S. John's, Beckenham,
on Wednesday, April 17th, at 2 p.m.,
and afterwards at the Grange.
R.S.V.P.
Any friend who has sent a present before the invitations are out must be invited. The general feeling seems to be that {[76]} an invitation to a wedding involves a present, and that is rather a tax. It also takes away from that purely voluntary spirit which is the beauty of a gift. In some cases friends are only asked to the church, the reception at home being confined to members of the two families.
A bridesmaid who lives at a distance must be asked to stay at the bride's home for a few days before the wedding.
The death of a near relation would necessitate the postponement of the wedding, and this would cancel all invitations. In cases of loss more remote from the young couple, the wedding takes place soon after the first date, "but quietly, owing to family bereavement." A notice to this effect is often put in the papers when a marriage has been publicly announced, but in a more private affair, notes would be sent to those who had been invited.
{[77]}
CHAPTER XIII
Wedding Presents--Choosing and Furnishing the House--What the Bridegroom Supplies--The Bride's Share in the Matter.