Catherine Strode Parks & Linda Strode
Christian Life / Love & Marriage
Back of the book:
HOW DO I KEEP THE FOCUS WHERE IT BELONGS?
Wedding planning has spawned a major industry. The average cost of the occassion now exceeds $25,000, and societal pressure to create the "perfect day" is so strong that even Christian couples forget what God originally intended for the sacred marriage ceremony.
A Christ-Centered Wedding serves as a guide to believers who want their wedding to portray the relationship of Christ with the church and to reflect the gospel to all in attendance.
There are chapters filled with practical information about everything from premarital counseling and wedding locations to other resources like a planning checklist and time line, music suggestions, guidance on potential issues of conflict, a listing of traditional financial responsibilities, sample vows, and other great ideas from couples who have successfully put together a Christ-centered wedding.
My thoughts:
As Christians we are called the bride of Christ. Even in all of our flawed earthly bodies God has chosen to use the institution of marriage as a glimpse of the perfect marriage with our perfect groom, Christ. With that in mind we often set out to make our wedding ceremonies reflect our longing and desire for a Christ-centered life.
If you are already married or well into the planning process you know first hand how out of control all the planning and preparations can become. What happened to that simple ceremony declaring that we are Christ followers and are now joining as one to honor and serve Him in our home? Sure we want it to be memorable as well as beautiful, but it can also be meaningful and held in check to accomplish what the ceremony is meant to do.
Linda and Catherine have put together a wonderful book full of great suggestions and resources for you to draw upon. They have used their own experiences as well as those of others who have chosen to honor Christ on this very special of days. What sets this book apart from others is that it isn't just a great big to do list. The introduction sets the tone of the whole book by reminding you that there really are only a couple of times in your life that you will have the opportunity to unabashedly share the gospel with your friends and family. Those occasions are weddings and funerals. In the first couple of chapters they go through the "best marriage ever" and discuss the bride of Christ and the gospel. I personally loved this background because it was a gentle yet powerful reminder of what the true purpose of marriage is.
The following chapters will then begin to walk you through everything from engagement, pre-marital counseling, bachelor/bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, reception and everything in between. As I said earlier it isn't a to do list, instead it is more a conversation about what they have heard about that works. One of the most fascinating concepts that they covered was called a reverse ceremony. The description was intriguing and I thought it could be particularly moving.
If you are a soon to be bride, mother of the bride, or even a mother and daughter that assume that you have a wedding in your future, I would recommend this book. It is a beautiful look at how we can honor Christ while committing to the one our heart loves.
About the authors:
Catherine Parks writes from home in Nashville, Tennessee, where she lives with her husband, Erik, and their two young children. She has sung some terribly cheesy songs in weddings over the years, and gave one of the worst rehearsal dinner speeches in history to her college roommate. She blogs at
cathparks.com.
Linda Strode is a pastor’s wife and has been involved in multiple aspects of wedding planning over the years. She survived the bridesmaid fashion horrors of the 70’s and 80’s and has quite a few photo souvenirs to prove it. Linda and her husband, Tom, live in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The Giveaway:
We have partnered with
B&H Publishers to offer one of our readers a copy of
A Christ-Centered Wedding. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Wednesday, September 10, 2014. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional.
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