Wedding Day Coif

A few days ago, Kayla was a bridesmaid in her bestfriend's wedding. Prior to the photo time with the bridal party, Kayla called to ask me to help her with a crisscross style Kim wanted all her bridesmaids to have. I love to do hair, so I was excited to help her. After a pound of Aqua Net, at least 20 bobby pins and a 400 degree F curling wand, she was good to go with only the Alabama humidity and potential Spring rains as the enemies. It got me thinking about wedding hair ... what the bride will wear the day of the nuptials. Now for guys, as usual, it's pretty simple: a good haircut. But for girls it can run the gamut. Hair up? Hair down? Extentions? Curly? Straight? Hair jewelry? Flowers? Headbands? So thought we'd get some tips.

1) First off, don't try a new style the day of the wedding. You're begging for disaster. Try out your style at least once with your veil to see how it will look. Try different styles to see what looks best. If you are having someone style your hair, bring pictures of what your like. Do practice styles at least three months in advance.

2) If you are planning to get a haircut, highlights or coloring done, get it done at least two to four weeks prior to the wedding. That gives it time to grow a bit and soften. Plus if you need to make any changes, it give you time.

3) Get to know your hairspray well. Spray before and after you do anything to your hair. It will help it hold, especially if it's like my hair and falls quickly in humidity. Plus this will help in windy outdoor situations as well.

4) If you have long hair, note that guys like it down. Girls always seem to want to put it up. But if you ask men, more often then not, they want your hair down and looking as close to what they are used to as possible. Of course, we don't always do what they want, but just giving you their perspective. If you want it up, try half up and half down and make everyone happy. 1 Corinthians 11:15 says "if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her."

5) Keep the time of year in mind. Is it hot and humid, then work with your hair. You might need it off your neck then. If it's curly, let it be curly. If it's straight, stick with that.

6) Be sure to eat healthy leading up to the wedding (eat healthy every day). For healthy hair, munch on salmon, yogurt, spinach, poultry, sweet potatoes, cinnamon, eggs, blueberries, carrots, nuts and oysters. You'll get shine, body and strength.

7) Consider your dress. If the dress has a magical back that you want to show off, make sure your hair is high enough to see it.

8) Some brides do two styles: an up do for the ceremony and down for the reception. You can have fun with this if you'd like, but then you need someone to help take care of that the day of.

9) Don't pull back tight at the hairline, even it is half up half down. You'll sometimes look bald in photos.

10) Check all the angles. What do you look like from the front, side and back? People will be seeing all of it the day of, so you want a style that's complimentary from all angles.

You will be lovely no matter how you wear your hair, so have fun and be natural!

Discussion: Have you decided how you want to wear your hair on your wedding day? How does your future spouse want to see you on your wedding day?

Prayer: Father you tell us the hairs on our heads are numbered, that is how much you care for us. We want to look good on our wedding day and pray for weather conducive to it. We love you, Father. Thank you for loving us and for your son, Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen.

We Have This Hope

Beachy, nautically ... that is the theme of Rob and Ayla's wedding. With Rob's love of boats and growing up near the Atlantic, Ayla's yearly vacations to the seashore and the couple's current location in the "happiest city in America," Sarasota, right on the gulf coast, it is a perfect theme for them. You will find seashells and sunset and water colors throughout the ceremony and reception. And one other symbol that means a lot to our daughter and has for a long time ... the anchor.

Lately the anchor has become a popular fashion item in clothing, jewelry and decor, but Ayla loved it long before it came into style. It stems from her love of this Bible verse in Hebrews 6:19, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul." What hope you ask? Well, you have to go back a few verses to get that info. The writer of Hebrews it telling the believers that God's promise of our eternal destination is sure. No matter what happens on this sea of life, tossing us to and fro via trials and challenges, we know without a doubt by God's grace we will be saved in Jesus Christ. He made it possible for us to enter the Holy of Holies where God dwells, which was once considered only accessible in the temple by a priest. Christ's death tore the thick, long veil that separated the holy inner temple from the cube-shaped location of the ark of the covenant, God's throne. Now we have access to the Father Almighty thanks to our Redeemer. And we have this hope forever. It will not change. As long as our belief remains steadfast in Him, we are anchored securely in our souls.

