i loved reading all this, and i have a question: who performs the marriage ceremonies? is it someone who is recognized by the state or country you live in, or is it simply one of the elders [or whatever you may call them]?
Hi Bill, thanks for reading! The marriage ceremony is performed by a Bruderhof pastor - in all the locations where we have communities, this is recognized by the state, although (like everyone else) the couple has to get a marriage license from the jurisdiction they are married in. We're planning to write more about the actual marriage ceremony in a future post.
What a beautiful reflection on marriage as a step into something beyond our mere selves! I love how you’ve shared that the purpose of the community taking on the work of planning and executing the celebratory events means that the couple can simply enjoy themselves. It reminds me of your post about welcoming new babies: the mother and father can simply *be* with their little one, because someone else is doing all the washing and cooking! What a gift, and what a model for Christians everywhere.
Some married couples might enjoy this at-home “date night box” I created with a friend, designed to help husband and wife reflect on their lives through each vow taken. It can be used more than once- some couples have started to revisit it yearly :)
Thank you so much, Kerri! I'm still in awe of what just happened to our family in the gift of this wedding. The support of the community really does mean that the couple can focus on what matters, and truly enjoy the experience. I'm a big proponent of couples designating regular time to invest in their relationship, and your initiative looks amazing!
i loved reading all this, and i have a question: who performs the marriage ceremonies? is it someone who is recognized by the state or country you live in, or is it simply one of the elders [or whatever you may call them]?
Hi Bill, thanks for reading! The marriage ceremony is performed by a Bruderhof pastor - in all the locations where we have communities, this is recognized by the state, although (like everyone else) the couple has to get a marriage license from the jurisdiction they are married in. We're planning to write more about the actual marriage ceremony in a future post.
What a beautiful reflection on marriage as a step into something beyond our mere selves! I love how you’ve shared that the purpose of the community taking on the work of planning and executing the celebratory events means that the couple can simply enjoy themselves. It reminds me of your post about welcoming new babies: the mother and father can simply *be* with their little one, because someone else is doing all the washing and cooking! What a gift, and what a model for Christians everywhere.
Some married couples might enjoy this at-home “date night box” I created with a friend, designed to help husband and wife reflect on their lives through each vow taken. It can be used more than once- some couples have started to revisit it yearly :)
https://firstsaturday.co.uk/market/p/datenightdigital
Thank you so much, Kerri! I'm still in awe of what just happened to our family in the gift of this wedding. The support of the community really does mean that the couple can focus on what matters, and truly enjoy the experience. I'm a big proponent of couples designating regular time to invest in their relationship, and your initiative looks amazing!
Hi Kerri! We enjoyed writing this one - a wedding is always such a happy occasion and reflecting on it helps us realize what a precious thing it is.
And thank you for the link to the resources! Will definitely check it out.