Church Weddings were comparatively grand affairs in most Churches even in tough Victorian times. Quakers celebrated weddings simply. Advice in the friends book of christian discipline exhorted engaged couples " Friends are advised against running into excessive, sumptuous or costly entertainments at marriage dinners; a great part of the cost would be better employed in relieving the necessities of the poor." From 1753 Quakers and Jews were the only religion other than the Church of England to be allowed to conduct weddings. A Quaker wedding was quite different from any other wedding due to the Quaker belief that every pesron should communicate directly with God and not through a preist or idol. This meant that a Quaker Service would be member driven with no leader and certianly no priest to direct the wedding and to marry the couple. Couples were required to declare their intention to marry at a normal Quaker service at the Meeting house which the women normally attends. Evidence is given of approval from Parents or Guardians either at the meeting or in writing. Two members of the congregation would then be asked to ensure that the couple are free from restrictions to marriage. At a later Quaker meeting during the service the couple will stand up and take and oath Friends I take my friend ( name) to be my wife, promising through divine assistance, to be unto her a loving and faithful husband, until it shall please the Lord by death to separate us The wife take a similarly worded vow. The couple and all of the Congregation sign a certificate and the couple are married. I understand that this simple ceremony is still performed nowadays. In Victorian times Quakers discouraged their children from marrying someone who was not also a Quaker. Not only was this to keep people within their faith but the Quakers were strongly opposed to priests and as such conducted their services as acts of faith led by members of the congregation Parents,guardians,overseers and elders are likewise exhorted to check amongst young people all desire to form connexions outside the society, which so often lead to the solemnization of marriage by a Priest, which as being a violation of our testimony against a hireling ministry, we as a people have always believed is our duty to testify against.