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Little Women Chapter 25 Summary

The First Wedding

  • On the morning of Meg's wedding day, the roses are blooming and the weather is beautiful.
  • Meg also looks like a blooming rose, but she's not wearing a fancy dress. She says that she wants to be herself at her wedding, so she makes a simple gown by hand and wears flowers in her hair.
  • Meg hugs each of her sisters one last time and then goes to tie John's cravat (like a tie, but fancier) for him.
  • The narrator pauses to describe how different the girls look after three years have passed. Jo is less clumsy, more gentle and feminine, and her hair is long again. Beth is thin and pale and even quieter than before. Amy is sixteen and extremely graceful and lovely, the prettiest of the four sisters. They're all wearing silver-gray dresses for the wedding with blue roses in their hair.
  • The whole wedding is very casual – they're putting up the decorations themselves and even the bride and bridegroom are doing chores. Aunt March is scandalized and thinks that Meg ought to hide so that nobody sees her until the wedding starts.
  • They don't even have a bridal procession – everyone gets quiet for a moment as Mr. March, who is performing the ceremony, and Meg and John take their places under an arch of greenery. The vows are simple and everyone is very emotional.
  • As soon as Meg is married, she declares that she's going to give her first kiss to her mother, and does. Then everyone is giving everyone else hugs and kisses.
  • After the ceremony, everyone has a simple meal. There's no alcohol – Laurie is confused, because he knows his grandfather sent over some bottles of wine, but Meg reminds him that her family thinks wine should only be used medicinally.
  • Laurie says that he actually agrees, because he's seen a lot of harm done by excessive drinking. Meg asks him to promise never to drink again, and he does.
  • After eating, everyone strolls around and chats. Laurie comes up with an idea to end the ceremony and arranges everyone in a folksy German wedding dance.
  • After the dance, people begin to go home. Aunt March leaves, prophesying doom and reminding John that his new wife is a treasure.
  • Sallie and Ned Moffat are surprised by how nice the wedding was, even though it wasn't stylish or fancy.
  • Mr. Laurence hints to Laurie that he should marry one of the March girls, and Laurie agrees.
  • Meg and John make the short journey to their new cottage nearby and say goodbye to her parents. Meg promises to remain close to her parents and sisters.