat of summer weight).

Left side of church is the groom's side; right the bride's. Some­times the groom's father walks in the processional with him, the bride's father escorts her up the aisle and the two mothers walk to­gether. Or, the groom may be escorted by his mother and father and the bride by her father (without her mother)—in which case she walks on her father's left. (See chart on page 445.) The Reformed group usually follows the processional procedure customary to other faiths: however it is not unusual for the groom to participate in it, immediately preceding the maid-of-honor.

BM — Bridesmaids        C — Clergyman

According to space at the altar and personal preferences, positions of bridesmaids and ushers may vary—sometimes ushers and brides­maids are paired off on either side with each bridesmaid standing in front of each usher and slightly to the left or right.

Parents stand under the chupa if space permits—otherwise just out­side of it. Sometimes only the fathers are under the chupa and the mothers are outside. The positions assumed may vary with different localities.

The bride is usually on the groom's right.

Altar

Altar

RECESSIONAL, ORTHODOX JEWISH: Bride and groom lead the recessional followed by bride's parents, groom's parents, maid-of-honor and best man, bridesmaids and ushers in pairs. Flower girl may or may not be a part of this, Rabbi sometimes follows the parents.

Father of the bride may or may not stand in line according to his personal wishes. Bride should always be on groom's right. Best man, ushers, and children do not stand in the line. For a formal reception in a private home, the two mothers sometimes receive with the groom's father just inside the door of the reception room. Further back, in the center of the room stands one half the bridesmaids, the maid-of-honor, bride, groom and the other half of the bridesmaids.

PARENTS' TABLE

Bride's mother is hostess with the groom's father at her right— on opposite side, bride's father sits with the groom's mother on his right. Clergyman is on the left of the bride's mother and the clergy­man's wife on the left of the bride's father. Other guests are arranged with a lady next to each man.

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