00:05 Juliana and I have been friends for a few years,
00:09 and we have been getting to know each other better for several months.
00:13 Things were going really well between us.
00:17 I must say, when Nick asked me to join some friends
00:20 for a little get-together at the park,
00:22 I was getting suspicious
00:24 when both our families were there.
00:28 I said, “Yes!”
00:33 I couldn’t believe she didn’t see it coming.
00:37 We were both so excited, and word spread fast!
00:42 At the meeting the next day, everyone was congratulating us
00:46 —my friend Natalie especially.
00:48 She was full of ideas.
00:52 I couldn’t wait to start making plans.
00:56 I never realized how much goes into a wedding.
01:00 And everyone had their own ideas of what we needed
01:03 —even Dad!
01:05 We had to think about who we would invite,
01:07 pick out flowers, decorations,
01:10 a suit for Nick and, of course, a dress!
01:14 This was going to be
01:16 so much fun —or so I thought.
01:21 I soon found out there’s a whole wedding-related industry out there.
01:26 They were trying to be helpful but, at the same time,
01:30 this is how they make money.
01:33 It seemed like nothing they had was modest.
01:37 And the cost for something I would only wear for one day
01:41 —I couldn’t afford that!
01:44 Everyone was so happy for me,
01:46 but inside I was really starting to feel the pressure.
01:52 When we met back at Juliana’s home,
01:54 I was pretty confused.
01:57 She had been so happy a few days ago,
02:00 but now she was so stressed out.
02:02 It was like nobody was listening to what we wanted.
02:06 But to be honest,
02:08 I’m not sure we knew what we wanted either.
02:12 I thought it would be good if maybe we could just take some time
02:15 and think about what a Christian wedding should really be like.
02:21 We had a meeting with Brother Grey and Brother Sharp the next day
02:24 to discuss using the Kingdom Hall for our wedding.
02:27 They gave us some helpful reminders,
02:28 and I’m so glad they did.
02:31 First Corinthians 10:31 says:
02:34 “Whether you are eating or drinking or doing anything else,
02:38 do all things for God’s glory.”
02:42 Brother Sharp helped us to see that a wedding is a spiritual occasion,
02:46 and we need to keep Jehovah’s standards in mind
02:48 when we plan for what we will or won’t choose to include.
02:53 Brother Grey showed us 1 John 2:15, 16:
02:58 “Do not love either the world or the things in the world.
03:02 “. . . Because everything in the world
03:04 “—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes
03:08 “and the showy display of one’s means of life—
03:11 . . . originates with the world.”
03:14 He reminded us that what the world views as normal
03:18 is far different from Christian standards
03:21 and that we can be a good example
03:24 by making sure our choices please Jehovah.
03:27 They even gave us a few articles about wedding arrangements to review.
03:31 They wanted to make sure we would have a happy occasion with nothing to regret.
03:37 I asked Brother Sharp if he would be our director of the feast
03:41 to help keep things coordinated,
03:43 and he suggested that we talk about it over dinner that night.
03:48 On the way there, we passed by a photography studio.
03:52 I couldn’t believe how lavish and showy some weddings are.
03:56 It looked more like an excuse to party
03:59 instead of something that’s supposed to honor God.
04:02 It reminded me of the book of Galatians:
04:04 “Now the works of the flesh are . . .
04:07 drunkenness, wild parties, and things like these.”
04:11 We didn’t want to do anything like that.
04:14 We each took the time to prayerfully consider
04:17 the material the brothers gave us.
04:20 We saw that Scriptural principles can even help us plan a wedding
04:24 that’s affordable, enjoyable for everyone,
04:27 and a day that honors Jehovah.
04:32 It looked like we needed to make some adjustments.
04:35 We couldn’t include everything we originally thought
04:38 —some things were just too expensive.
04:42 And we wanted to make sure that none of our choices
04:44 reflected the spirit of the world.
04:49 So we decided to start over
04:52 and make sure we were doing things Jehovah’s way.
04:55 First Timothy 2:9 says that a Christian
04:59 “should adorn themselves in appropriate [or “respectable”] dress,
05:04 with modesty and soundness of mind.”
05:06 It took some work,
05:08 but we were able to find something affordable,
05:12 appropriate,
05:15 and beautiful.
05:20 I was able to find a nice suit
05:23 —something I could even wear later.
05:26 And of course, the girls came by
05:28 to make sure that everything matched.
05:32 Time went by so fast.
05:36 I called Brother Sharp so he could help us follow through
05:38 on the day of the wedding.
05:42 Before we knew it, we were sending out invitations
05:45 and finalizing all the details.
05:51 When my dad walked me down the aisle that day,
05:54 I was so excited.
05:56 Juliana was so beautiful!
06:01 And the ceremony was just perfect.
06:09 After all that planning we did, we were sure to make it legal.
06:15 When looking back at our photos,
06:18 it brings back so many good memories.
06:21 I was so happy with how nice everything turned out.
06:25 And when we saw what a great job our friends had done
06:28 decorating the reception, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
06:32 It was perfect —simple,
06:35 dignified.
06:37 Our friends all told us that it was one of the nicest weddings they’ve been to.
06:42 Everything that day was just what we wanted.
06:45 It even stayed on budget.
06:48 And most importantly, we got our marriage off to a good start
06:52 with Jehovah’s help.
06:55 I’m so happy we found each other.
06:58 I’m so happy I found you too, Love.
07:01 And I know we’ll stay happy if we keep Jehovah first.
