Day 154: 6/4/11 Tour Eagles Mere and Attend a Self-Uniting Wedding

Day 154: 6/4/11
New Thing: Tour Eagles Mere and Attend a Self-Uniting Wedding    
Inspiration: Morgan and Brook   
Cost: $40ish
Time: A day and a half               
Bottom Line: Congratulations, Morgan and Brook!

The bride wore a beautiful purple dress.

Reflection: What a lovely day we had! Last night (Friday), we headed up to Eagles Mere, PA in the Poconos to start celebrating the wedding of Morgan and Brook taking place the next day. The next morning, our little family headed into the town to visit the cute shops, have a bite to eat, explore a little bit, and visit the playground near the lake. It was awesome and we are definitely going to head back. There is also Episcopal Church in town with all stained glass in several different styles as well as beautiful stone work.  

Middle of Town

In the Lake

The wedding itself was held at very cool lodge overlooking a beautiful mountain-scape. Since Morgan and Brook do not subscribe to faith system, they chose to have a "self-uniting" marriage with is legal in Pennsylvania thanks to our Quaker Friends. Here is wikipedia's description of such a wedding:

A self-uniting marriage is one in which the bride and groom are married without the presence of a third-party officiant. Although non-denominational, this method of getting married is sometimes referred to as a "Quaker Marriage". Although most states do not offer self-uniting marriage as an official option, Pennsylvania has recognized such marriages for centuries (due to its Quaker origins and history of religious tolerance) and has offered licenses for these marriages for decades. These marriages only require the signatures of two witnesses in place of an officiant.

Although it did not have some of the markers of a sacramental weddings that are important to my tradition and view of the theology of marriage (such as vows), it was still beautiful in its reflection of who Brook and Morgan are as a couple. It was very touching, for example, to hear the words of love that family and friends offered to the couple. I was honored to witness such a great couple come together as one. Also, the food was great! Congratulations, guys!! We wish you all the best and happiness in the world!

This dog and I share a beautiful name and an unmistakable fashion sense.