How We’re Preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage

Later this month, Nathan and I will be in my home parish, surrounded by our friends and family, and united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. We’ve been looking forward to getting married since we started dating, and now that we’re in the final days of our engagement, things are becoming more and more real by the day.

Marriage is a milestone that I’ve been excited to reach for as long as I can remember, and after getting married, my life will never be the same. This might seem daunting at first, but it’s a change that I’m excited to make because it means that I’ll get to spend the rest of my life with Nathan, the one who my soul loves.

Like any major transition or big life event, getting married takes time. While actually getting married will happen rather quickly at our Nuptial Mass, Nathan and I have been intentional about getting ready for marriage. We’ve been spending a lot of time planning our actual wedding, but we’ve also been devoting lots of time to preparing ourselves and each other for the Sacrament. Among booking vendors, selecting decorations, and tasting cakes, here’s what else Nathan and I have also been doing before we say “I do.”

Prayer
Nathan and I have made praying together an important part of our relationship almost from the start. While we were dating, we prayed together sporadically at first, and then more regularly as our relationship progressed. When I lived in Washington DC, we prayed together every time he visited me. Before we said goodbye, we would sit down to thank God for our time, to intercede for each other, and to ask Him to guide us in our relationship. We’ve also been going to Mass together more often, and we’re talking more about faith in our everyday conversations.

As important as praying with each other is, we also make time to pray individually. We pray for ourselves and for each other, especially now that we’re engaged. While we were dating, I would pray for Nathan and I would pray that I could love him the way that he was made to be loved. I still do this now, but as we prepare for marriage, I pray that I can be a holy wife and that he will be a holy husband.

Pre-Cana
As we prepare for our marriage, we genuinely enjoyed taking our Pre-Cana classes online. Otherwise known as marriage classes, our Pre-Cana classes have been teaching us so much. We deepened our understanding of marriage as a Sacrament and the grace that it constantly outpours. Additionally, we learned practical things to remember throughout our marriage, like communication, decision-making, and how to deal with important life issues together.

Planning
Nathan and I have always talked about our futures, and now that our wedding is just around the corner, we constantly talk about our future together. It’s fun to dream up our lives together, but we’re also tackling decisions to be made together. Our Pre-Cana classes have prompted us to have conversations about where we want to call our forever home, how to budget our money, and when to start a family.

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Throughout our engagement, I’ve been thinking about the difference between our wedding day and our marriage. It’s no secret that planning for a wedding is completely different than preparing for marriage. Our wedding day will come and go, but after Nathan and I say our vows, we’re united for life. While my wedding dress, the food, and the venue are all nice things, what we’re most looking forward to is our marriage that will last for the rest of our lives. For the past several months, Nathan and I have been praying for both our wedding and our marriage. We pray that our wedding day goes well and that we’ll be joyful no matter what happens, but more than that, we pray for a marriage that will last a lifetime.

As Nathan and I prepare to be united in the Sacrament of Matrimony on December 18, we’re praying that our marriage will be a holy one and that we’ll spend the rest of our lives bringing each other closer to the Lord. Please join us in praying for our marriage during these final days of our engagement!

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