Upon setting their wedding date, every couple hopes for a happily ever after. The road to a happy marriage is far from easy, and it comes with bumps, highs and lows, and a lot of forgiveness. On the wedding day, the couple exchanges vow to signify their commitment to each other and marriage. The wedding day marks the beginning of marriage in a Christian wedding, and there are several wedding ideas they should be aware of as they plan the big day. Before anyone says the words “I DO “which are the most waited words in a wedding ceremony, there is so much that comes with it . A wedding is a beautiful ceremony that was celebrated even in the Bible and Jesus turned water into wine in the wedding of cana and this symbolized that it is more of a celebration in the unity of two people and as the word says “What God has put together, let no man put a sander “ . Before this happens there are things that each party and both parties must do and this articles looks deeply at some of the wedding ideas.
The Flowers: Flowers in a wedding symbolize the sacrament of marriage. Most flowers are usually roses or even carnations. They are mostly arranged as three flowers, the middle flower being taller while the side is shorter. The middle is often red, and the side white, or all the three can be white. The three flowers symbolize God, husband, and wife. The middle taller flower represents God, and it is placed in the middle to say that God is the center of the marriage metaphorically. The central flower is often red, red symbolizes love, and God himself is love. (1 JOHN 4:8,16). Red is the color of blood. Jesus on the cross shed blood (John 19:34), and he laid down his life as a sacrifice. In Philippians 2:7, he poured out everything he had without holding back. As Christ did, husband and wife are pledged to pour out, freely withholding nothing for each other. The side flowers are equal, indicating the husband and wife are equal. In Mark 10:8, Jesus says that the two are of one flesh and
the same substance. According to Christ, Christian marriage is grounded in service gladly given.
A timeless wedding dress: Several Bible verses address the wedding gown. They include Revelation 19:8 “It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. “Psalms 45:13″ The king’s daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is interwoven with gold.” Jeremiah 2.32 “Can a bride forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.” All these verses address the gown worn on the wedding day. In revelation, it states explicitly that the dress should be bright and clean, and that is why in most weddings, the gowns are usually white. It symbolizes the purity of the marriage as well. The white dress represents what Christ has done on the cross. It marks the work of the Holy Spirit in changing lives and hearts and making his people new according to 2 Chronicles 5:17″ therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation .”
The Holy Altar –Most people question why weddings should continuously be done in churches. The biggest reason to celebrate your wedding in a church is to celebrate the solemn sacrament. The wedding vows are usually taken from the altar where the couple promises God to stick by each other in good and bad times. It is significant as it is part of the couple’s prayers asking God for blessings in their marriage. The sacrament of Holy Matrimony needs to be central to the wedding so that God will be central to the marriage, and that is why Catholics prefer to take the union in a church. The reception can be done somewhere else. )
Catholic marriage preparation class- The groom and the future spouse should attend some of the set things to do as a couple and what doctrines to follow. Some of the courses are administered by the catechists and the priests, who explain what spouses as Christians should do. During this time, you present your best couple to the priest, and as a catholic tradition, the best couple should be an example to the couple and thus should most probably have a catholic background, but it is not a must.
Spiritual preparation for the wedding: A marriage is not a bed of roses, and it needs spiritual readiness and intervention. Walking into marriage before being spiritually prepared leaves one in the middle of turmoil when hard times come. Self introspect and investing in each party’s growth are very important. In marriage, you learn to accommodate the other person’s character and attitude, which may not necessarily be what you believe in. You have to reflect, grow and realize the best version of yourself as a person. Prayer often brings calmness and peace, and it is wise we pray for our marriages even before walking into them. Times will come when giving up is the only option we will have, but we will come out strong because of prayer. In marriage, learning to serve instead of being self-absorbed is key. In Matthew 20:25- 28, doing in marriage is explained in this scripture.
Identify a mentor couple – often, some issues arise, and we have no one total to about the experience. Having been married at a very young age, I came along with so many challenges that I did not know who to share with. I fell into some depression as the hard times were more than the happy days. I then learned the importance of sharing, and that is why I am an advocate for the identification of a couple you can share some of the issues with.
Learn the value of commitment –God did not give divorce as an opt-out when he created marriage, and on the wedding day, people tale vows that only death will put them apart. Divorce in recent years has become very common due to many factors such as infidelity, gender-based violence, and even monetary reasons. It is, therefore, essential that the couple learns the value of commitment and even how to be committed in their marriages.
Learn how to resolve conflicts – very many marriages are often faced with how to solve disputes once they come up. Some opt-out, some keep silent, some become violent, and many other things. It is, therefore, wise before getting married to agree on some of the ways to resolve the conflict between the two of you. It is essential to know to what extent can the disagreement get, to what time the arguments can go, and if it gets to very heated situations, then what can both of you do.
Learn to grow together –growth is inevitable, and having a growth pattern that both parties can point out is equally important. When one person is growing and the other is stagnant, it creates so much conflict, resulting in many things, including adultery. Avery is a typical example of a woman after marriage. They give their all to their spouses and children, if any and frequently neglect their wants. This is a situation where women leave their jobs and school and go their ambitions to try to support the aspirations of their spouses.
On the other hand, the man feels like the woman is too comfortable and needs to be challenged. This results in infidelity, and it is simply because a woman has the nature of mothering everything that comes their way. It is an excruciating and sad truth, but before marriage, I would advocate that a woman is stable career-wise or has her financial dependence to avoid always being the one to beg for attention and affection.
Frequent the sacraments –matrimony in itself is a sacrament according to t the catholic faith. There are other sacraments like a confession that the spouses should ensure they go before their wedding day. Holy communion is another sacrament and should be celebrated during the holy mass of your wedding by both parties if they have undergone catechism and have been given confirmation to receive the Holy Eucharist. Prayer forms the spiritual foundation of your marriage, and thus, you should make it a habit of praying together so that the culture can even be passed on to your children. Do rosaries and novenas together and attend the Eucharistic Adorations for those of the catholic faith.
Conclusion.
Having a wedding idea and implementing the concept is different. For the wedding to occur, it calls for commitment from both parties, and the article gives the parties ideas they should have and implement to ensure that the day is successful. After all, is said and done, the couple should pray to God to seek guidance in their journey of marriage and the preparations that are ahead of them. It’s never easy, but with prayers, then it indeed becomes achievable. Love is a beautiful thing.