What is a Wedding?

With all the planning and talking that has been going over over the past several months, I thought I would take some time to reflect on the purpose and meaning behind it all. As pastor Wayne pointed out last week, a wedding is ONE DAY, while a marriage is for a lifetime. If it is just one day, why is it so important? While the question is very simple, it seems as though it is easy to lose sight of the true purpose of a wedding. So, I ask "What is a wedding?"

While a wedding means different things to different people depending on their culture and background, the overall principles seem to be the same. Simply put, a wedding is ceremony whereby two people vow to spend the rest of their lives together. Often it takes place in the presence of family and friends who lend their support to the couple and take part in the celebrations which follow. Thus, it is not just a chance to throw a party, spend a lot of money, and put on a show for others. Rather, it is a celebration of the love and partnership of two people making a commitment to each other.

In preparation for a wedding lots of work needs to be done, but even more needs to go into making sure that the foundation for marriage is being built. In my view, planning a wedding together (the future bride and groom) helps prepare the couple for marriage as they learn how to work as a team. For Dave and I, planning our wedding has meant that we are communicating what we want (or don't want) and thinking about the future together.

There is a lot of pressure out there to make it the "ideal" day, to follow the proper etiquette, and to keep everyone happy. But I ask, what is truly the most important thing?