ORANGE BLOSSOMS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume X, Issue 9, 4 March 1893, Page 207

ORANGE BLOSSOMS.

WOOD-BRETT. MOST of us may profess to be free from any sort of superstition, but few will deny that they like the sun to shine on a bride, though it may not in the least affect her future happiness. At any rate the many friends of the pretty bride of February 22ud rejoiced in the fineness of the weather on her wedding-day. St. Peter’s Church, Lake Takapuna, was tastefully decorated for the occasion. A horseshoe wreath of white flowers was suspended from the centre hanging lamp ; an arch of foliage and flowers formed a sort of eanopy as the happy pair knelt at the altar rails, and tall fronds of nikau adorned the pillars. THe Rev. H. S. Davies*performed the first part of the ceremony, the Rev. C. M. Nelson, M. A., completing the service. Mr J. R. Williamson officiated at the organ, the choir rendering the two hymns and psalm con amore. The bridegroom was Mr Walcot Wood, of Kaikoura, Christchurch, and the bride Miss Amy Lietitia Brett, second daughter of Mr Henry Brett, Te Kiteroa, Lake Takapuna. She looked lovely in a very handsome dress of ivory corded silk, with broche velvet bouffant sleeves a I’Empiie ending in silk cuffs, long train with a border of velvet edged on either side by a deep ruche of silk. On the corsage was a delicate spray of orange blossoms made entirely of fine feathers, unique and valuable. A VERY becoming arrangement of orange blossoms round the coiled hair was covered with a deep tulle veil. The gown fitted to perfection. The bride carried an exquisite bouquet, and wore the bridegroom's present of a handsome pearl and gold bangle and spray pearl brooch. A second bar biooch with crescent in pearls was the gift of one of the bridegroom's brothers, whilst the dainty silver bouquet-holder was presented by the best man, Mr Peter Cunningham, junior, of Christchurch.

There were three bridesmaids, who made a charming group round the bride, the Misses Ada and Emily Marion Brett, her sisters, and her cousin, little Miss Tenie Porter. Miss Brett looked exceedingly nice in cream China silk, the train edged with a twisted fold of moss green velvet, the same trimming appearing on the bodice. Her hat was a pretty confection of cream feathers, and moss green velvet on a cream foundation. She carried a handsome bouquet of fragrant flowers in a silver holder, the gift of the best man. The two others also wore cream China silk, with wide sashes of salmon pink, picture hats trimmed with silk and feathers. The tasteful baskets of flowers, chiefly consisting of water lilies from the Lake, which these two held in their hands were much admired. Nearly all the wedding bouquets had a quantity of delicate maiden hair fern. Miss Emily and Miss Tenie wore two gold bar brooches with the initials of the donor, P.C., in pearls, one on each brooch. The bridesmaids also wore spray pearl brooches, the gift of the bridegroom. The two groomsmen were Messrs Harry Lloyd and Alfred Hallows Brett. The bride’s mother wore a very handsome dress of true reseda green corded silk, the train and edge of the skirt finished with folded bands and small frill of silk, the bodice being trimmed to match. The bonnet was distinctly becoming, of re-se la silk relieved with tips a shade lighter, a lovely bouquet completed her stylish toilette. After the ceremony the very large wedding party drove to Te Kiteroa, Mr Brett’s pretty residence at Lake Takapuna, where Mrs Brett was ‘At Home’ to a fashionable assemblage of invited guests. A charming idea was the stationing of the bride and bridegroom in the drawing-room where they received the hearty congratulations of their friends, who then passed into the spacious dining-room, to inspect the numerous and extremely handsome presents. Refreshments were provided of a varied and delicious character, from champagne and wedding-cake to tea, trifle, and fruit of all kinds. The string band on the lawn meantime discoursing sweet music. The band, indeed, was quite a feature of the entertainment. Mr Eady conducted, and the best orchestras in Auckland were represented—the number of the performers being thirteen. Arrangements from ‘The Gondoliers,’ ‘Marjorie,’ ‘Princess Ida,’ ‘Paul Jones,’ and other operas were given, the selection from * The Gondoliers ’ being specially appreciated. SHORTLY before five o’clock Mrs Walcot Wood donned her travelling dress of vieux rose, with pale blue silk