It’s almost here!

We will be having a Quaker wedding at Howgills Meeting House in Letchworth Garden City. We're aware that many of you will never have been to a Quaker wedding before and might now know what to expect.

Quaker weddings take the form of a standard Quaker meeting for worship.  For those not in the know, Quakers usually worship in silence, with no priests or other intermediaries. Instead, anyone present who feels called to speak is welcome to stand up and share their thoughts (known as "ministry"). At a wedding, these thoughts are usually words of support or encouragement for the couple (hint, hint).

A Quaker wedding begins with a short period of silence, after which the couple stand up and say their vows, followed by the marriage certificate being read aloud and signed. There is then time for reflection (silent and spoken) before the meeting is drawn to a close and everyone (yes, we really mean everyone) is invited to sign the Quaker marriage certificate. 

After the meeting, there'll be a yummy spread (not an official requirement, but we think its pretty vital) and a chance to chat before the buses arrive to whisk you back to the party.

There's more info at https://quaker.org.uk/blog/what-to-expect-from-a-quaker-wedding 

You are welcome to attend as much or as little as you'd like. One of the reasons for planning such a lengthy set of festivities is to allow people to drop in and out as your timetables and other commitments allow. We'll be there all weekend and we'd love to see you for an hour, a day or from the very start to the bitter end. Please just let us know how long you're expecting to stay on the RSVP so we can plan food and drinks accordingly.

Once you are on site, you won't need to pay for any food, drinks or entertainment. All we’re asking from you is to have a good time with us and help us achieve the festival wedding of our dreams.

Of course, if you fancy sneaking off to the pub for a quick pint, we won’t be picking up the tab. Likewise, camping with your own tent is free but all other accommodation options do come at a price (see the Accommodation page for more details)

The nearest railway station for Radwell is Baldock (it's on the Cambridge - Kings Cross/St Pancras line). From there, its a short taxi ride to Radwell Mill. 

For those who wish to drive, Radwell is just off of the A1 (Junction 10). The campsite is at the bottom of the village (past the duckpond) and there will be parking available onsite. For more info, see the Transport page.

Only if you want to. There is plenty of space for camping, which doesn't cost a thing (just bring a tent). If you'd rather be a bit more luxurious, there's other options on site including upmarket bell tents and super deluxe camper vans - more information on pricing and booking is available on the Accommodation page of this website. There is also space if you want to bring a campervan (your own or hired from elsewhere), and as a last resort Google can probably help you find a hotel.

Plentiful luxury loos and showers will be available on site. Having tested both, we can confidently say they are fancier than those available at Glasto.

A great question, and one we keep asking ourselves...before remembering that there will be coaches (yes coaches!) laid on to transport people between the two locations.

If you are only attending the ceremony or want to go directly to the meeting house, it is a ten minute walk from Letchworth Garden City train station. There is also some (limited) parking at the meeting house.

We’re so glad you asked! We will be providing two delightful “pamper tents” furnished with everything you need to get ready on the big day. Or you could always get ready in your tent.

There is no particular dress code. It's a festival, so feel free to express your truest selves.

We understand you might want to put on your finery for the main event (we will be). There will be rails available in the pamper tents to hang clothes on, in order to ensure they stay nice and pristine. 

Definitely. We want our wedding to be easy-going and inclusive, and in our experience your kids love camping and festivals more than you do. Your children are ultimately your responsibility, of course, so if you don’t want to bring them we promise not to be offended.

We’re in the UK, it never rains on a bank holiday! If by some miracle the heavens do open, there will be plenty of covered spaces to shelter from the storm. And we heard a rumour there might be bespoke ponchos available too.

Sadly, the catering staff will need to go home at some point. However, we will be providing plenty of drinks and snacks at strategic points throughout the site in case you should be struck by the sudden need for a midnight feast.

You bet we are! And, as we all know, the pre-party is the place to be. We promise to have everyone in bed by midnight, and the great joy of a Quaker wedding is it’s a pretty quiet affair – so very kind on sore heads.

Oh no, you already got spoilered by the bride and/or groom! You might have heard there’s going to be a silent disco/karaoke tent/cinema/other AMAZING extras, but we couldn’t possibly comment. We do, however, promise there'll be fun for all the family. You’re just going to have to trust us on this one.

The thing we want most in the world is to have a big party to celebrate our wedding with everybody we love. We are of course always grateful for presents, but there is nothing we want or need except for your presence (if you saw the size of our flat, you'd understand). What we are really hoping for are memories so awesome we'll be telling our grandkids about it.

One thing we are hoping you can help with is making the wedding feel like the festivals we love. That means bringing great vibes, a relaxed can-do attitude, and contributing to the whole thing in the way that feels most comfortable to you. This might be by putting on a performance (we know some of you are exceptionally talented musicians), running a workshop (any yoga or meditation practitioners out there?), offering to run an activity (we're expecting a lot of kids, who love just about anything from painting to sleeping lions but have a fear of being BORED), providing something arty to add to the decor (think Burning Man), providing a cake to help feed the hungry masses, turning up ready to join in and make the most of everything that is available or something we haven't thought of yet that will make the whole event feel even more magical.

We have included a question on the RSVP about how you plan to add to the festival vibe. Turning up is already more than enough, but if you were inclined to donate your time and effort in some way, we'd love to know how so that we can make sure we include it in the more detailed programme for the weekend.

For more information on this, please look at the previous question ("Do you want wedding presents?") where we have tried to provide a bit more detail on what we're talking about here.

If you have any further questions, please get in touch with Constance, who knows everything there is to know about weddings in general, and this one in particular (she very nearly ended up purchasing some luxury portaloos for the cause, but that's a different story): contact@mrstweddings.com