WEDDINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 127, 31 May 1937, Page 2

WEDDINGS

SILK—PEARCE Relatives and friends from all parts of New Zealand assembled at Wellington on Friday for the wedding of Alison May, daughter of Mr and Mrs W. S. Pearce, to Bryan Martell Silk, eldest son of Mr and Mrs E. M. Silk, Wanganui. It is some time since a Wellington wedding has aroused so much interest. Both bride and bridegroom belong to well-known families, and the latter was the New Zealand amateur golf champion, Kirk-Win-deyer Cup representative, and is the present holder of the Wellington provincial title. The wedding took place at the Basilica. The interior of the church, which is mainly white, was decorated with hydrangeas, their vivid colourings repeating those in the pictures and mosaics about the altar. Blooms were tied with white tulle bows to the pew heads down the centre aisle and massed on either side of the chancel steps, while on the altar there were white hydrangeas and chrysanthemums. Mr Pearce escorted his daughter into the church, and the service was conducted by the Rev. Monsignor Connolly. While the bridal party was absent in the vestry, Mrs Anna Ginn sang from the organ loft. The bridesmaids were the Misses Joyce Nathan, Ida Hanlon, Mona Blair (Gisborne), Judy Bower Knight (Dannevirke), Letty Levien (England), and Joan Williams (Masterton). Mr Colin Armstrong was best man, and the ushers were Messrs Alistair Williams (Masterton), Trevor Silk (the bridegoom's brother from Wanganui), lan Reid, Miles Watson, and Douglas Young (Wanganui). The bride and her retinue were all dressed in silver. The bride wore a long white tulle veil, mounted on a wreath of orange blossom, with her beautiful gown, and carried a sheaf of arum lilies. The bridesmaids had sheafs of red gladioli and anemones and wreaths of anemones to complete their ensembles.

The bridal gown was made of handsome figured silver maillette. The bodice was draped and gathered down the front to form a bow-shaped neckline and soft folds up the shoulders and across the back. The sleeves were long and tight and the skirt was cut in cross folds forming a long oval train. The bridesmaids’ gowns of self-striped silver lame were cut on Similar lines, but with shorter trains and with minute bows down the centre of the bodices.

The bridal party made an attractive picture at the reception which was held in the main lounge of the Grand Hotel, where red parchmentshaded standard lamps, scarlet poinsettas, and palms grouped about the square mirror glass pillars, and hundreds of red anemones arranged in bowls and trailing along the ledges of the modern mantels, showed up against the deep cream-lacquered walls. The bridal table stood at one end of the room on a red carpeted dais between two fireplaces decorated with masses of anemones. A silver and white wedding cake was placed amid trailers of white chrysanthemums, freesias, and maidenhair fern in the centre of the table, while at either end were low bowls of the anemones.

There were nearly 400 guests and they were received by Mr and Mrs Pearce, afterwards being greeted by the bridegroom’s parents and the bride and bridegroom. Two big diamante clips, a square cne in front and a V-shaped one at the back, clasped the neckline of Mrs Pearce’s graceful black satin-backed suede crepe gown. The bodice, which was high and square in front, had a bolero effect ending in two ponverging points at the back, and the skirt was long and slim. Her black hat had a wide leghorn brim and a crown of velvet ribbon, and she carried a bouquet of pink carnations. Mrs Silk was wearing a gown of beige fiat crepe with a hip-length coat trimmed with beige fox fur cuffs. She wore a smart brown Bankok straw hat and her flowers were in autumn shades. Numerous small tables set with savouries were placed al! about the lounge, and many attendants looked after the needs of the guests. When the bride and bridegroom de-