Even before the young parents had completed their encounter earlier today, the next meeting was already being prepared. In this case, the sixth couple to speak with us about planning a wedding for 2012.
Over the past couple of years, the number of weddings celebrated here each year have been increasing, with the exception of this current year. Last year, we hit an all-time high (there were 22 weddings), and so far this year, including all the bookings, there are a scant 14, but even those might be high by comparison with some other religious locales.
Preparing couples to celebrate a wedding that incorporates a faith element is, shall we say, a bit more involved than just planning a wonderful celebration. Truthfully, all the facets of making the special day special are also there, but apart from the concerns about the decor at the reception, the music, the meal (and all the other myriad of details), preparing for a church wedding also means that we try to help couples to understand that Marriage is a vocation.
The entire process for preparing a wedding can technically be completed in a period of days, but more often than not, it takes a few months and sometimes at least a year. The time is not required so that we can inflict pain. Rather, the time is considered a gift, an opportunity for future husbands and wives to ask the questions that matter, to grow in their love for one another, and hopefully to confirm the choice they have already made by the time they show up for the first time at the doors of places like this one.
Depending on their own faith experience up to this point, some of the questions we ask may seem a bit strange, but when the process is explained, most couples end up learning a whole lot about the requirements we put in place, especially when they understand that these requirements are there in order to help them to appreciate the seriousness of their decision to take the next step.
Preparing couples to celebrate a wedding that incorporates a faith element is, shall we say, a bit more involved than just planning a wonderful celebration. Truthfully, all the facets of making the special day special are also there, but apart from the concerns about the decor at the reception, the music, the meal (and all the other myriad of details), preparing for a church wedding also means that we try to help couples to understand that Marriage is a vocation.
The entire process for preparing a wedding can technically be completed in a period of days, but more often than not, it takes a few months and sometimes at least a year. The time is not required so that we can inflict pain. Rather, the time is considered a gift, an opportunity for future husbands and wives to ask the questions that matter, to grow in their love for one another, and hopefully to confirm the choice they have already made by the time they show up for the first time at the doors of places like this one.
Depending on their own faith experience up to this point, some of the questions we ask may seem a bit strange, but when the process is explained, most couples end up learning a whole lot about the requirements we put in place, especially when they understand that these requirements are there in order to help them to appreciate the seriousness of their decision to take the next step.
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