Bride's Prayer: Identity Crisis

Maybe you feel like this, maybe you don't, but with all the hoopla of becoming the Mrs. and saying goodbye to your family name (if you are changing your name), you might be feeling a little like, "When I get married, will I lose who I was and just be so-and-so's wife?"

Now, I didn't feel this at all before I got married, but right after when my new social security card came in and every one kept asking about how I felt about being a Marine's wife, I really got to feeling like who I really was, was being ignored. I had quit my job and we moved half way across the country. I don't want to be known as Mr. Santelli's wife, or  Mrs. M. Santelli or thrown into the general category of just a military wife. For a brief period, I did feel lost wondering, "Who am I really?"

Source: justwenderful.blogspot.com via Melina on Pinterest

Photo by Paul Johnson Photography

We all know what the stereotypical image of "wife" is. Bake cookies, host parties, iron hubby's clothes, cook dinner, clean the house, change the baby's diaper, etc. Are we to be the housewife, the working woman wife or a combo of both? We allow ourselves to be consumed with what society has placed on us on role of wife.

What is God's role for wife?

1. We are made for man.
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. . . Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. ” - Genesis 2:18,22

2. To support our man as head of our household and spiritual leader of our family.
"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ..." - Ephesians 5:22-33

3. To fulfill God's plan for us
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

The Prayer

God, I recognize how blessed I am to have met my role to be wife along side my future husband. I realize I have a biblical role to fulfill for my future family all the while knowing You have a plan for me. Guide me to that plan so that I may serve You. Always remind me that I do not lose who I am by becoming married because I am actually doing your will by doing so.

Dialogue: Guests in White

Anytime I went to a wedding I always felt inappropriate wearing white out of disrespect to the bride. On last week's episode of Real Housewives of New York City (yes, I watch all the Real Housewives), one of the women had a conversation with her friends about two of the other women on the show who wore white to the wedding they all attended.

The two ladies in white by the cake. {Photo via Bravotv.com}

I first saw their dresses and thought, those are pretty dresses! Then when the wearing-white-at-a-wedding topic came up in the show, I thought, "Oh, yeah, they are wearing white! How terrible!"

This also got me thinking, I didn't even notice anyone wearing white if they did for my wedding. I had better things to think about. My groomsmen wore white tuxes and I felt like it only complimented me. Also, who really notices and who is really that important that they can steal the thunder from the bride? (unless that person is a celebrity)

I thought the men looked dashing in white! {Photo by Piperbella Photography}

My question for you brides-to-be is how do you feel about people, guests or bridal party, wearing white on your wedding day? How much white in an outfit is okay? (ex. like in prints) Or do you care at all?

The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. - Revelation 3:5

Guest Post: Soundtrack to I Do

I am so excited to be featured over at Soundtrack to I Do today! This is such a great blog for getting music ideas for all aspects of wedding planning. Definitely a great resource for brides! Head on over there and see what I have to say about my pickles with my DJ!

While you are there, don't forget to say hello!

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed. . . nothing will be impossible for you." - Matthew 17:20-21

Love Dare Giveaway Winner!

Number 2 is the winner! Congrats Courtney, you will be getting the Love Dare Gift! It is my prayer that God uses this book as a strong bonding tool for your marriage! I will be contacting you at your email from your profile about where to send the gift :-)

Be sure to read the answers that were given for what is the favorite part of being engaged or married. I have to say I love the line from Jesika, "I have my own person I get to annoy for the rest of my life." Too funny! And Katherine, I couldn't fit your comment in the screen shot! But thank you for your kind words! :-)

God bless you all and all my readers and supporters. Thank you!

Real Wedding: Ashley & Phillip

This wedding had a lot of DIY details to die for but I like to focus on the story behind the photography of weddings. I have such a cute story to tell you with unique pickles Ashley went through on her wedding day. Many thanks to Misty DeBlasio Photography for submitting this gem of a wedding and thank you to Ashley for sharing her story with us today!

I was a hostess at cracker barrel & he came in almost every night with his dad.  He was so shy and would barely look at me.  I thought he was the cutest guy I had ever seen and I looked forward to seeing him each shift I worked.  I would get pretty bummed if he didn't come in.  For about 6 months, he would come in and not say a word.  I did have a feeling that he was secretly into me too.  One night he came in with 2 friends instead of his dad.  One of the friends came up to me and started asking for my phone number.  As I was leaving, Phillip ran up to me in the parking lot and said "I'm the one who wants your number."  I gave him my number and I also gave the friend my number. 

Phillip said he was upset that I gave my number to the friend at the time but I didn't know that in the moment.  The only reason I gave the friend my number was to learn more about Phillip.  On the way home, the friend called and I immediately started asking questions about Phillip.  The friend got aggravated hung up and called Phillip and told him that I was clearly into him and not the friend.  Phillip called me the next day and the rest is history. I was 17 and he was 18. That was January 21, 2003. 

He proposed on October 23, 2009.  His dad owns a machine shop downtown Savannah and he does a lot of work for the local businesses.  There is a boat that takes you along the Savannah River and serves a really nice buffet.  Phillip told me that his dad was given tickets for doing some extra work and his family was going out for dinner.  He also said that he had two extra tickets so he invited my parents. So, we all met downtown and had a really nice dinner.

After dinner, we went to the top deck to look at the view of Savannah.  He pulled out a letter in his pocket and began reading it to me.  It was a letter I wrote him when we first met telling him how I felt about him.  At first, I didn't recognize the letter and thought he had wrote it to tell me how he felt.  At the end, he showed it to me.  I could not believe he had kept it all these  years.  He then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, I said Yes!

{The Pickles} I was pretty prepared for my big day so everything went pretty smooth.  The worst thing that happened was the sand gnats.  They were TERRIBLE.  We kept blowing our faces during the ceremony because they were getting in our eyes.  Our photographer said they were surrounding us in a lot of the pictures.  Also, we had doves released when we kissed.  Right before the kiss, the doves start fighting and making this terrible noise.  All of us were holding in our laughter.  I also woke up with pink eye-thank god for an amazing photographer with great editing skills.

How appropriate to catch these two "love birds" flying in the air! And does that very first picture not make Ashley look like an angel? Congratulations to you Ashley and Phillip!

Photography by Misty DeBlasio Photography

Submitted via Two Bright Lights