Invitations to the church ceremony do not necessitate a wedding gift.
Those invited to the reception may send gifts if they so desire.
Cards are usually removed from gifts, but in some cases are left on.
All gifts should be acknowledged before the ceremony if possible, by the bride herself.
If the bridegroom's parents live out of town, it is customary for the parents of the bride to invite them to their home as guests of the occasion. If this is not practicable, they may engage rooms for them at a hotel, paying the bill in advance.
It is thought unlucky to postpone a wedding. Better withdraw the invitations in case of severe illness or death, and have a quiet home ceremony with few present.
A bridal procession always moves up the central aisle of the church. In case there is no center aisle, it moves up one aisle and retires down the other. The relatives of the bridegroom are seated in the body of the church on the right; those of the bride are similarly placed on the left.
The hats of the father and ushers are left with the sexton in the vestibule and handed to them as they leave.
At a church wedding a bride almost invariably wears a veil. Her attendants wear hats. The maid-of-honor may wear a short veil.
The dress of the bridal party has already been fully described in a preceding chapter.
It is the custom for the bridegroom to give a gift, almost invariably a piece of jewelry, to his bride; and a small gift of silver or jewelry to each of the ushers and to the best man. The bride generally gives some souvenir of the same character to each of her attendants.