Irina appeared arm in arm with emperor. The sovereign brought her to me, and as soon as he went to his place, the ceremony began. The priest spread out a pink silk carpet, on which, according to custom, the bride and groom must pass. According to the superstition, who of the young will step on the carpet first, that person will be the first in the family. Irina hoped that she would be faster than me, but she got tangled in the train, and I was ahead of her. After the wedding, we headed the procession to the reception hall, where we stood next to the imperial family to receive congratulations, as usual. The queue of congratulators lasted more than two hours. Irina could barely stand. Then, we went to the Moyka, where my parents were already waiting. They met us on the stairs, according to custom, with bread and salt. Then, the servants came with congratulations. And again, everything is the same as in Anichkov.