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Mary Taylor Stone taught with Martha Schofield at the Schofield School in Aiken, South Carolina, from 1868 to 1869. She has just married Major William Stone, and they have been travelling. She is still unsure where Major Stone will take a job and where they will settle. She describes their activities in Minneapolis and expresses how much she adores her new husband.

Mary Taylor Stone taught with Martha Schofield at the Schofield School in Aiken, South Carolina, from 1868 to 1869. She has just married Major William Stone and they are travelling. She describes their future travel plans, which includes plans to spend Christmas in Charleston, and they hope that Schofield will come join them there. They still do not know where they are going to settle but are leaning towards Philadelphia or South Carolina. She encloses a letter to her from Margaret Wynne congratulating her on her marriage and sharing news about some teachers in South Carolina.

Wendy and Scott, pinned with dollars after their money dance, now join their dancing guests, while one unmarried sister on a bucket is coaxed to give up her broom and to dance with a live partner., Katrina Thomas's notes: Predominantly Roman Catholic, Cajuns are descended from French colonists expelled in the 18th century, primarily from Acadia (Nova Scotia). Most of them live in southern Louisiana, dwelling in the bayous and still speaking a French dialect. They are noted for their spicy cuisine and zydeco music, and maintain some unusual customs at their wedding receptions.

A form of congratulation is feeding the bride and groom during the reception. Guests constantly feed Helen and Girma "enjera watt, spicy meat wrapped in a soft pancake, which is always eaten in the hand and fed with the right hand., Katrina Thomas's notes: There are dozens of ethnic groups in Ethiopia, speaking over 80 languages, but historically its population has been considered Orthodox Christian. I photographed Coptic wedding traditions which, I'm told, have endured since 326 B.C. The couples wear crowns and robes, usually provided by the church. The language of the liturgy is classical Ethiopic, known as Ge'ez, and that of the service is Amharic, the modern language of Ethiopia. Their celebrations include the newlyweds and guests feeding one another the national dish, enjera watt, spicy meat wrapped in a moist pancake. During the feast, guests honor the newlyweds by dancing in front of them, clapping their hands while moving their shoulders with joyous energy.

Rather than banging on glasses, bridal attendants, toast the newlyweds in song and provoke them to kiss by singing traditional words, Negerai, negerai pabuciavai meaning "Not good, not good, you did not kiss well, which encourages the couple to kiss again., Katrina Thomas's notes: Perhaps one million Lithuanians now live in the U.S., the greatest number in Chicago, and have been emigrating since the 19th century. Most are Roman Catholic; some are Lutheran. The first wedding I photograph keeps the most traditions, the bride wearing national dress which was woven, embroidered, and sewn especially for her. The newlyweds enter the feast under traditional handwork, a bridge of embroidered sashes, held by their attendants. For them, special dances are performed, and there are customs welcoming the bride to housewifely duties. They share a spikey wedding cake, baked over a fire. Recalling the past in the old country, the bride may carry a symbolic flame from the hearth of her childhood home, which after her marriage she might never ever visit, to the conjugal home where she will live as a wife. The newlyweds leave their celebration through gates formed by the wedding guests, exchanging kisses as they pass.

After the nuptial rite, the bridal party goes to a park for a picnic. They ride in white limousines and bring spicy food, enjera watt, in cowhide-covered baskets. They feed the rolled-up pancakes to Tewabetch and Abinet who, in turn, feed their friends., Katrina Thomas's notes: There are dozens of ethnic groups in Ethiopia, speaking over 80 languages, but historically its population has been considered Orthodox Christian. I photographed Coptic wedding traditions which, I'm told, have endured since 326 B.C. The couples wear crowns and robes, usually provided by the church. The language of the liturgy is classical Ethiopic, known as Ge'ez, and that of the service is Amharic, the modern language of Ethiopia. Their celebrations include the newlyweds and guests feeding one another the national dish, spicy meat wrapped in a moist pancake. During the feast, guests honor the newlyweds by dancing in front of them, clapping their hands while moving their shoulders with joyous energy.

The only western element of Kalwant and Rajbinder's wedding is a tiered wedding cake with white icing. Before cutting into it, they follow the American custom of lifting off the top layer to save for eating later., Katrina Thomas's notes: Sikh culture is based on a distinctive religion, founded more than 500 years ago by a mystic in the Punjab, a region of the northwest Indian subcontinent. It is a monotheistic creed which bridges the gap between Hinduism and Islam. In the 19th century many Sikhs emigrated, specifically to California, looking for work in lumbering and railroad construction. Their temples, known as gurdwaras, are centers of religious, communal, and political activities. Many couples are matched. They have faith in the wisdom of their families, who match them, and tend to stay together because of the parental support they receive in times of marital trouble. I photograph first in Richmond Hill, Queens, NY, where many Sikhs reside, and later in Yuba City, CA, where there are three gurdwaras. The course of a wedding includes the arrival of the barat/the groom's party, the milni/the greeting of the two families, the anand karaj/the nuptial rite which is followed by lunch and dancing in the bride's home or rented hall, and the doli, being the sad departure of the bride, leaving her family for her husband's home.

After the ceremony, Yong Soo and Hyun Joo, sitting in front of the Buddhist altar, bow to each other three times, he to her, and her to him, and then both together., Katrina Thomas's notes: Koreans emigrated to Hawaii first in 1903. Most came to the U.S. after 1965. Although Korean society is built on a complex of Confucian and Buddhist precepts, those here are largely Christian, but respect Confucian rules, which emphasize fealty to family and the authority of an elder or one of higher rank. Weddings are marked by much ceremonial bowing. A unique ceremony at the end, known as p'yebaek, officially accepts the bride into the bridegroom's family. Whereas formerly it was accomplished after the arrival of the newlyweds at the home of the bridegroom's parents, their conjugal home, today it is performed at the reception.