stripe, trimmed with pale blue silk covered with cream lace, hat en suite, and made a dash for her carriage. The ricethrowing ordeal was terrible ; the guests lining the path, and simply deluging the conple with that hard, but timehonoured graiu. Mr and Mrs Walcot Wood are spending part of their honeymoon in the Waikato. So many pretty dresses were worn that it was difficult to notice them all or their wearers. Amongst those observed were :— Mrs Porter, who looked very well indeed in a tabac gown trimmed round the trained skirt, with white watered ribbon, this was skilfully used in the decoration of the bodice and below the puffed velvet sleeves, and cream lace epaulettes, her hat was chiefly composed of tabac and drab feathers, bouquet; Miss Moon, prei ty costume of myrtle-green silk relieved with coloured silk embroidery, bonnet to match with cardinal flowers and dark foliage; Mrs C. Williamson had a handsome dress of ardoise satin, bonnet to match relieved by salmon pink roses in the form of a wreath; Mrs 3. Flower (Kaikoura), stylish ficelle gown with brown silk vest, guipure lace yoke and epaulettes, bonnet en suite ; Mrs T. W. Leys laid aside her mourning out of compliment to the biide, and wore a very pretty pale sea-foam green dress, with vest, jacket revers, cuff’s and sash of darker ottoman silk, black lace bonnet with touches of salmon pink in flowers and narrow velvet; Mrs John Henderson, nankin coloured costume, striped yellow silk yoke veiled in black lace, fonce ribbon in the black laee bonnet; MrsC. Wood (Canterbury) was charming in a peach-coloured gown with cresson sash falling across the side of the skirt, pale strawcoloured hat with feathers; Mrs McDonald, spotted pale lilac, black and lilac bonnet; Miss Ross, (Wellington) very stylish sycamore corded dress with handsome white silk yokeand cuffs embroidered in gold thread, finished with brown velvet across the yoke ending instreamers; MrsT. Peacock worea very handsomeblacksilk with lace flounce looped up with jet, jet be.ids en cascade from the yoke, and bodice with black lace trimming, bonnet to correspond relieved by a touch of white; Mrs Cotter, stylish silver grey silk with black lace zouave trimming and flounce, very becoming black lace bonnet with tinted roses, lovely bouquet of roses, maidenhair, etc., tied with ribbon; Mrs Whitney looked charming in Tuscan silk with mousse green velvet sash crossed carelessly on one side of the skirt, the bodice relieved with the velvet, hat in two shades of green to match, sunshade of green lined with coquelicot; Miss E. Moon, cream delaine figured with blue, pretty tuscan coloured hat; Miss MacDonald was pretty in a drab dress, with silk corselet bodice, hat to match, with brown velvet strings ; her sister wore a dress made in the same sty.e, but of a grey shade, white hat; Mrs Blythe, tasteful white dress and hat; Miss Henderson, ean de nil flowered costume, fraise Reraise ribbons, drab hat with flowers ; Miss M. Henderson, delaine with vieil or t-acings, hat to match in colouring ; Mrs Graves Aickin, black silk spotted with white, and finished with narrow steel gimp, small bonnet with grey tips, beautiful bouquet tied with yellow ribbon; Mrs Page, faintly checked summer tweed with black lace revers, black bonnet with a touch of colour; Miss Carr, Indian yellow muslin, softened with white yoke; Miss Reeve, figured muslin with bands of velvet arranged en corselet, cream hat; Miss Tilly, pink, corselet belt; Miss Hoyd. lilac pink, white vest, becoming white hat: Miss Mair, cream Liberty silk, hat to harmonise, yellow bouquet; Miss Ashton, eau-de-nil with a grey tone, vandykod gold trimming, gold braid bonnet with cardinal flowers and foliage ; Mrs London, flowered eream delaine with salmon ribbons, hat en suite with flowers; Mrs Ansenne (senior), (rich ruby satin dress, black lace mantle, bonnet composed chiefly of green foliage; Mrs W. Rattray, fawn silk with navy stripe, white hat with flowers; Mrs Mitchelson, pink muslin, flowered cream hat; Miss Mitchelson. Alicante silk with a drapery of cream luce across the front of the skirt, lace yoke, cream hat; Miss Brown, spotted delaine, largo white straw hat trimmed with white silk; Mrs Donald, pretty striped dress, the stripes meeting in the gored baek, fraise relieving her bonnet; Mrs John Ansenne, picturesque pink flowered muslin, feather hat with fraise ribbon; Miss Huuchin. dark steel grey spotted dress, black hat: Miss Baulf, cream delaine flowered with brown, large cream hat with

