I have always loved white; it is the epitome of beauty, innocence,
and purity, so naturally, I couldn’t wait to wear a white dress on my wedding day. But more than just symbolizing my virginity that I’ve guarded and saved for my husband, a white dress also presents to my groom a purity that he is responsible for as my husband. A purity of heart and life that he is to guard until the day he presents me to Jesus Christ, just as Christ assumes responsibility for sinners who come to Him, sanctifying, purifying, and cleansing us in order to present us holy and unblemished to God the Father.

Sadly enough, I am not a hat-lover, and my first inclination was to forego
the veil. After all, wasn’t it just a cumbersome thing, designed to get in the way and cover up my hair and dress? Yes. But, that is precisely the point; the veil is a covering, reminding us that our physical relationship must be saved until our marriage vows are completed.

Only after we have spoken our vows is the veil removed. Then we enter into a marriage relationship with all its full privileges and intimacies. In the same way, when we receive Christ as our Savior, He removes the veil of sin that separates us from the Father, allowing us to enter into a fully intimate and eternal relationship with Him.

I always assumed the groom entered first so he could have the best view of his bride as her dad walked her down the aisle. While this does hold true, there is an even greater significance to this order of entry in the wedding ceremony. By entering the auditorium first, Robert publicly demonstrates that he is the initiator of our marriage covenant and therefore assumes greater responsibility and accountability for fulfilling that covenant.  As the initiator, he has committed himself to being the leader, protector, and spiritual head of his bride. As his bride, I am accepting his leadership, protection, and spiritual oversight in my life.  

There is a beautiful song my dad used to sing to me: “It only
takes a spark to get a fire going…that’s how it is with God’s love
once you’ve experienced it. You spread His love to everyone…”
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be lights to the world,
passing on His love to everyone around us. Many years ago, our
parents joined together to spread that love, and now Robert and
I are continuing that legacy by lighting our own candle and becoming
one flame, which we in turn will also pass on, until one day, a fire has
been kindled.

We have waited our entire lives for this special moment.
It seems like such a small thing, yet it is the final act that seals our commitment to each other as well as being the first act that removes the physical boundaries in our relationship. This kiss is more than just a kiss. It is a treasure we have both saved to give only to the one we marry. Now that day is here! The kiss you witness will be the first that either of us has either given or received. This special kiss represents both the fidelity and faithfulness we have committed to each other as husband and wife, a faithfulness and accountability to each other that began at birth, not at the marriage altar. This is also seen in the love and commitment that the Lord Jesus Christ has for us: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  The Lord loves us to the degree that He made this sacrifice for us prior to our repentance and acceptance of His grace. While Robert and I can only offer each other a kiss, Jesus offers all of us complete forgiveness for our sins and the endless joy of spending eternity with Him. There is no greater love than this.

My aunt loved pansies. She planted them in her flowerbeds, incorporated them into quilts, and when she went to be with our Father in heaven, we planted pansies on her grave. While she is not with us today, surely she is looking down from above, smiling at the festivities. In memory of her, I chose to walk down an aisle strewn with pansies just like the ones she loved so much.