Newly Wed

So many smiles.  Clapping.  Tear-wiping.  Even a little whooping and hollering.  Mr. & Mrs. for the first time.

sister-in-law and her husband

Weddings are a beautiful time, full of loveliness and joy.

And I don’t just mean the flowers and the dresses and the shoes, the handsome gentlemen in tuxes and boutonnieres, or even the sweet little kids in their curls and foo-forah.  No, I mean the loveliness and joy in the faces of those gathered to celebrate the Love of Two People.  The tangible historicity of their relationship culminating, visibly, on their wedding day.

The guests at a wedding are a representation of the two  individuals getting married.  These are the people who have formed them, been formed by them, and who have played a part in their life story.  Those they love and who love them come to witness a new Love begin.

So is it any wonder, as family and friends come together and share stories and memories, that the Love in the room swells beyond containment? You can almost feel it beating against your chest and the moment approaches.  It is much more than the bride and groom–where would they be without all those who have helped them to this moment?–but they are the focus.  They are the culmination.  The summit.

Is there a dry eye in the church as the Bride walks down the aisle, led by her father, to meet the Man she has chosen to help her to heaven?  This Bride, that (perhaps) you have known for so long, seen her grow, shared her sorrows and heard her merry laughter; now with a peaceful, radiant smile on her face, going to meet her husband.

And then the Groom (how has he become a man so soon?), taking this Woman’s hand, his face full of so much emotion we think it may burst, so much joy, he leads her to the altar, where they become no longer two but one.

This is the most natural thing I’ve ever done, he tells me.  There was nothing easier than marrying her.

How blessed we are, as guests, as witnesses, to share in their joy–in these, their first steps as husband and wife, as one, on the way.  These are the moments that stay with us the rest of our lives.  These are the weddings that change us, as surely as they change the Bride and her Groom.

There is nothing more beautiful than new life.  Especially the Bright Life of two-become-one, those newly wed.  We wish them joy..

and so much more.



6 comments

  1. Viv wrote:

    i got goosebumps when reading this 🙂 (maybe part of it is due to the fact that this is a bit more real for me now! ha)

    • renidemus wrote:

      real because you were there with Matt and Jen or because your own wedding is in the tangible future? 😉

  2. Emily wrote:

    This makes me so much more excited for my own wedding!!!

  3. Tricia wrote:

    beautiful words and pictures anne!

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