Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) -- Description and travel; Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) -- History
The mariage ceremony was performed by her cousin, Reverend Hollyday
Johns, the second. Her trousseau came from abroad, and her bridal
robe was a marvel of rich white satin and costly lace which fell in
graceful folds around her; the low-cut dress showed to perfection
her lovely white shoulders and neck. On her fair brow and golden
hair was worn a coronet of rarest pearls, the gift of the groom. The
effect was wonderfully brilliant. As her father was not living, her
hand was given in marriage by Henry Clay.
The groom wore his court dress of velvet and lace. All the
bridesmaids, seven in number, were beautiful girls about her own
age. Their gowns were figured white satin, cut low in the neck with
short sleeves and trimmed with blond lace; their hair was simply
dressed without ornaments. The bridesmaids were: her sister Gennie
Williams, Sarah Johns, Jessie Benton, Ellen Carter, Eliza Jane
Wilson, Emily Nichols, Mary Harry, and Helen Morris, daughter of
Commodore Morris. Each bridesmaid was presented with a ring set with
her favorite stone. The groomsmen were Henry Fox, the British
Minister in scarlet court dress; Mr. Dunlop, Minister from Texas;
Mr. Martineau, Minister from the Netherlands; Mr. Buchanan, who had
been Minister to Russia, and was then Senator, and afterwards
President of the United States; Baron Saruyse, the Austrian
Minister; Martin Van Buren; Mr. Kemble Paulding, whose father was
Secretary of the Navy at that time; Mr. Forsythe, whose father was
Secretary of State. Each minister had his own carriage and
attendants dressed in livery. The house and grounds were thronged
with noted guests, strolling amid sweet-scented flowers and lemon
trees hanging with rich golden fruit.
Among the distinguished guests were President Van Buren; Daniel
Webster; all the Diplomatic Corps and a host of other notables,
including James Gordon Bennett of _The New York Herald_.
The bride was taken to her new home in Mr. Bodisco's gilded coach
with driver and footman in bright uniform, drawn by four horses. The
same afternoon, Mr. Bodisco gave a dinner to just the bridal party.
At nine o'clock the same day he gave a general reception for the
families of the attendants. The morning after the wedding the
bridesmaids took breakfast with the bride and, girl-like, as soon as
breakfast was over, went on an investigating tour. In her boudoir
they found many beautiful things, among them an old-fashioned
secretary, with numerous drawers, one was filled with ten dollar
gold pieces, another with silver dollars, another with ten-cent
pieces, another with the costliest of jewels, and still another with
French candy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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