November 9, 1900

Nuptial Vows Spoken

St. Mark's Lutheran church was, Thursday evening of last week, the scene of one of the most brilliant and beautiful, as well as one of the most impressive, ceremonies ever witnessed in Luray. The bride was Miss Mary Ela Zerkel, only daughter of Mr. Lemuel Zerkel (the widely known and popular manager of the Luray Cavern) and wife, and the bride-groom Mr. Charles Wesley Keyes. The artistic interior was elaborately decorated in palms, ferns and chrysanthemums, the latter being used in generous profusion about the pulpit and chancel, and also to mark the pews reserved for the members of the family---much of the decoration being done by Mr. Edwards, florist, of Atlantic City, N. J.

Leading the way for the bridal party, which entered promptly at 8 o'clock, were six young ladies gowned in white and carrying white chrysanthemum, who chanted the bridal chorus from "Ermine." Then came the bride's maids, also gowned in white, carrying bride's maid roses, followed by the maid of honor, in rose colored silk. The bride, who was escorted by her father, wore a trained gown of white organdie with garniture of white satin ribbon applique, with yoke and sleeves of point de Paris lace and fichu of Liberty silk---the creation and labor of love of a friend, Mrs. Ashworth, a prominent modiste, of Atlanta, Ga. The bride also wore a tulle veil fastened with a pendant---an heirloom which has been in her mother's family for four generations, and has never been worn by any one except a bride, Miss Zerkel, being the sixteeth one. It is a talisman and the brightness of the gems are said to bring happiness to each one of the brides who wears it.

The bride carried a large shower bouquet of white roses, lilies of the valley, and maiden hair ferns. the bridegroom, handsomely attired in black, with his best man and two ushers, who entered by the right aisle, met the bride at the altar, where Mr. Zerkel consigned his daughter to the bridegroom's keeping. the impressive marriage service was read by the pastor Rev. D. P. Cricke nberger, from a very handsome set of prayer books, which he afterwards presented to the bride---the ring being used. During the first part of the ceremony, the six young ladies who were stationed behind a bank of flowers to the rear of the pulpit, continued singing softly the bridal chorus after which the organist Miss Carrie V. Flinn played the "Nocturne" from "Midsummer Night's Dream." Turning from the altar the chorus girls led the way singing "Lohengrin."

The bridal party consisted of the following: Best man Mr. A. G. Bailey, Luray; maid of honor Miss Gertrude Davis, Montclaire, N. J.; ushers--Mr. Julian S. Price, of Luray, and Mr. D. B. Edwards, of Atlantic City, N. J.; bride's-maids--Misses Pearl and Nina Roller, of Luray. The six chorus girls were Miss Ella P. Ives, Montclaire, N. J.; Misses Ruth and Blanche Yager, Ruth and Gertrude Hudson, and Lillian Rhodes, of Luray.

The bride's favors to the maid of honor and bride's maids were gold stick-pins, and the groom's gold link-buttons to the best man and the ushers.

Immediately after the ceremony the bridal party was driven to the home of the bride's parents, where a large reception was held and supper served.

The bridal couple were the happy recipients of an unusually large number and many costly gifts, being remembered by over 165 individual friends from Washington and a dozen States. These tokens of friendship, lavishly bestowed, with loving congratulations, evidence an enviable popularity.

Near the home of her parents, the next day after the marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Keyes began housekeeping in a suite of cosy rooms, prettily furnished, in the Campbell flat recently erected. Mr. K. is successfully engaged in the large mercantile establishment of Mr. Vernon Ford, in Luray, whose citizen, with those of New Market, (where the bride and her parents formerly resided), and others, express wishes for realizations brighter than anticipations.