Marie and I met via twitter….oh how I love twitter! We met one day for lunch and instantly became friends! Marie has a masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University. Her studio ( Nashville Marriage Studio ) helps couples design the marriage of their dreams through workshops and counseling. I asked her if she would be interested in guest blogging on my site and she said yes! So, I am excited to announce the first of hopefully many guest blogs from my friend Marie. I am going to use some photos from my most recent wedding as well….but that full blog post is to come soon!

This is a series on how your wedding day photography intersects with the love that got you there.

Ready, Set, Wed!

There is so much involved when it comes to getting ready for a wedding. There are guest lists to create (and then edit). Dresses to try on (and then alter). There are budgets to be made (and then blown).

The photos that are taken before the ceremony don’t even begin to capture the level of stress that goes into the biggest day of your life. If anything, judging by the photos, it looks like the bride nonchalantly decides, “Hey, since I’m already hanging out with my nearest and dearest on this lovely Saturday afternoon, why not go ahead and get married? Grab that beautiful dress off of the curtain rod, would you?”

Maybe the pre-ceremony photos don’t properly convey the real-life stress of preparing for the wedding, but I do think they give us insight into how to properly prepare for the marriage.

1) Individual preparation

Have you ever seen a photo of the groom buttoning a bride into her wedding gown? Or the bride playing Xbox with the groom and his friends in the man cave before the ceremony?

Of course not! Brides and grooms don’t help each other get ready. No, they wait until they are fully prepared individuals before they first see one another.

Preparing for marriage also requires a certain amount of individual preparation. For a healthy relationship, each partner should have a full and complete knowledge of who they are, what they value, and what they’re passionate about before entering a committed relationship like marriage. Failure to fully know and love yourself can be a huge handicap for your marriage.

2) Surrounded by community
Photos taken before the ceremony rarely find the bride or groom alone. We see images of moms smoothing out final details and dads giving tight hugs. The bridal party is always near by, either getting their hair done or helping figure out how to tie bow ties.

We don’t get ready for a wedding in isolation and the same should be true of committing to marriage. The process of finding a forever-mate should always be done in the context of community. Yes, it’s fun to let young love drown out the world around us, but be careful to keep a group of trusted friends and family close by to help balance out your love sickness.

3) Communicate love
There are often photos of the bride and groom receiving notes and gifts before the ceremony. This is usually one of the first (of many) times you’ll see tears shed. It’s sweet because in the midst of all the craziness and stress that comes with a wedding, this simple gift exchange is purely about communicating “I love you” to your future spouse. Don’t forget to keep communicating love.

- Marie