Receiving love from someone, even in moments when you don’t want to, is a strong statement of trust, humility, and gratitude. Receiving your spouse’s promise to love faithfully, especially in moments where you might not clearly see it acted on, is an even stronger statement of faith in God to uphold the promise in all circumstances.

With both the wedding vows and the ring vows, consider taking the time in your ceremony to acknowledge and receive the commitment your spouse is making to you. You can add a spoken acknowledgment that your guests can hear or you can make it a private look in each other’s eyes or a squeeze of your hands that is just between the two of you in order to say, “Yes, I receive your promise for our marriage.”

Companies with safe diamond mining are Igloo Diamonds (www.diamonds.ca) and usually Canadian, Australian, or Arctic diamond companies. Another way to navigate the jewelry companies is to look for diamonds that are certified by the Kimberley Process, which is an African process developed specifically with the intent of curtailing African blood-diamond mining

Holy God, merciful and sacrificial Savior, that You find me worthy is astounding, but I am ever grateful. May my life not be stained by insecurities or by pursuit of worth through my endeavors, but rather may I be a good steward of this life You have gifted to me. May I root my identity in Christ and live as one who is worthy, more precious than jewels. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Some women have been celebrated in their teens with a purity ring.  Their fathers or their churches have elevated the status of marriage, of sexuality, and of womanhood and have offered these women a choice to uphold the sanctity of those even then as they were just teenagers.  If the women accepted this purity covenant,…continued here

At their wedding, the pastor shared a synopsis of the engagement story. He then read Matthew 13:45:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The pastor reminded the guests that the groom saw it fit to sell all for his pearl, his beloved bride. The pastor then took the guests on a journey of Christ’s love. He told of how God loved each person, who though trapped inside a rough-shelled mollusk, has so much value, beauty, and distinction that God sold all He had for us by giving His Son to die and rise again for their sake.