"THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 518, 27 May 1909, Page 3

"THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR."

.-' A large and; distinguished congregation filled St. Paul's Church; Kriightsbridge, yesterday (Thursday) afternoon, writes the Lbndon^ correspondent of a Sydney'■ paper on' April 16, for tho wedding of Lord Dalmeny and Miss Dorothy Grosvenor, which united the two great; houses of Rosobery and Westminister. The bridegroom is the elder son and heir of the.Earl of : Rosobery,-whilst the brido is. tho younger daughter of Lord Henry Grbs- 1 venor, and granddaughter of the late' Duke of Westminster. The crowd which assembled in the neighbourhood of the-church was so great that all vehicular, traffic had. to be suspended, and the services of. 300 policemen were required to keep.the carriage way clear for the marriage cortege. Man.y of the spectators came from Epsom, ■ and' there ..were several parties of cricketers and sportsmen. Everyone displayed a : bunch of primroses— the Rosebery emblemMhe bridegroom, his father, Lord Rosebery, his brother, Mr. Neil Primrose, and the ushers all had primrose buttonholes,. while Lord Dalmeny's servants woro immense bunches of the little yellow flower oh their breasts.- ' . .

/The floral decorations in tho church were 'simple, but very beautiful. ■ Masses'of arum "and Annuriciatibn lilies, white narcissi, and asparagus fern formed a background ■ across the ; Rood screen, white flowers were on the altar, but the complete absehce-of palms and palm trees was • particularly noticeable. The service was fully.choral, the. nuptial rite : being performed by the Vicar of St. Paul's," and Rev.F. K. Boyd. Some of Lord Dahheny's bachelor friends awaited him,at tho,church 'gato;.to wish him happi-. ness; among t theso- Prihco.Francis-• of ■ Teck• was 'a oonsnie'rio'u"s i :'figure ) ' and 1 he'accoihpan-' ied the-bridegroom to.tho altar. Lord Rosebery was accompanied by :■ his; two daughters, Lady er'ewp.andiady'Sybil Grant, and seated near; them were Lord Rothschild; -Sir Arthur and Lady Sassoon, Mr.'Rothschild' and the Misses Primrose. - The members of , the Grosverior. family, made a much largor party on the bride's side,' although' there were some absences owing; to the mouYniiig: for the late. Lord Grosvenor; and LadyCrichton's severe/illness, which kept .several: members/of the -family in. attendance upon ■her.- "'•' : ;-.!;.;■■-.'• ../.-' ..' ,' ; -,- z v ■ .'" ■'"

All eyes; wore centred .■ on the •'• graceful young bride, who was her father, and preceded, by the .boy.cboristers,''.wearing white surplices; over their;:red Easter 'cassocks. The beautiful wedding dress was. of "soft white'.'satin,/covered , with -silver not,- drawn back /and -fastened: .on each'side of the .skirt with' a";.bunch of orange blossom;. The. tablier/-and. .bodice were of old point d'Alencon.lace, which was once the property 'of Marie Antoinette, and was' tho best in her collection. It was for -many years onb-of the most .treasured.. ; posv sessions of the late Miss Cohen,: who. gave' it to her niece, Lady Crewe, on whoso wedding dress' it appeared.■;. She.lent it to her brother's bride. Thacouragehad square yoke and elbow sleeves of silken muslin and lace. The long Courf train was of,\yhito.satin, with / the beautiful i point -d'Alencoii !ace arranged on it. in scarf fashion. A lace-edged 'net veil was worn over a filet of orango blossom and green leaver; a bouquet of'white carnations and asparagus, fern was carried. -'^It/was 'at: ouce seen that the only jewels the.brido"waswearing wero pearl earrings and the five-row J necklace of matchless pearls,, one of the gifts of the Earl of Rosebery. There wero six

bridesmaids—Miss Millicont Grosvenor, -Lady Helen Grosvenor, the Hon. Lilah AVhite, Miss Ruby Lindsay,;Miss Ashton, and Miss Muriel Bourne. They wore frocks of pale rose pink crepe do chine, the skirts opening at loft side to show a nancl of. faint pink embroidery. The; corsages .-had vests and sleeves of fine lace, embroidered.with jilvor thread.. Highl- - briinless,hats of black crinoline had a double row" of small pink roses banked, round the crown, and finished vyith 'largo black,bows. -The bridegroom's gifts were bouquets; half >f"pink and half of pale yellow roses—Lord Rosebery's r.-eing colours—tied with primrose; ribbons, at tho ends of which were jittlo posies, of. priinrores, and jewelled pendants of amethysts and re.irls suspended on a slender gold: chain. The Earl of Rouebery, ■ Lord Honry,' Grosvenor, and Lord Rothschild signed the register.