ORANGE BLOSSOMS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIII, Issue VI, 11 August 1894, Page 139

ORANGE BLOSSOMS.

ANGUS—PATERSON. A CHARMING little ceremony took place on Wednesday at the residence of Mr and Mrs John Paterson, Curran-street Ponsonby, Auckland, when Miss Jeanie Paterson, the eldest unmarried daughter, was united in * holy matrimony ' to Mr Robert Angus, of Cooke and Sons, Wellington. The bride looked lovely in a gown of pale heliotrope silk trimmed with cream Honiton lace. Long cream suede gloves and a beautiful bouquet of snowdrops and maidenhair fern finished with streamers ot white silk ribbon, and tipped with tiny sprays of white heath, completed a charming costume. Her sisters, Misses Mary and Jessie Paterson, wore becoming bridesmaids’ dresses of cream cashmere and gold, and gold brooches, the gift of the bridegroom, also lovely bouquets of snowdrops and fern tied with cream silk ribbons. Mr ‘Horhie’ Crammond, the ever-popular with both sexes, and more particularly the fair, made an ideal best man, while Mr J. Paterson, brother of the bride, acted as groomsman. The ceremony, owing to the unavoidable absence of the Rev. Scott West, who had succumbed to influenza, was performed by the Rev. G. B. Monro, of St. Luke's Church, Remuera. At its conclusion the numerous friends and relatives assembled were entertained at a recherche repast, and toasting and merriment were indulged in for the remainder of the afternoon, during which the happy young couple departed amidst showers of rice and good wishes to spend their honeymoon at Rotorua. The bride's travelling costume was a handsome myrtle green shot with crimson, cape to match, bordered with beaver fur, and dainty toque of green shot with crimson and beaver. The wedding presents were both numerous and costly, showing in what high esteem the young couple are held by their large circle of friends. Mr and Mrs Angus leave this week for Wellington, their future home. SHALLCRASS —NICHOL. It is so customary to speak of all weddings as pretty that one vainly sighs for a fresher and more expressive adjective to describe the exceedingly smart, and really very exceptionally pretty wedding which took place at the Bluff on the 4th July. The contracting parties were Mr Charles E. Shallcrass, one of the Inspectors of the Colonial Bank, Dunedin, and Miss Elsie E. Nichol, eldest daughter of that well-known merchant, Mr Samuel Nichol, of Invercargill and the Bluff. Both bride and bridegroom being exceedingly popular in the Southern township, the wedding day saw the Bruff tn Jete. The shipping in the harbour were gay with Hags, and the town itself decorated with bright-coloured bunting. At the Colonial Bank there was a special display, for right across the street from the Bank to a telegraph post hung a festoon of * Hags of all nations,' etc.

The Presbyteiian Church, where the ceremony was conducted, is a new structure, and this was the first weddim.' held within its walls. Of the decoration it is impossible to speak in sufficiently eloquent terms without being accused of gushing So profuse were the ferns and II >wers, and so exquisite the taste with which they were arranged, that the woodwork was almost entirely hidden, and the effect preduced happy in the extreme. So few persons have real ability in this direction that church decorations are often enough a disfigurement rather than an embellishment. In these, however, a very experienced hand had evidently been at work, and the decorations were neither stiff nor draggled, as is only too usual, but graceful, and in short altogether worthy of the admiration they excited. Miss Glen, of the Bluff, was, is told us, responsible for them, and deserves the very gieatest credit.

The bridal procession was, however, the main and chief object of interest and admiration, and, to say truth, it was one worth seeing. First came the bridesmaids in their pretty costumes. The bridegroom and his groomsmen were, it is scarcely necessary to state, already assembled. Follow ing the bridesmaids came the bride leaning on her father's arm, and looking very sweet and pretty in a handsome bridal dress of rich white silk gracefully trimmed with chiffon. Needless to say, the inevitable orange blossoms and veil were worn, and besides these an exquisite coronet of pearls—a really beautiful piece of jewellery—the gift of the bridegroom.

The four bridesmaids who followed were very becomingly gowned and all alike, the dresses being a very delicate and effective combination of cream crepon and heliotrope silk, and large picture hats trimmed with watered silk and violet. They wore pretty pearl brooches, the gift of the bridegroom, who was also donor of the lovely bouquets carried. The names of the bridesmaids are—Miss Grace Tucker, Miss Ethel Kingswell, Miss Mary McLachlan, and the bride’s little sister, Miss Louie Nichol.

The bride’s page—a feature in smart weddings nowadays — was Master Lance Raymond, who looked exceedingly picturesque in an old-fashioned page costume of black velvet, lace collar and cuffs, and a large white hat with an ostrich plume. After the bride herself, this young gentleman was probably the most looked-at personage in the crowded church.

The bridegroom, Mr Chas. E. Shallcrass, was attended by Mr Henry, of the Colonial Bank, Dunedin, as best man, and by Mr J. Wales, Colonial Bank, and Mr Ernest Nichol, brother of the bride, as groomsmen.

The bride was given away by her father, Mr S. Nichol. Mrs Nichol, the bride’s mother, wore a handsome gown of richest black brocaded silk relieved with dove coloured silk brocade, and a bonnet en suite. The bridegroom’s sister, Mrs Kerr, wore black silk, and a very becoming hat to match.

Owing to a recent loss in the family, the wedding party was limited to relations, but at the gathering at the residence of the bride's parents the newly wedded pair were accorded a bright and enjoyable send-off. The huge wedding cake of four tiers was duly cut and partaken of, and an excellent wedding breakfast done ample justice to.

There was a complete absence of the formality which sometimes makes these functions dull. The speech-making was greatly enjoyed by all. ‘ The Bride and Bridegroom ' was proposed in a very felicitous speech by the Rev. Mr Gardiner. The bridegroom responded neatly and effectively, and concluded by proposing the bridesmaids in a few gallant sentences. The ladies did not respond themselves, as surely ladies should in these days of female suffrage, but ‘ put up’ Mr Henry on their behalf, and certainly they could scarcely have done better. He made an excellent speech. ‘Mr and Mrs Nichol’ was proposed by Dr. Torrance, and was responded to by Mr S. Nichol. Mr Kerr proposed ‘ The Ladies,’ and Mr Wales responded. The toasts were, needless to remark, all drunk with enthusiasm. They were, indeed, all accorded musical honours.

The bride and bridegroom left amid showers of rice and rose leaves, the bride wearing an exceedingly becoming travelling dress of fawn Amazon cloth trimmed with brown velvet and fur, and chic hat to match.

The lucky young couple were the recipients of a very large number of beautiful and costly wedding gifts.