The first was that it was a double-ring ceremony. Two brothers were taking brides. This speaks volumes about the brides, that they would forebear with one another in the elements of the ceremony itself. They were friends, having been in the same church for years, but keeping the interests of another on even keel with your own interests at your wedding takes a truly humble, meek spirit. And they seemed truly blessed by how it all came together.
Another beautiful aspect was their courtship. Because these two couples grew up in the church together, their families knew one another well. My friend has known her groom since she was three years old. No uncertainties or surprises there. The brothers went to each girl's father and asked for his daughter's hand in marriage before they approached the girls, and then the courtship began--not a dating relationship, but a period of time to discern if each actually wanted to marry the other. They knew each other so well, that it didn't take long to decide, and so the date was set.
Each family has five or six siblings, so most of the wedding party was family. The couples wanted the biblical marriage picture of Christ and the Church reviewed for the congregation, so the brother-in-law who married them gladly did so. The bridesmaids, maid of honor, and matron of honor sang together. One of the 16-year-old bridesmaid's is a seamstress, so she made all of the attendants' gowns. The mothers of the brides even wore matching outfits. It was evident that no one sought preeminence, that they wanted all glory to go to God himself.
Unlike so many Christian brides, these brides and their attendants were dressed modestly, yet beautifully. I've come to dread even most Christian weddings because the brides tend to bare themselves and neglect any thought of modesty or the arousing of lustful temptation at what should be the most God-honoring event of their lives. I knew it would be different with this godly young woman. The wedding decor was simple--lots of white to signify the purity of the brides and grooms. Since the inside of the church was painted white, purity shimmered in the candlelight.
Each of the couples wrote their vows, and I was particularly struck by one of the statements made by my friend's groom. He promised to be her spiritual leader and "bathe her in God's Word." How beautiful! What bride wouldn't want to delightfully follow such loving, tender, strong leadership? How joyful the parents were to see their daughter taken into the care of this godly young man.
They had the following printed on their wedding program:
Thank you to all our guests for rejoicing with us as we celebrate our Lord and His blessing in our lives. More than anything, we want this day to be a picture of our hope, a reflection of the day when we will be married to the Son of God.
To our church body, we love you and are beyond thankful for your prayers, support, and love.
Many thanks to our parents for more than can be expressed here. Not only for all their hard work in preparing for this wedding, but also for their example of obedience to the Lord through the years and for pointing us to our First Love, Jesus Christ.
As we begin our new lives as one in Christ, please pray for us that He will remain our First Love, our Last Love, and everything in between. We praise the Lord for what He has done and pray that our lives will be an offering of thankful love to Him.
And what a joy it was to share in their joy! To God be the glory, great things he has done!
Picture ~ My Beloved's and my wedding hands 41 years ago
