Wedding Ministry by Design

Recommended Reading

Below are some of the best reading resources you will find for planning your wedding, and building a strong marriage. I have also included some CD selections for your wedding music. Click on the book icon to purchase from our Amazon Affiliate  Store. 

Marriage & Family

 

I give this book by Gary Thomas my very highest recommendation. SACRED MARRIAGE poses the question, "What if God designed marriage to make us Holy more than to make us happy?" Thomas then goes on to deftly and succinctly illustrate how marriage is intended to take us to levels of spirituality most people will never conceive of. This is a guidebook or user's manual, if you will, that will benefit all married couples, but this is essential reading for Christians seeking to take their marriage to its' highest level.

This is one of the best books I've found on starting your marriage off in the right direction. This book will help prepare the couple by giving them the proper expectations in their marriage. I highly recommend this book to all couples. Contains practical and easily implemented advice.

This is an extraordinary book to help us understand the different types of love. Love means slightly different things to different people. That is not to say one type of love is of lesser value, it is simply how that persons shows and reacts to love. Once you realize how your mate loves, you will be less apt to be offended by something they say or do. The flipside is, once you understand how you love and how that compares to your mate, you might think twice about how you respond to them.

The author confronts an issue that is quite controversial these days from a strong, biblical viewpoint. He explains and gives many practical examples of how the marriage relationship is most fulfilling when both partners have their God-given roles in the proper perspective. He describes the principles behind biblical love and submission and makes clear that the two are equally important and necessary for a proper relationship.

Both of these books by Dr. Laura Schlessinger are excellent. Even though Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands is written for wives, husbands will learn from this one as well. Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage is both. Be prepared to be offended because Dr. Laura will not hold back!

Marriage & Finance

 

Nothing even comes close to causing as many problems in marriage as money. I cannot stress highly enough, the necessity to get your finances under control in your marriage. David Bach has written several excellent books on personal finance, but this one is geared specifically to couples. Minimizing financial stress early in your marriage will greatly enhance your chances of building a marriage that lasts.

If ever there were a book I wish I had read when I was in my twenties, this book would be it. What I have learned and the changes I have made in my life since reading this book have been immense.  This book will change how you think about money and the things you spend it on. This is not about marriage or couples, but is one of the best financial books around.

Wedding Ceremony

 

There are things in this book that attempt to lend direction to a couple planning their own wedding, such as a chapter on making your ceremony unique, a wedding worksheet, and many other suggestions to the couple, but for a planning a wedding, I believe there are several other books which would surpass this one. From a Minister's perspective, this book will give you a quick reference to helpful ideas for tailoring your service to fit the individual couple. There is also a good bibliography if you need to do further research for a specific type of service. In just over 100 pages, you'll find helpful tips to making the ceremony a memorable service.

Are you looking for a special blessing for a wedding? Chances are you will find something that is perfect in this book. WEDDING BLESSINGS by June Cotner, is page after page of unique blessings designed to add a special touch to your occasion. I've included numerous derivatives of passages from  this book in many of the weddings I have performed.

I find myself turning to this fine book, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CHRISTIAN WEDDING VOWS by H. Norman Wright, over and over again. For that special couple who go the extra mile to plan the perfect ceremony and write their own vows, this book is a wonderful place to start. There is a mountain of information out there, but you don't need a mountain of information, you need a place to start, and this 200 page book is it. It will point you in the right direction and give you plenty of good ideas for your perfect day.

I bought this book because I was asked to officiate a Zen/Christian wedding and know very little about Zen philosophy. This book came up on a Google search, so I thought it would be a good place to start. The book does give one example of a Zen ceremony, but that's about it if you're looking for Zen resources. What the book does have, however, is page after page of wonderful readings for weddings. If you're looking for a reading to add a special touch to your ceremony, you will find some great ones here.

Readers will find a profound treasure within the pages of this small book. The Haggard's combine to clearly and concisely define the rich symbolism of each aspect of the wedding ceremony as well as deftly explaining the significance of the relation of Bride and Groom to that of Christ and the Church. As a Pastor, I give this book my highest recommendation to all married couples or those contemplating marriage. This diminutive book, does however, have a rub to it. Limited to only 87 pages, and much of that filled with photos, inserts and blank chapter heading pages, there is really only about 50 pages of actual text here. I'm afraid many readers will be put off by the overall lack of depth, particularly at the publisher's retail price.

Wedding Music

 

If you're planning a traditional or formal wedding on a budget, this cd has it all. There are even two selections of Wagner's "Wedding March" to choose from. Only two of the selections have vocals, the rest are all extraordinary instrumental selections. Often, even around the house or in my car, I find myself listening to this cd. The music is soothing, refreshing, uplifting and most enjoyable. I recommend this cd over all other wedding music cd's.

Just in case you didn't find the perfect music in Volume I, this one has other selections perfect for traditional style weddings.

Wedding Planning

 

Okay, so I might not call this an "ultimate" wedding planner, but it's a pretty good one.

Hailed by countless professional wedding planners as the best single source for planning your wedding. The author is a long time planner and an innovator in the wedding planning industry. He has also combined input from hundreds of other professional planners.

This planning guide really gets the groom involved. So many wedding planning guides are cookie cutter copies of each other. You'll find this one is quiet unique. This book implements a lot of real couple experiences and gives great advice on dodging wedding ceremony problems before they arise.

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