Well, "if" I were to have a wedding, it would be the Biblical one and not the modern boastful ones that couples do today where they add promises of love to each other... and yet love is not boastful nor proud.
The Biblical wedding is where the pastor asks the woman the question; "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" and then ask the man "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Simple and straightforward since it ends with after the two agree to marry each other, "What God has joined together, let no man separate."
Marriage is a covenant that God performs as He is the One joining the two together as one. No one is really supposed to add any promises to that marriage covenant.
We look at the example of a man's covenant in scripture:
Galatians 3:[SUP]15 [/SUP]Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
So it is with God's covenant of Marriage and certainly with the New Covenant in Jesus Christ where we are not to be making nor keeping any promises that are His to keep as we rest in Him & His promises to us that we are saved by having believed in Him & He will help us to follow Him by faith in Him & all His promises to us as it is written that the just shall live by faith.
A christian marriage should have no boast of love nor any boastful promises of love when each christian spouse is totally dependent on Christ Jesus to help them to follow Him as He will supply all the love they need as well as all the other fruits of the Spirit so that their marriage will have joy in the Lord in it.
As for receptions, & the honeymoon, it is the husband duty to please the wife in those areas as within the realm of what the Lord has provided, if possible.
1 Corinthians 7:[SUP]32 [/SUP]But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:[SUP]33 [/SUP]But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
Yet each spouse as each lean on the Lord for help in this, should be in that mindset of faith to leave the earth and their lives to each other when the Bridegroom comes at the pre trib rapture event because they will not be married in Heaven.
1 Corinthians 7:[SUP]29 [/SUP]But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth,
that both they that have wives be as though they had none;[SUP] 30 [/SUP]And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;[SUP]31 [/SUP]And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
Luke 20:[SUP]34 [/SUP]And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:[SUP] 35 [/SUP]But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:[SUP]36 [/SUP]Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Oh, and the woman should not assume that the man knows what she wants just as the man should know not to assume that he knows exactly what she wants or needs ( women have been known to change their minds, you know ). Communication is key and seeking to brag to others about how well the other knows what the other wants or needs is a foolish game that can only end in trouble and disappointments.
Yes. It is nice whenever it happens, like doing necessary chores, but thank the Lord for that and maintain communication anyway and not assume as I am sure there will be misses and not just "hits" on pleasing the other before they ask for it since the other may have paid the bill when you are thinking to go out and have that done ahead of time too or thinking to get that one thing the other had wished for but you did not have the money at the time, and years later, the other may have changed that wish by then when you seek to surprise the other in getting that wish finally.
Anyway, that is why I think marriage should be short and straightforward as respecting God Whom is performing the marriage covenant in joining the two as one without adding any promises of love to each other since every believer should be relying on Jesus Christ to supply the love they need for each other, and not seeking that love within themselves to do the best they can to love the other by keeping a promise.
Matthew 5:[SUP]33 [/SUP]Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:[SUP] 34 [/SUP]But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:[SUP] 35 [/SUP]Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.[SUP] 36 [/SUP]Neither shalt thou swear by thy head,
because thou canst not make one hair white or black.[SUP]37 [/SUP]But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
We cannot make ourselves love another when we find that we do not have that love naturally to give any more so why promise from our religious heartfelt flesh no matter how sincere the spirit & the heart is, when it is weak to keep it?
Matthew 26:[SUP]40 [/SUP]And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?[SUP]41 [/SUP]Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
I would rather go into marriage with my confidence in the Lord to love the other than make boastful oaths of love to each other only to have that marriage fails.
Example is this "beautiful but boastful song of love" by Shania Twain which was composed of both hers and her first husband's promises of love to each other which was combined in one song that was sung by her, and yet, sadly, her marriage ended in a divorce. When watching her sing this song, I would believe her promises of love to me. What man would not? Keep in mind that it also contained promises of love from her first husband and so what woman would not believe his promises of love to her? This is an example of no matter how much the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.
[video=youtube;a-Lp2uC_1lg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Lp2uC_1lg[/video]
1 Corinthians 13:[SUP]4 [/SUP]Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,[SUP] 5 [/SUP]Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;[SUP] 6 [/SUP]Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;[SUP]7 [/SUP]Beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 John 4:[SUP]18 [/SUP]
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. [SUP]19[/SUP]
We love him, because he first loved us. [SUP]20 [/SUP]If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? [SUP]21 [/SUP]And this commandment have we from him,
That he who loveth God love his brother also. ( his sister also 
)
John 15:[SUP]4 [/SUP]Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.[SUP] 5 [/SUP]I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
