The Quaker Ceremony

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Some of you have begun to ask us about the type of wedding ceremony we will have. We were unable to secure the commitment of the archbishop of Quito, so we have decided to marry ourselves in the style of the Quakers.

Below is a description of a Quaker ceremony we found online. (Among the ways that our wedding will be different is that we will be outside.)

The wedding itself is a meeting for worship, held
after the manner of Friends, within which the marriage
takes place. The bridal couple enter the meeting and
take their places at the front of the room. In giving
themselves to each other, they eliminate the custom of
the bride being given away by her father. No third
person pronounces them man and wife …. Neither a bridal party nor an
exchange of rings is necessary to Friends' procedure,
although both have become customary today.

In an atmosphere of quiet and reverence during the
period of worship, the couple rise. Taking each other
by the hand, they make their promises, first the groom
and then the bride, using the following or similar
words:

[these will be a surprise]

When the couple is seated again, the marriage
certificate is brought for them to sign. Then someone
who has previously been selected to do so reads the
certificate aloud. The meeting then continues in silent waiting
while those assembled share in the worship through
prayer and meditation or through spoken messages.

The person chosen to close the meeting may, if
desired, provide an opportunity for the bridal party
to withdraw. Those present are asked to sign the
certificate as witnesses to the marriage.

Many Quaker marriage certificates, handed down from
generation to generation, have proved to be valuable
historical records. Today, as well, the certificate
becomes a cherished possession in the new home,
recalling the reverent attitude of worship with which
the marriage began and the company of loving friends
who took part in it.