Dylan's friends and family came to Hope Fellowship on Saturday, Dec. 27, expecting to hear him propose to his girlfriend, Jessica. After socializing for half an hour, the hundred-plus guests were shushed into silence as Dylan led Jessica, who was blindfolded, to the centre of the stage. Dylan dropped to his knees and pulled out a ring box. Jessica took off her blindfold. We held our collective breath as Dylan took Jessica’s hand and … led her off the stage without saying a word.
Suddenly a video appeared on both screens and, over opening scenes of a groom dressing for a wedding ceremony, we heard Dylan announce, “I knew I wanted to marry her, so I did.” When? Three weeks earlier, on December 4. The video continued with wonderful scenes of Dylan and Jessica walking down the decorated aisle of a church in Columbus, and heartwarming close-ups of their beautiful flower girl, Brooklyn, Jessica’s daughter.
The guests gasped and then broke into sustained applause as they realized that they had not been invited to a wedding proposal but a wedding reveal. When the video concluded, Dylan and Jessica apologized for their sweet deception and asked everyone to understand that this is how they wanted to get married – in a private ceremony with only their parents and siblings present. The guests responded with more applause and soon there was a receiving line of well-wishers.
“Did you know?” Marja asked me. “Since November,” I said, chuckling. “But aren’t you glad that I kept this from you so that you could also be surprised tonight?” She laughed and said, “Absolutely. And now I finally understand why you insisted on keeping December 27 free.”
For some, the news of their secret nuptial was a lot to process. It was almost an elopement, after all. But for me it was happy news from a delightful couple that married their way while keeping God at the centre of it all.
Well done, Mr. and Mrs. H! And congratulations.
- Pastor Peter
Suddenly a video appeared on both screens and, over opening scenes of a groom dressing for a wedding ceremony, we heard Dylan announce, “I knew I wanted to marry her, so I did.” When? Three weeks earlier, on December 4. The video continued with wonderful scenes of Dylan and Jessica walking down the decorated aisle of a church in Columbus, and heartwarming close-ups of their beautiful flower girl, Brooklyn, Jessica’s daughter.
The guests gasped and then broke into sustained applause as they realized that they had not been invited to a wedding proposal but a wedding reveal. When the video concluded, Dylan and Jessica apologized for their sweet deception and asked everyone to understand that this is how they wanted to get married – in a private ceremony with only their parents and siblings present. The guests responded with more applause and soon there was a receiving line of well-wishers.
“Did you know?” Marja asked me. “Since November,” I said, chuckling. “But aren’t you glad that I kept this from you so that you could also be surprised tonight?” She laughed and said, “Absolutely. And now I finally understand why you insisted on keeping December 27 free.”
For some, the news of their secret nuptial was a lot to process. It was almost an elopement, after all. But for me it was happy news from a delightful couple that married their way while keeping God at the centre of it all.
Well done, Mr. and Mrs. H! And congratulations.
- Pastor Peter
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