It's so comforting to know as a parent that our children have this hope. We know they are holding tightly to the Word and clinging to the promises of God. We know their eternal future in Him is set. And we pray they continue to keep their eyes on the One True God. To have that confidence in Christ, that sure foundation, brings a peace than cannot be compared.

We thank our Father in heaven, that our children have found souls to marry that have that same confidence and security. We pray you will always keep that hope as your anchor and glorify the One who holds your future in His hands.

Discussion: What does this hope mean to you? Tell of some storms in your life where God's anchor held you steadfast.

Prayer: "Hope like never before, You came to us!" says the song Set Free. Thank you, Father, for Your Son, Jesus Christ, our hope, our salvation! May we ever keep our eyes on You, our minds in the Word and our hearts fulfilling your plan through compassion in this world. In Jesus' beautiful name. Amen.

Behind The Veil

The morning after his wedding, Jacob in the Bible woke up with the wrong woman next to him. He had just worked seven years for his future father-in-law and uncle, Laban, to earn Rachel as his wife and instead wakes up that honeymoon morning with her older sister Leah in his bed. Huge oops. Folks throughout the centuries have asked, "How did that happen? Didn't you see her face when you married?" Well, I don't think wedding traditions of our time were the same as then, since the Bible says Laban gave a feast then Jacob went into "her." Doesn't sound like vows were exchanged, so the room could have been dark. But there have been folks who said maybe Leah was wearing a veil so Jacob couldn't see her face. Perhaps. If so, maybe that's why they are sheer now.

I read that the bridal veil got started in ancient times during arranged marriages. The groom wasn't to see the bride until their vows, so she was kept covered. The meaning of veil is to "conceal, hide or protect." Some say the first time the groom saw his bride's features was at the vows, and he wouldn't back out if she's wasn't as appealing physically as he'd hoped. Concealing her could very well have protected her from losing her husband before they were legally hitched. Others say the veil was to keep away evil spirits or to show the bride's purity.

Nowadays, the veil isn't for concealing. It's just part of the bridal outfit. I mean, where else are you going to wear a veil? Little Catholic girls get to wear one at their first Holy Communion, and some widows wear a black one in mourning (i.e. Jackie Kennedy) but other than that, there are really no other "veil" occasions. Every little girl who has played "wedding" as a child, wore some blanket on her head as the bride. It is interesting on shows like "Say Yes To The Dress," the bride and her entourage don't completely break down or get on board with the potential dress until a veil is put on the bride. Then the tears fall and the deal is sealed. It's what makes the bride look bridal.

There are all kinds of styles: birdcage (the little short netted one), shoulder length, fingertip, chapel and cathedral. Some are tiered, poofy, shimmery, lacey, appliqued, ribboned and sparkly. They are all breathtaking on a bride and make for lovely photographs.

On the wedding day, one piece of the veil (called the blusher) goes over the head in front of the face until the bride is presented by her father to the groom at the altar. Then the father pulls the blusher over the head to the back. Both Ayla and Kayla have their veils. Ayla's is edged in sparkles and Kayla's is the veil her mother, Irene, wore at her wedding edged in beautiful lace. Both ladies will look gorgeous in their wedding veils.

There are two specific veils listed in Scripture that I wanted to talk about with you. One is the veil Moses wore. Apparently after visiting with God on Mt. Sinai, Moses was so radiant and glowy the people had trouble looking at him, so he would wear a veil (Exodus 34:33-35). The other veil isn't one that was worn at all. It hung at the entrance of the Holy of Holies in the temple to separate the people from God. When Jesus died on the cross, that thick, heavy, long veil was "torn in two, from top to bottom." (Matthew 27:51). Notice that both veils were to separate people from the radiance that is or comes from God.

The veils the bride wears may in essence do the same. Prior to marrying her fiance, the bride is God's little girl, protected, loved and radiant. She is gifted to this man who is charged with loving, caring for and protecting her till death, so then the veil is pulled away. Guys, you have the honor of getting to do that for Ayla and Kayla. Do it well.

Discussion: Girls, did you ever play bride when you were little with a veil on your head? Is a veil important to you in the ceremony?

Prayer: Father, what a wonderful thought that when we are in your presence we could flow the radiance of what is You! We pray that is something people always see in us. Thank you, Lord, for tearing the veil in two that we can commune with you. In Jesus, Amen.