Here’s a little secret: my favorite weddings are intimate, non-traditional, DIY Quaker farmhouse weddings of two people with the same name. I was SO lucky that Alex (a professional foodie) and Alex (a professional karaoke jock) had me photograph theirs! When I say this was a DIY wedding, I mean the bride was cutting flowers from the front yard when I arrived and spent the week beforehand making all the fixings for their taco bar dinner and cheese course cocktail hour. The couple’s closest friends made all the desserts, arranged the flowers, played the music, set up the decor… you get the idea. Their wedding ceremony was in the Quaker tradition – a great option for Pennsylvania couples for elopements and non-traditional weddings. One of the main features of a Quaker wedding is that you don’t need someone to “marry you”; you declare yourselves married and sign the paper yourself! I LOVE this concept (and I had a Quaker wedding myself). Quaker “meetings” are also characterized by periods of silence and meditation as well as time for attendees to speak whatever is on their mind. Alex and Alex incorporated these aspects into their ceremony, and many of their family and friends took the opportunity to speak to the couple and offer well wishes. The afternoon reception was sunny, simple, and relaxed with an acoustic folk band setting the pastoral tone. After dinner, everyone headed to the barn where instead of sharing a first dance, Alex and Alex shared a first karaoke as a married couple. Of course they did. ; )