feathers; Miss Williamson, pretty white llama with silk stripe, cream hat. and lovely bouquet ; Miss Halyday. fawn with green silk trimming, becoming cream hat ; Miss M. Gorrie, mauve flowered costume, new shade, hat en suite with feathers; Mrs James Ansenne, black dress, black hat relieved with blue cornflowers; Mrs Joseph Ansenne. dove-coloured costume, hate-, suite-. Miss Helmore (Chri-tchureh). spotted white muslin, mauve silk corselet bodice veiled with cream lace, hat to harmonise of cream and mauve; Mrs Nelson, stylish black costii'iie. Other invited guests were the following, some of whom were unable to be present Miss Cameron. Miss Binney, Mrs Fenwick. Mrs Keuderdine. Miss Boyd. Revs. C. M. Nelson and H. S. Davies; Messrs John. Janies, and Joseph Ansenne, Williamson. Hanna. Rathbone. McDonald. Reeve. Page, Cotter, Leys. Peacock. Aickin. Porter. Flower, C. Wood. J. Vigor Brown, Fenwick. Whitney, Halyday, Crombie, Coates, Mitchelson. Blythe, Kenderdine. Mair. Binney, Houchin, Aiderton. Wilson. A delightful dance pleasantly wound up the evening. HARDING ASTLEY. A quietly pretty wedding was solemnised at the Mount Albert Wesleyan Church on Saturday afternoon between Miss Margaret Astley, youngest daughterof Mr Astley, * New Windsor,’ Avondale, to Mr Alfred Ernest Harding, son of Mr John Harding, of Mount Vernon, Napier. The Rev. Joseph Berry pet formed the ceremony, the musical part of the service being undertaken by Mr George Warren. The bride, who looked extremely pretty, was given away by her father. She wore lily white cashmere, en traine, trimmed with silk niching, long veil, and wreath of orange blossom arranged on a small chignon, lovely white bouquet. The three grown-up bridesmaids were her sister, Miss H. Astley, Miss Harding, and Miss Henton. All were tastefully dressed in ivory erfipon, slightly trained, with Watteau backs, cream ribbon streamers. Each canied a bouquet, and wore a spray of white jessamine in the hair, and looked extremely well. The pretty little niece of the bride, Miss Gladys Astley, acted as fourth bridesmaid and train-bearer, daintily dtessed in Tuscan embroidered cashmere, drawn silk hat to match. The bride’s mother wore navy merveilleux, black lace mantle, lace bonnet relieved with Gloire -de • Dijon buds and ribbon of the same shade; Miss Astley looked charming in black lace, with an elegant black lace and jet bonnet trimmed with reversible bebe ribbons of salmon and lavender-blue ; Mrs Schnackenberg wore a black dress, with very handsome jetted mantie and bonnet to match ; the Misses Schnackenberg wore pretty cream gowns, one cashmere with silk vest, the other open worked material with corselet bodice ; both had becoming black picture hats with black and cream ostrich feathers, white bouquets ; Mrs Close was in a rich steel grey silk, with dark sultan silk trimmings, black lace and jet mantle, bonnet of black and gold; Mrs Wallace, black costume; Mrs J. E. Astley looked very well in white cashmere with paon blue silk trimmings, black hat relieved with salmon ; Mrs Maurice Harding, stylish ficelle barred costume and gold passementerie, silk vest, hat to match with ribbon trimming; Misses Henderson, one in ecru, hat to match, lovely pink bouquet; the other in a sea green delaine figured with acajon, ficelle hat with guipure lace and flowers, pink bouquet; Miss Brown, royal blue dress, white flowered hat The bride’s brothers (Messrs W. and Malcolm Astley) and Messrs E. Harding and J. Brown acted as groomsmen. Amongst the guests were Messrs J. Astley, J. Harding, Maurice Harding, Wallace, Close, Mansel, Walton, etc. MORRISON-SCOTT. Simple and quiet, but exceedingly pretty, was the ceremony which, on Tuesday afternoon, at the bride’s residence, in Shelly Beach Road, united Miss Scott, eldest daughter of the late Mr Andrew Scott, to Mr Morrison, of the Caves Farm, Waipu. Miss Scott was given away by her uncle, Mr W. J. Rees, and looked charming in a travelling dress of navy blue serge, with bat to match. Miss Mabel Scott, attired in a pretty grey check material, acted as bridesmaid to her sister, while the role of best man was ably fulfilled by Mr W. George. Mr R. F. Macnicol officiated. At the conclusion of the ceremony the happy couple departed amid showers of rice and good wishes to spend a short honeymoon before proceeding to their home A number of handsome and appropriate presents have been received that will gladden the bride with pleasant memories in her new life.