One afternoon as I was reading, God whispered gently to me and said, “No wedding could be more beautiful than the date of our wedding.” Oh, how sweetness filled my heart in that very moment! I wrote it down and I began to think about what that day might look like. ​

I believe every girl sometime, in some way, has thought about their wedding, regardless of how old they are. In their mind, they start to design their bridal gown, plan their banquet, imagine walking down the aisle toward the alter, and standing side by side with their soon to be husband. Every song that will play, the dance that they will have…the wedding cake, the flowers, the vow. We lose track of time and wander off in our own fairy tales. Suddenly, a question pops up, “what’s next”? The wedding is over, and we may or may not have a honeymoon getaway. What’s next then? Thinking about how they discussed the names they would give to each other, such as honey or bae. Talking about their future together and all the things they want to do together. Guessing how many children God may bless them with. Maybe even some of the new family rules that will need to be kept. It is as they talk that their imagination starts to come back to reality. Recognize that marriage, two becoming one, is not simply about the wedding day. It truly means two become one flesh – one family, one purpose, one direction and one desire for the future, under one God. We may spend a year planning for the wedding, but we will spend a lifetime living in our marriage.

Do those realizations reduce the joy and the beauty of the wedding? It should not, instead we will find more joy and beauty in it. Why is this? Do you know what makes the most beautiful wedding? A commitment of love and a promise to see that it will come to be fulfilled. When the time comes for the vow - the word that we say is “I do” – it is a promise that we will fulfill. No matter what may happen, the commitment to each other will remain – to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish… The love between two people sealed from that day forward.

We may not experience the same everlasting love commitment as we receive from Christ, our bridegroom of heaven. We may not fulfill our promise that no sorrow, no tears, no sickness will enter our earthly marriage. We may face challenges and it will take time to adjust as we learn to become one. As we learn to grow closer, we may experience heartache as we face difficulties together. Yet, we find the strength in all these things, and the love will grow stronger and become rooted more deeply. Just as Paul says:

“We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up the hope of living. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, NCV)

How is this possible? The love of Christ for His bride, and the trust of the bride for her Bridegroom. It all begins from the “Yes” to accept the propose (the invitation from Christ Jesus). That is when we come to the “I Do” on the wedding day (at the Lamb’s wedding banquet). Do you see the true beauty of the wedding? It’s not about the dress, the flowers, or the dance… but the