FAQs

Question

How Does a Quaker Wedding Work?

Answer

Katie and John have chosen to have a Quaker-style ceremony to honor Katie's Quaker heritage. Katie attended a rural Pennsylvania Quaker boarding school called Westtown. It was an experience that meant a great deal to her. Katie also met her Maid of Honor, Lucy, at Westtown. At school, Katie attended "Quaker Meeting" twice a week. Quaker meeting is a gathering where the whole community sits in a circle of silence together for one hour. If anyone is inspired to speak, they can stand up and do so. There is no pastor or leader facilitating the meeting. Quaker Meeting can be quite powerful— intentionally & peacefully gathering with loved ones is a beautiful thing. A Quaker wedding is very similar to a standard Quaker Meeting. All guests will be seated in a circle together. There will be no officiant. John & Katie will sit together in silence for a while; it might feel strange at first but you'll be okay. At some point, John & Katie will stand and exchange vows & rings, and sign their Quaker Wedding Certificate. After that, anyone can say a few words if they feel moved to do so. At the end of the ceremony, we'll invite you to sign our Quaker Wedding Certificate too— a sacred document with a signature line for each witness, these are treasured family heirlooms in Katie's family. You can learn a little more about Quaker weddings by watching this video: https://youtu.be/18YfqzHGTp4 (The video is long and cheesy, but it'll give you some good info).

Question

Is Quaker the same as Amish?

Answer

No. Quakers don't have any strict rules about technology or attire. Quakers are mostly all about honesty, earnestness, equality, and honoring the light in each individual person.

Question

What Should I Wear?

Answer

June in Chicago can be fabulous or not-so-fabulous, and we plan to do a lot of our celebration outdoors, so check the weather, think twice about those spike heels, and pack a sweater or jacket. We’re encouraging Smart Casual attire on Friday, and Cocktail attire for the ceremony and reception on Saturday. Please note that the ceremony will be outside on the grass, so wear a hat (maybe not quite as large as the one above!) if the sun is not your friend. If it rains we will move into the barn for the ceremony. The reception will be under a tent, so it may get chilly as the sun goes down. If it helps, Baby Tessa will be wearing pastels to the wedding and has decided that shoes are entirely optional.

Question

Will There Be Food?

Answer

Yes! There will be a wide variety of small dishes served throughout the wedding reception. There will be vegetarian and gluten-free options. Friday's Welcome Drinks doesn't include dinner, but there will be a snack or two for the famished.

Question

Will Transportation be Provided?

Answer

Yes, there will be a coach bus leaving from the hotel (3:45pm) on Saturday to bring you to the wedding. At the end of the evening (10:45 PM) another coach bus will leave the wedding reception, stopping first at the hotel and then at the After Party at the Hurley House. Finally, when it is time for everyone to go to bed (1 AM), a shuttle will bring you back to the hotel! Remember, if you choose to drive or use a ride share, you have to park in the parking lot at the nearby St. James Lutheran Church at 1380 Waukegan Road in Lake Forest, so there will be continual shuttles during the reception to and from that parking lot.

Question

What Is The Meaning of Life?

Answer

The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy. -Albert Camus

Question

Covid Safety

Answer

We've noticed a recent uptick in Covid cases, and wanted to send a friendly reminder to stay safe and healthy. By now we’re sure everyone knows the drill, but please be cautious while travelling, be wary of symptoms, and wear a mask as needed. We encourage those who have access to self tests to take a test before arriving.  Friday night at the Hurley house we plan to be in the back yard, but even if the weather is bad there’s a porch with heat lamps for those who feel more comfortable outdoors. Saturday's events are all outside and the reception is in a tent, but masks are always welcome.