Recently, our daughter, Debbie (DJ), married a man who is so closely matched to her that everyone who knows them is amazed.

Roy is a master photographer, having won awards for composition and subject. He is the family head to whom everyone turns when anything broken needs fixing or something new must be made from old parts of machinery or furniture. He is also the one to hold the family together in times of crisis. But that’s Debbie, also.

Roy is a historian. He and Debbie reenact historical Virginian events and have taught candle making and bateau navigating on the James River. They attend rendezvous meetings with other reenactors from all over the East Coast. Both love camping and are very "earthy” people. If there is such a thing as a soul mate, Roy and DJ are soul mates. Because they are unique and totally comfortable with themselves, the wedding plans were unusual. The invitations were printed on brown wrapping paper, the bride’s dress was deerskin, their shoes were leather moccasins, and the wedding site was an open field. The reception featured a huge kettle of Brunswick stew and loaves of freshly baked bread.

Friends and curious on-lookers gathered around while DJ’s brother led the couple in the marriage vows. Dulcimer Dave provided soft music and the couple returned to their campsite on a horse-drawn wagon.

Wedding plans sometimes take months and are usually the culmination of a girl’s lifelong dreams. The preparation is exciting, and everything must be exactly right.

I (Ruth) remember my wedding. I’m sure I must have tried on every dress in the bridal shop. Even the undergarments were chosen with utmost care. I worried about what shoes to wear because, back then, Elmer was shorter than I was. I was picky about the flowers, cake, invitations, and the rings. I wanted all my friends there, so we spent hours finding addresses for people we had not seen for a long time. The honeymoon plans were discussed and changed several times, and every detail of who rode in which car and which car was the getaway car was part of the carefully decided details.

After all, we planned to spend the rest of our lives together.

I am planning to spend eternity with my heavenly Bridegroom. Sometimes I wonder how much preparation and planning I am doing and how excited I get as I look toward that time.

He will provide the dress—a robe of righteousness. I don’t have to be concerned about where I’ll live because He is building a mansion for me. He is doing His part, but I’m a little slow on my end of it.

I know I need to spend more time getting to know Him. Elmer wrote me love letters that I still have. God has written love letters to me, too, but sometimes I can’t find time to read them.

Elmer and I talked every chance we got before we got married, but sometimes I seem to rush the intimate talks with my heavenly Bridegroom.

I talked about Elmer all the time—to everyone. I was not embarrassed to talk about him, even to complete strangers. Isn’t it amazing that I sometimes find it difficult to talk about the Lord with the same freedom and love?

Elmer and I enjoy doing things for each other. I know him so well that I can usually guess where he wants to go out to eat. But I can still pick out a tie to surprise him now and then. Sometimes we even complete a sentence for each other. I want to know the Lord like that! I need to know what pleases Him and that He takes pleasure in what I do. It’s all about preparation, getting to know the other person better than anyone else. Like the song: "Getting to know you, getting to know all about you, getting to know all the beautiful and new things I’m learning about you, day by day.”

The wedding march is about to begin! Here comes the bride.