I attended a wedding last week. While that might be a normal summer Saturday for you, it’s highly unusual for me. I don’t attend weddings; I perform them (four weddings and a funeral in the last five Saturdays).
Yet last week a friend of mine got married and I didn’t have a wedding to perform, so I attended. (Know this: if we are friends and I attend your wedding, I either assume that you owe me or we are now even.)
As I sat and watched, I realized the possibility of weddings. (See: The Wedding Predicts the Marriage)
Weddings should make us love our spouses more.
This is a forgotten benefit of a public ceremony. Not only does a wedding make the day special for the bride and groom as they make promises to God, one another, and everyone in attendance that they will live out their vows, but also a wedding can remind married couples of the vows and promises they made.
The further a couple walks from the altar of their confessed love, the more often they need to be reminded of the vows they committed to one another. Attending a wedding brings back those memories. (See: Dead Butterflies, Runaway Brides, and Arriving Late for a Wedding)
As I passed the groom in the hallway, I remembered my nervousness on my wedding day.
As I watched the slideshow displaying their young love, I was reminded of our favorite pictures and how many of those pictures have happened since our wedding day
As I saw the bride enter the church, I was reminded of how beautiful my wife was at the other end of an aisle.
As the bride was escorted, I was reminded of how much my bride’s family loves her and my vows to her affect them.
As I saw the soon-to-be husband and wife hold hands, I was reminded of how fortunate I am to have my wife.
As I listened to them repeating their vows, I was reminded of all the times we had lived those vows out.
As I watched them exchange rings, I felt my own ring and remembered how much it meant to me. (See: Every Marriage Lives Between Two Rings)
As I heard them pronounced husband and wife and saw them kiss, I remembered the passion of young love.
At each point in the ceremony, I was reminded of why I got married, how much I love my wife, and how important it is to work hard on our relationship.
Before any couple divorces, I believe they should have to relive their wedding day. It’s possible that the relationship is so shattered that reliving the moments wouldn’t change their minds. The bad feelings might simply taint how they remember their old love. However, for many people pulling out the wedding video or looking at the wedding pictures is a wonderful way to renew feelings of love. (See: The Number One Cause of Divorce)
It’s easy in the hectic living of day-to-day life to allow feelings of love to fade. Thankfully, as quickly as those feelings can fade, they can also be replenished.
A beautiful and fun wedding is a great way to be reminded of the depth of your love.
I know weddings are rarely convenient. They often fall in the middle of your one day off (trust me, as a pastor I’m very aware of this). But if given the choice, attending the wedding is always a good idea. Attend not only in body but also in mind so that you can remember the value of your love for your spouse.
For more, see:
No Wonder You Don’t Love Each Other
Five Keys to Save Your Marriage
How to Stay Married in the Tough Times
