Are Weddings Valuable?

According to TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com the average cost for a wedding in the U.S. was $27,017. If you live in a major metropolitan area such New York or Chicago the average cost jump to over $50,000. These crazy amounts of money have lead many people to try and devalue the importance of the wedding and the wedding ceremony. Many people speak of commitment without all of the pomp and circumstance. To some extent I believe there is some truth in these ideas.

I believe that people can be married without all of the extras that we so often put in to weddings. I am not one that believes that you have to have the dream wedding for it to be a wonderful occasion. At the same time though I think there is something to be said for the wedding ceremony and the wedding party. First and foremost I do not think it is any coincidence that Jesus' first earthly miracle was at a wedding. I do not want to read too much in to this but if weddings were not that important then why would Jesus have done what He did. Why would he have provide the additional wine needed for the people to continue in their celebration? To me this says that weddings are important to God. It says that we should celebrate when a man and a woman have decided to make the public proclamation of their commitment to one another. Second, most Christians would say that one important aspect of baptism is that it is an outward expression of one's commitment to Jesus. I think wedding ceremonies are much the same in that they are a public expression of one's commitment to their spouse. Weddings are one of the greatest platforms that couples have to simply say I chose this person to be my spouse forever. For the Christians it is a time to say that we have made the decision that no matter what happens we will remain glued (see Mark 10:7-8) to one another. It is a time to say that this is a choice that will not be undone.

I do not know where you are in life. I do not know if you are married or not. I do not know if you are divorced or not. No matter where you are in your journey I would like for you to consider the following.

For the married: Did you have a wedding ceremony? If not why no and do you regret it? If you didn't have one before why not have one now? If you did have one was the kind of ceremony that truly spoke to your commitment to your spouse? If not is that something you should correct with a new ceremony?

For the unmarried: What concepts about weddings do you need to reconsider? Do you need to begin shifting your focus away from you (or your spouse) and towards the commitment you are making? Where Does God fit in to your wedding plans?

*For the divorced: Did a lack of commitment play a role in your divorce? Is reconciliation/remarriage possible with your ex-spouse? If not, what does this mean for you and remarriage? If you are remarried is there a difference in the level of commitment by either you or your new spouse?

I am hopeful that as you examine these questions and consider what the Bible has to say about marriage and weddings that you will be encouraged to help form deeper and more committed marriages. It is these stronger marriages that will lead to stronger families which in turn will lead to stronger churches.


*Please note-I fully understand that not every divorce is caused by a lack of commitment. I know their are biblical reasons for divorce and that many people are justified in leaving their spouse. I also know that many people get divorced when they are no longer happy and they become rather flippant about commitments they made when they got married.