WEDDING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 255, 27 October 1937, Page 2

WEDDING

McWTLUIAM—LOUKIE 1. wedding of great country interest took place last evening at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Wanganui, when Beryl Myrene, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Lourie, of “Brucelands,” Fern Flats, Marton, was married to Alister Noel, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew McWilliam, of Eltham. The church was filled with friends who had gathered from all parts of the country districts surrounding Wanganui. Friends of the bride had decorated the church most beautifully, utilising golden kowhai, azalea mollis, banksia roses and golden irises for the chancel which was massed with these flowers in varying shades of gold, and arum lilies tinted to match, making a delightful colour scheme. At either side of the chancel was a huge bowl of azalea mollis and lilies tinted in blue and gold, while on the pulpit stood bowls of azaleas and lilies in shades of sunset from light to darker hues, all arranged with foliage to tone. In the body of the church were placed gold and blue tinted lilies arranged with azalea mollis and foliage, while at the end of the pews lor the guests were tied posies of flowers combining all the colours in the floral scheme which matched the different shades in the frocking of the bridal retinue. The bride is a popular member of the younger set in the Rangitikei and Wanganui districts and her parents and their family have been associated with the development of the farming district over a period of years. The Rev. A. C. McLean, M.A., performed the ceremony and Mrs. J. Emmett played the wedding music. During the signing of the register Miss Isabel Dunlop sang a solo.

The bride entered the church escorted by her lather. The bridal gown was a lovely creation of gold brocaded lame cut on classical lines and made with long sleeves, close fitting almost to the shoulder, where a short puff gave the fashionable wide shoulder line. The corsage had a V neckline at the back and also in front, where a very large flower in varying shades of gold gave a smart finish to the corsage, the waistline having a wide belt of folded brocade. Inset in the back of the skirt was a panel of blistered lame, narrow near the waistline and widening as it descended to form a graceful train. A Brussels lace veil was held to the head with a small halo of pearls and tiny orange blossoms made of pearls and forming a lace-like design. She wore a triple necklace of pearls, gold plaited sandals and completing her ensemble was an exquisite sheaf bouquet of gold toned roses, irises, fern and finest of maidenhair fern. The bride's attendants were her sister, Mrs. A. J. Alexander, of Waverley, as matron of honour, and Misses Helen Simmons, of Patea, Jean Speedy, of Waipukurau, and Kathleen Galpin, of Marton. They wore frocks of cire striped organza. All were made alike and the background of the material was white with each frock patterned in a different colour in cire stripes of graduated width. As well as being of different colour the stripes were also of varying shades from light to dark in the same colouring. The frocks were cleverly fashioned with a double panelled front with the material cut to form diagonal cross stripes. The small puff sleeves were very full, giving a wide shoulder effect, and long sashes of georgette in the shades of the deepest toned and widest stripe emphasised both the colour and the pattern. The matron of honour wore the organza with the varying cire stripes in a pretty cerise shade to pale pink; Miss Simmons’ frock had all white stripes and a sash in primrose gold; Miss Galpin chose the blue striped one and Miss Speedy

the green. Each attendant wore a crescent half-circle of natural flowers in their hair, a triple stranded pearl necklace and plainted sandals to match the sashes on their frocks. Their sheafs were most distinctive and beautiful, the choice blooms being chosen to match the different colour schemes, pink to sunset shades for the cerise striped frock, blue and gold tonings for the blue, and two tones of gold for the white frock with gold sash and a similar sheaf for the green. The colour scheme was most artistic and effective, many kinds ol flowers being used to compose the various bouquets. Mr. Ronald McWilliam, of Auckland, brother of the bridegroom, was best man, and the groomsmen were Messrs. Hamish Lourie, Norman Parsons and W. Kellick. Messrs. Dickie I and Lourie acted cis ushers.

A reception was held later at Foster’s Hotel, where the guests were received by Mr. and Mrs. J. Lourie. I Mrs. Lourie was wearing an ensemble of beige lace and tucked georgette, the frock having a small train and corsage spray in cyclamen and petunia shades which matched the trimming on her smart hat of cire straw. Her bouquet was in tones to match. Mrs. McWilliam, mother ol the bridegroom, was smartly gowned in floral georgette in black and pink tonings, black Milan straw hat trimmed to match and carried a bouquet of pink flowers. For going away the bride chose a very smart three-piece suit in two shades of olive green. A smart waistcoat effect and fingertip length cape were chic features of the suit, with which was worn a Breton halo hat to match.

