Picture: a closeup of a round wedding cake decorated with frosting branches and sugary pink blossoms.
This was the cake at a Quaker Wedding that we attended on Saturday. Friends marry somewhat differently than other denominations. There is no preacher or other authority figure to lead the service. Rather, the wedding party and guests gather in silence, then the couple rise and speak their vows to each other. There is a suggested form for these vows that fairly similar to that of other denominations. However, from what I understand, the couple is welcome to modify these words to suit their desires.
After the vows, the silence continues but it is punctuated by those in the congregation who feel moved by the Spirit to speak. Yesterday some Friends gave marriage advice, some expressed their love for the bride & groom, and one Friend sang the refrain from “You Light Up My Life.” When the Meeting ended, the couple signed their marriage certificate to seal their vows. Then everyone in attendance signed the certificate as the witnesses to the marriage (it’s a fairly large piece of paper–more like a poster–to accommodate everyone’s signature).
For those who are interested…attire at this event ranged from very casual to somewhat formal. Some women wore sundresses and some men wore slacks with dress shirts, though the bulk of the group was dressed more casually. The bride wore a simple ivory-colored lacy sleeveless dress and a long strand of pearls. The groom wore a suit.
Photo by CatGirl