Jeremy L. Berg

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him, for the marriage of he Lamb is come and his wife has made herself ready” (Revelation 7:7).

Perhaps you have already seen this video.  If not, please check it out.  I absolutely loved this wedding party’s joyful and celebratory dancing entrance to celebrate this young couple’s marriage vows.  In fact, I believe this wedding has much more in common with the ancient wedding customs of the Jewish people in the time of Jesus.  Most Christian weddings today — regardless of whether you’re Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic or any other — have become so formal and serious, filled with stuffy ritual and predictable liturgy.  While sweet and enjoyable, they are rarely energetic, free and celebratory in mood.  We must wait until we leave the church and get to the reception to cut loose and really celebrate.  

The weddings of the Bible times would have began with the bride groom and his party setting out for the house of the bride. Ronald Youngblood describes what happens next: 

[The bride groom] was accompanied by his friends, by musicians and singers, and by persons bearing torches if the procession took place at night. The groom received his bride from her parents with their blessings and the good wishes of friends. Then he conducted the whole party back to his own house or his father’s house with song, music, and dancing.  On the way back they were joined by additional friends of the bride and groom.  A feast was served and celebrated with great joy and merrymaking.  In the evening the bride was escorted to the nuptial chamber by her parents, and the groom by his companions or the bride’s parents.  On the next day the festivities were resumed, continuing for seven days” (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p. 1307). 

Music, singing, dancing, torches, parades and seven days of “merrymaking.”  Do you get a sense of just how significant and special weddings are in the eyes of God and his people?  

As I watched this fun video of friends, family, wedding party, bride and groom dancing joyously down the aisle with the rest of the room clapping along with ear-to-ear grins, laughter and dancing, I shed a happy tear at the sheer beauty of the moment. Especially watching the bride spin herself down the aisle.  I wish I could have been there.  I hope this free-spirited, joy-filled bride and groom start a new trend.  Because weddings are certainly occasions made for dancing in the aisles! 

What do you think of traditional wedding ceremonies today?  Do we need to recapture some of the older customs of ancient Jewish weddings?   

What are some of your favorite wedding ceremony memories and stories?  What was the mood of your wedding?