Your wedding officiant would love for you to know that God loves you. The wedding planning process may seem like it presents new challenges but many have likely encountered your very same planning problems before. And last but most importantly, remember to preserve your love for one another and enjoy your wedding. At Wedistry we believe that your wedding is not just the ceremony or even the reception. The process begins when you commit to being married and it ends after your wedding events.
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About Your Wedding Officiant
First, there are some things that you want to know about your wedding officiant. Wedding officiants are far from all the same. Depending on the denomination or Christian background you will have all different kinds of options available.
You Are Loved By God
The first thing that your wedding officiant wants you to know, or rather remind you of, is that you are loved. The wedding planning process is replete with challenging situations and decisions that need to be made. It's much like an actual full-time job that you are not compensated for tangibly but rather with the blessing of being with the one you love. Although it is a difficult task, that is never the most important part of wedding planning nor should it be the focus.
There Is Nothing New About Weddings
Throughout the wedding planning, you will encounter something that seems like it's a new challenge. And sure, it is to you at the moment. And it may even appear to be something that's never happened before. But if you think about the same challenges in terms of what category it falls into, you can rest assured that it's happened before.
Family issues and relationships, vendor conflicts, schedules, and transportation. Yes, your challenge has never been faced before in the way that you're encountering it. But someone, rather many people, can relate to the type of issue that you're witnessing. This won't fix the problem but you may find it helpful to know that you're not the only person in the history of the world that's had to face something similar.
Your Perspective Matters
It's normal to be stressed. Our aim at Wedistry is to provide tools and resources to help reduce and alleviate the stress that comes with wedding planning but just know that it's normal. There may be some tough conversations and interactions. You may be disappointed at times. But everything is going to work out as long as you keep the right perspective and your faith in the right place.
We often create this reality when we are getting married, that is partly from tradition, that you can't have certain conversations, or see your spouse on your wedding day for example. I know, that's a big one. But remember to do whatever you need do to for your marriage to be healthy and strong. That means that sometimes we need to protect our perspective and be clear about what we need with those around us. Don't be afraid to state what's most important to you so that things go well.
Be Kind
This brings up another important element that will help everything to go well. Be kind. You will be amazed at how much better things will go when you express extraordinary kindness to your spouse, your wedding party, and especially your vendors and guests. When you are kind, especially when it relates to a community-type event such as a wedding, it will have a compound, ripple effect on everyone around you. You may even unknowingly relieve some friction that you didn't know existed.
The Bible says in Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” How many times have we seen this happen? Just a few misplaced words, or ones that are shared hastily and out of frustration and cause harm. But it does not have to be that way. When we take our time and breathe, take healthy breaks, pray, talk to our friends about how we are feeling, and focus on gratitude rather than solving issues, our perspective is powerfully pointed in the right direction.
You will empower others around you to be their best selves and have the best attitude, which will create the environment you want. People will be happy and more productive when everyone is on the same page and they will want to be supportive in any way they can. You will be surprised how many people who are helping to prepare for your wedding will go above and beyond when they feel good about what's happening and also when they feel welcome in the environment.
Buckle Up And Enjoy The Ride
The last thing that your wedding officiant wants you to know is to please enjoy the process. This is because if your wedding planning journey gets reduced to the hard conversations and the headaches that come along with the process (for everyone) you might miss the important part. This season of wedding planning is meant to help the couple prepare for marriage.
The Marriage Preparation Season
It's meant for prayer, fruitful discussions, and learning more about one another than ever before. It's meant for enjoyable experiences, amazing dates, and serving your community together. It's meant to be there for others, listen to couples who have experienced being married, and build faith together. This mustn't be replaced by the daily grind that comes along with the wedding.
Conclusion
Remember to send your wedding officiant a thank you note along with their honorarium for performing your wedding ceremony as well as pre-marital counseling. It will go a long way. And remember to enjoy the journey!
