People on the committee are still people we feel a special affection for. With us being of different races, this was extra special. It wasn't just rubber-stamping. That thorough exploration, though sometimes misconstrued by those unfamiliar with it as intrusion, is usually deeply appreciated by the couple. I also felt, through this committee and the oversight process, that we had a commitment from, and the support of the Meeting as a whole.
Marriage is a life changing event.
Clearly the meeting community is strengthened when there is such solid commitment all around. The wedding itself is a meeting for worship in which a marriage takes place. In an atmosphere of quiet and reverence the promises of the bride and bridegroom are made to each other without the help of a third person. When they are again seated, the marriage certificate is brought for signature to the bridegroom and to the bride, who in signing it customarily adopts the surname of her husband. At the close of the meeting, those who have been present are asked to sign the certificate as witnesses.