We are so thankful for how the Lord has blessed us, not only with each other, but with so many cherished family and friends. As we approach the big day, we wanted to share a bit about our hope with you.

There are going to be flowers, great food, music, photos, and at least one beautiful white dress. There will be a stunning bride and a serviceable groom, a lot of smiles, many tears, and so much love. It's all very exciting.

However, at the core of our pending nuptials is not the decoration. It is not the legally binding paperwork from the state of Illinois. It is not the registry, though we do thank you for your generosity in advance.

Central instead, is Jesus Christ and the love He has for each of His people. Our hope lies in Him, and our marriage, though a cheap imitation, is based on His true marriage story with His Church. Despite our best efforts, we can't conjure up a successful marriage on our own. In short, we need Jesus for us to even be able to work at this beautiful, strange mystery called marriage.

What does this mean for you as a beloved guest? First, it means that you are going to be a witness to our commitment, helping to hold us accountable in our vows.

And it means that we love and cherish you, and couldn't envision this day without your presence. We have both been incredibly blessed by our communities, and we desire for this day to be a blessing to you. And not just the wedding, but the marriage as well. Whether young or mature, single or married, rich or working for a piece of the pie, we hope this union encourages you too.

We wrote a prayer to recite before discussing wedding details, and it concludes with Paul's words in Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Thank you, and we can't wait for June 8th!

Love, Kels and Steve