Among the invited guests were:— The bridegroom's parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. McWilliam (Eltham), Mr. and Mrs. H. McWilliam, Mr. and Mrs. Quentin McWilliams (Taihape), Mr. and Mrs. F. McWilliams, Mrs. Welsh, Mrs. Guthrie, Dr. and Mrs. Crawford, Mr. and Mrs. H. Besley, Mrs. and Miss Parsons (Waitotara), Mr. and Mrs. I. D. Parsons (Waitotara), Mr. and Mrs. Dickie, Miss Dickie, Messrs. Eric and Maurice Dickie, Mr. and Mrs. McL.Dowie, Mrs. Walkinton (Waitotara), Mrs. John Walkinton, Mr. and Mrs. Sid Besley, Mr. and Mrs. D. Lance, Mr. and Mrs. W. Farquharson, Mr. and Mrs. T. H. McWilliam, Mr. and Mrs. W R.. S. Brewer (Waverley), Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Sampson, Mrs. G. H. Alexander, Mr. and Mrs. T. Alexander, Mr. and Mrs. T. Alexander, jun., Mr. and Mrs. J. Alexander, Mr. and Mrs. Birch, Mr. and Mrs. D. G. Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Snushall (Waverley), Mr. and Mrs. Thorp, Mr. and Mrs. Christensen, Miss Barnott, Miss J. Graham, Mr. W. Fullerton-Smith, Mr. and Mrs. S. Train, Mr. and Mrs. R. K. Simpson, Mr. and Mrs. I. McLcay, Mr. and Mrs. I. McDonald, Miss M. Brice (Marton), Miss F. Moffatt, Mr. W. Moffatt, Mr. J. Polson, Miss E. Collins, Miss Hunter, Mrs. Harvey, Mr. and Mrs. D. Stewart, Mrs. Milne, Mr. and Mrs. J. Howie, Mr. S. G. Speedy, Miss Simmons (Patea), Mr. and Mrs.' W. Bowen, Mr. and Mrs. T. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. R. K. Gordon, Mrs. McLeay, Miss McLeay, Mrs. Morrison, Miss Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. E. Galpin, Mrs. K. Lourie, Mrs. D. Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. Cornfoot, Mr. and Mrs. S. D. Lourie, Mr. and Mrs. A. McPherson, Mr. and Mrs. K. Honeylield, Mrs. Billinghurst, Mr. T. Billinghurst, Mr. and Mrs. J. Rogers, Mr. and Mrs. D. McLeay, Mrs. Glasgow, Mrs. Johnstone, Miss A. Graham, Miss P. Graham, Mr. P. Davidson, Mr. N. Davidson, Miss N. Davidson, Mrs. E. Lourie, Mr. I. Lourie, Mr. P. Wootbn, Miss P. Gatrell, Mr. W. Gatrell, Mr. and Mrs. Shield, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, Mi§s Simpson, Mr. G. Simpson. W.D.F.U. DOMINION PRESIDENT VISITS WANGANUI Mrs. F. J. Drake, the newly-ap-pointed Dominion president of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, will visit Wanganui to-day in connection with the work of the Division and will attend a social meeting this afternoon in the W.D.F.U. rooms. Mrs. Drake, who is the wife of a run-holder near Berwick (Otago), was born in Lawrence and has spent all her life in the country. She was the first president ol the Berwick branch of the W.D.F.U. and held the position for five years".

During her term as president the Berwick branch was the largest W.D. branch in Otago. Mrs. Drake was appointed president of the Otago provincial executive at a time when the work of the Women’s Division was little known throughout the province. At the time of her appointment, there wore only six branches in Otago, and only three of these were functioning. With characteristic energy, Mrs. Drake set to work to build up the prestige of the W.D.F.U. in Otago province, and, during the succeeding four years of her presidency, the number of branches was increased to fifty.

Mrs. Drake made a point of visiting the majority of the branches annually, no mean feat in a province 300 miles wide and split up by geographical difficulties such as mountain ranges and rivers. Under her inspiring leadership the Otago province came to the fore as one of the best organised provinces for W.D.F.U. work in the Dominion. The executive work of the W.D.F.U. was also brought to a high standard of efficiency. Otago was the first province to have a paid Women’s Division secretary, and this fact alone has considerably facilitated the work of running housekeepers and sewing women efficiently and economically. During her term of president, Otago established a very successful Women’s Division weekly market. It was the first province to embark on a Young Women's Educational Week. One of the features of Mrs. Drake’s term as president has been the splendid manner in which she has won the goodwill and active co-operation of other women’s organisations in the Otago province. As vice-president of the National Council of Women, and as a member of the executive of the Otago Women’s Club, Mrs. Drake has always had a sympathetic hearing when she put forward the point of view of the country women. Despite her busy life on the farm, Mrs. Drake has also found time to regularly attend meetings of the Otago Women’s Unemployment Committee and the Flock House Committee.