A wedding planning how-to for the heart, The Purposed Bride by Lindsay Tracy Hall (CreateSpace 2013) is not a guide centered on flowers, food and fashion (the Lord knows we have enough of those). Rather, this faith-based, engaging handbook explores the deeper issues of planning the wedding day. Drawing from her website, thesweetchristianbride.com, Hall helps Christian brides think about the greater mission of getting married.
As a newly married wife, it has only been five short months since I was wrapping up my own wedding planning. As Christian people, my husband and I thought together about how we could incorporate our faith into our wedding. The Purposed Bride arrived a bit late on my doorstep for me to take advantage of its wealth of thought-provoking tips—but I wish it had come earlier! Hall’s gentle yet authoritative tone is like that of an older and wiser sister as she dives into four important components for a blessed wedding day.
The guide is broken up into Purpose, Planning, People and Paired. Well-organized and consistent, each section includes Bible verses, key principles, practical tips, real-life anecdotes and prayers—
Holy Father, You are the source of all joy and every good gift. The celebration for our marriage is all for You and through You. Show us how to make our wedding reception an extension of worship that would ignite other believers’ faiths…”
From advice on incorporating your personality into the ceremony and writing your vows to managing your relationships (especially with your fiancé!) and preparing for your wedding night, The Purposed Bride covers the topics that many guides don’t even touch.
With the intention of not serving up the entire entree, here are a few tasty treats to get you started—and that I would have found helpful in my own wedding planning:
- Expect conflict. This way you can guard yourself with a prayerful heart, intentional words, graceful ears, and humble actions (p. 61).
- Spend less than you have (p. 14). Put away those credit cards!
- Ask for deals, donations and volunteers (p. 15).
- Pray for each member of your bridal party by name (p.66).
- Have fun figuring out how to please, adore, and cherish your husband rather than focusing on what you need him to do for you (p. 89).
In closing, the world will tell you that your wedding day is all about YOU. But there is a greater picture for you to consider as a bride. This missional guide will help you do that. Hall’s passion for seeing marriages succeed oozes through the pages of The Purposed Bride. My hope is that her next book will be titled The Purposed New Wife!
