BRIDESMAIDS: THEY AIL WANT TO GET MARRIED.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 22, 31 May 1890, Page 14

BRIDESMAIDS: THEY AIL WANT TO GET MARRIED.

Ix~tead of I wring only —> many graceful ornament- at the marriage reremony, a- nowaday-, the bridesmaids in olden times had various duties assigned to them. <>ne of their principal tasks was dressing the bride on her wedding morniug- At a, wedding, t«». where it wa.- arranged that the bride should be followed by a numervu- train of her la.lv friend-, it wa- the first bridesmaid's duty to play the part of a drill mistress, ■sizing them, -o that ’no pair in the procession were followed by a taller couple.' She was also provided with a sprij» of rosemary, or a Hora! t">sy pinned to the brea-t-I- .d her drew, but Lad a symbolical chaplet in her hand. In many part- of < .ernsany it is still customary for the bridesmai'i- to bring the myrtle wreath, which they had -abscribed together to purchase cm the nuptial eve. to the house • f the bride, an-i to remove it from her head at the elo-e ..f the we»iding day. After this ha- leen done, the bride is blindfolded, and the myrtle wreath being put into her hand, -he tries to pat it on "the head of one of her bridesmaid- as thev dance around her : for. in accordance with an old lelief. whosoever -he crowns is -ure to be married within a year from that date. A- may ’e imagine*!, thi- ceremony is the -ouree of no -mall excitement, each bridesmaid being naturally anviou- to follow the example of the bride, amt get married within a year.