“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 3:11–13
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
*Grammy Pics Photography
Weddings are times of rejoicing. As Christians, our rejoicing reaches beyond simply throwing a party and celebrating the couple’s happiness. We rejoice before the Lord. At a wedding, we rejoice ultimately in the mysterious work the Lord has done in bringing these two people together and establishing a new part of His kingdom work on earth. He makes everything beautiful in His time, and there is nothing better for us than to rejoice in it. We rejoice before Him because we trust His goodness, His good gifts, and the good work He is doing in us.
*Bert Coombs Photography
Rejoicing in this way is deep and full. It results in feasting and fellowship to the glory of the God who has done this good thing. This is what we want to reflect in our Christian weddings: rejoicing that is done distinctly before the Lord and for His glory.
Many Christian couples have sought to rejoice before the Lord by bringing passages, stories, and themes from Scripture into their wedding celebration. This chapter has no “to-do” lists or boxes to check. Instead, the following pages discuss a few ideas for using Scripture to define the message and style of your wedding.
Through four examples of biblical wedding themes, Chapter 15 of All Things Are Ready provides a starting point for those wishing to bring the Word of God to bear on their wedding day. While it is by no means true that you must use a passage or wedding story from the Bible in order to have a distinctly Christian wedding, a couple is certainly able to do so if they feel it would deepen the joy of their celebration and bless their guests.
Did you have a Scripture-based theme at your wedding? Share your stories and ideas with brides-to-be in the comment section below!
*Jenn Lind Photography
My fiance and I have been going through all the aspects of the ceremony to see if they reflect our relationship, and our relationship with God. I discuss one element of that here:
http://www.rainbootsandbeef.com/2013/01/on-my-passionate-opposition-to-being.html