Hey, guys... First of all, so sorry for the title. I couldn't resist. Second, there has been something on my mind lately. My mom is a photographer and I am usually her second shooter. Now that I'm at college it is harder to make that happen, but you get the picture (no pun intended haha :P). Needless to say, I have been to an unnatural amount of weddings. Like, for real. I pretty much already have most of my wedding planned mainly because I have seen so many good (and not so good lol) things to do for your wedding! I've learned a lot more than just good ideas for decorations and party gifts though. I've seen brides and grooms have the most wonderful day together with each other and I have also witnessed the stress and everything else that goes along with a wedding get to the couple and ruin their day. As I look back on all the different types of weddings I've been to, I can see similar attributes in the ones with happy couples as well as in the ones where the resulting emotions of the couple could have been better. In a world and culture where we (especially females) are constantly pressured to have the latest, greatest, and BEST EVER wedding known to mankind, I thought it might not be a bad idea to share my two cents on the subject.
Ok, you ready? The thing I have noticed the most at the weddings in which the bride and groom just seemed to glow the entire time is the fact that they did not make the day all about them. Yes, you read that right. They didn't make the day completely about them! Our present day culture is all the time pushing on us to make this one day ALL about us in EVERY way. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that a person's wedding should really be about serving rather than being served. Let me explain:
1. Show the Glory of God's Love.
A lot of people forget that, as Christians, we are to show God's love at ALL times. This does not exclude your wedding day! Actually, you should probably be showing God's love even more than usual on this day because the reason we even have marriage is to demonstrate the way Christ loves the church. I've seen so many great examples of people demonstrating God's importance in their marriage during their wedding ceremony. Many do this through the taking of communion with each other, but there is one time that stands out to me amongst the others. At this one particular wedding, the bride and groom actually served everyone in the room communion. It was such a sweet thing to witness and be able to photograph. 1 John 4:19 says, "We love because He first loved us." (HCSB) We can't forget to give God credit, especially on a day where we are supposed to be celebrating love.
2. Serve Your Guests
This goes hand-in-hand with my first point. We can show God's love by serving others. I know it will be so incredibly easy to get wrapped up in the momentous meaning of a wedding day, but taking the time to remember others could have an eternal impact on someone's life! I know that may seem a bit over shot, but I'm serious. For an example, at the same wedding that I was talking about before, my Mom and I shot pretty much all day long. A lot of people don't really think about it, but the photographers have a HUGE job at weddings and it can get pretty stressful as well as tiring. I remember as we neared the end of the reception, Mom and I were sitting down at a table waiting for the bride and groom to announce their official departure and watching out for good photo ops in the mean time. While we were resting, the bride came over to us and asked us if there was anything she could do for us. She encouraged us and told we had done a wonderful job and how she was so thankful for us. I have shot several different weddings, and she is the only bride that has ever said/done anything like that for us, the photographers. It stuck out to me and I highly doubt I will ever forget that. Like I said, it doesn't have to be something huge you do to serve those around you. Just serve! "For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love." Galatians 5:13
3. Serve Your Spouse
Okay, so this is probably going to get a lot of 'well duhhhhh' s from all of you, but think about it! This day is not about YOU, it is about you BOTH. It takes more than one person for a couple to get married, but I've witnessed so many brides and grooms forget this. It is always so sad to see. Once when my Mom and I were shooting, the bride and groom decided they wanted to do a first look type thing (if you're not sure exactly what that is, basically they decided to see each before the ceremony and do their portraits then). We showed up with the bride and got into position for when the groom would make his grand appearance and sweep his bride off her feet. Well, when he did show up, he was texting. He glanced up at his promised, said a flippant 'Hey,' and then went right back to whoever was on the phone. It was so sad. There was no 'wow,' no 'you look gorgeous,' not even an 'I love you.' In order for the first two points to be done correctly and actually have a successful marriage, we have to remember that marriage relationship is a servant relationship! Ephesians 5:22,25 says it like this: "Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord... Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her."
So there you have it. My two cents. What do yall think?
