Did you ever go to a wedding and just observe the Bride and the Groom closely? Today, i did just that very thing. Oh, to be sure…the Bride was beautiful and full of smiles; and she looked the picture of what a Bride should look like. Youth, beauty, joy and excitement poured forth from her face as she, who is normally very shy, looked everyone in the eye and took her vows. This was her testiment to her pledge of love and commitment.
The Groom also looked young and full of love and pride in the bride of his choosing. There were awkward moments in the ceremony…such as a very loud train rumbling by the church…just as the bride was speaking her vows. Then, they did some wonderfully, unique things in their ceremony. They took communion during the ceremony which was lovely. The poor bride got a larger piece of the bread put into her mouth by her groom; which took her several minutes to chew and swallow…which caused her to be somewhat embarassed and caused some good natured laughter in the crowd.
Part of the unique ceremony took place when the bride was given in marriage by her father to her groom; at that point…the bride and groom took the elevated platform in the front of the church; and the minister then, came out into the congregation and stood with his back towards the back of the church…he faced the bride and groom; who stood facing the spectators. This viewpoint gave the advantage of watching the bride and groom as they spoke their vows, lit the candles, and smiled into each other’s eyes as they whispered affectionetly to one another. Then, the groom played the guitar while one of his groomsmen sang a tribute to their love for one another.
All in all, it was a trusting, loving, innocent step into the future as husband and wife…not knowing what the future holds for them…just knowing that they were taking the beginning step forward, together! Hopeful for a lifetime journey.