Something Cute and Inspirational

So how cute is this ornament from Next Door to Heaven's Etsy shop?! It has an adorable picture of a couple of kids dressed up as bride and groom on one side and a biblical passage on the other. I love it!

I think this would make a cute little gift for an engaged couple or you could even tie it to the front of a wedding present OR if you're the bride and you love this little ornament and the passage on the back you could just get it for yourself as a cute little keepsake to put in your purse or on your key chain and look at every once and a while for some spiritual inspiration :-)

(oh, if you get a chance and you want to check out some more one of a kind, cute wedding goodies, take a look at Etsy and thier wedding section ... its a great website for brides to be on a budget...like me :-) )

Engagement Pics of Me and Ryan :-)

Here are some engagement photos of me and Ryan wich I think nicely show how much in love we are :-) (a picture is worth a thousand mushy words right?)

Because Ryan is an amazing photographer...but he can't be in two places at one time...we searched and found an equally great photographer to shoot our wedding this coming Autumn in Southern California :-)

The pictures of Ryan and me are some pictures from our engagement photo session in San Juan Capistrano with our wedding photographer Louis Palos.

And the pictures of just me and the landscape pictures are some photos that my fiance, photographer Ryan Bethke, took right before that session at the Mission San Juan Capistrano.

I'm so happy with all the pics! :-)

(And if you are looking for some great photography for your wedding, or other special occasion, in the Southern California area you should definetely check both photographers out!)

Choosing Your Readings

Ok, so in addition to choosing ten million other things...like your attire, cake, centerpeices, reception site, etc, etc, etc...on and on into eternity...you also probably need to pick scripture passages for your wedding ceremony.

You'll add it to the list right...

But why not do it now? Picking the readings can actually be a very fun, relaxing and even romantic moment for you and your spouse. For one thing, unlike most of the other decisions for the wedding...this one doesn't cost money! AND its something you can do together! I know from personal experience that there are just some details of the wedding planning that my fiance Ryan is just really not interested in...like flowers, bridesmaid dresses, decorations, etc. But the readings didn't require him picking out any sort of color so he was in :-) Your spouse may very well feel the same way and sitting down to think about the beautiful words that are going to be said when your standing in that church about to say "I do" is actually really romantic!

When you are choosing your readings, think about the kind of couple you are...what you like, what you don't like, what you believe in, and how you think about your love. The readings should reflect the kind of couple that you are. So something that feels personal is best.

And don't feel like you have to go with the old standard..."love is patient, love is kind"...its beautiful and a classic but its not the only scripture reading available for your wedding day. So check out all that is! Talk to your officiant, check out a book on wedding scripture readings like Scripture at Weddings: Choosing and Proclaiming the Word of God by Graziano and Nancy Seitz Marcheschi, or look at your Bible (whether its scotch full with tags of your fave passages or practically brand spanking new from how rarely its been picked up...its time you looked at it again ;-) ).

Some of my faves for the wedding day (not in any particular order):

1) 1 John 4:7-12 -- "Let us love one another, for love is of God."
2) Colossians 3:12-17 -- "Clothe yourself with heartflet mercy."
3) Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16; 8:6-7 -- "Set me as a seal on your heart."
4) 1 John 3:18-24 -- "Let us love in deed and in truth"
5) Matthew 22:35-40 -- "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Welcome!

Hi All! My name is Andrea and this is my blogsite for the modern Christian bride! As an engaged person, I have found several wonderful blogs for brides that help give inspiration for decorations, fashion, and even advice on how to organize and plan. But there didn't seem to be all that much inspiration in regards to the faith and spiritual needs of the bride...and so here I am!

I love my faith! In fact, I love my faith so much I am currently in my last semester of grad school at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry to become a Religious Educator :-) I also am very much in love with my Ryan...that's my fiance...he's so wonderful! And as a woman in love and about to get married, I feel as though I am growing each day in my sense of self, in my spirituality and in my relationship with God! I feel so blessed!

But I also sometimes feel a bit overwhlemed with all the wedding planning. I think nowadays sometimes, in the midst of all the details of the wedding, brides and grooms forget about the great blessing they have been given with the love of one another. With the overwhelming amount of decisions that need to be made and the large indentation the wedding makes in the bride and grooms wallets as well as all the stress of trying to make the special day "perfect"...we sometimes all forget in this wedding process what the wedding is really all about -- LOVE!!!

As Christians, we believe that God is Love! and that a wedding is a blessed, sacramental occassion in order to celebrate the Love that has so beautifully joined two people together! So with that in mind, this is my blog...a blog of inspiration for the modern bride or groom of faith! Hopefully it will help both you and me remember what weddings and marriages are really all about...because that yummy cake and beautiful dress are really only going to be for one day...but Love is forever! :-)