As it turns out, the decision about having or not having
alcohol is often one of the trickiest when it comes to being a Christian with
non-Christian parents and family members. Jen Bingham, a 25-year-old wife of nearly four
years shares, "I never really got too embarrassed by my non-Christian parents during
the events, except when my dad gave his toast at the wedding. I know he had great
intentions, but his speech turned out to be words slurred with pure drunkenness.
"I just had to remember that my dad's intentions were
pure and how hard it was for him to lose his little girl, which helped me get over
it," says Bingham.
Others have handled the whole alcohol situation slightly
differently. "We ended up compromising," says Haygood.
"We didn't have alcohol at the rehearsal or at the
wedding, but my family went out for drinks before the rehearsal and they tolerated the
dinner without it. As far as the wedding, we decided to have it at 11:30 a.m. which
eliminated the alcohol issue for the most part. My momjust decided to have her own 'After
the Reception, Reception.' In the end, it all turned out wonderfully and I didn't hear
anyone (except my family) complain about not having alcohol."
But the issue of whether or not to serve alcohol is just
one of many obstacles Christian brides face when planning their weddings. Some
non-Christian parents may not want you to include any elements of your faith in your
ceremony. And while it's easy to say to a Christian bride, "don't compromise your
standards," it creates a sticky situation when Mom and Dad are paying for the event.
"My parents are Jewish, and since they were paying for
the wedding, I felt obligated to hear them out on what they had in mind for the
ceremony," says 26-year-old Michelle Colton. "It became a huge problem when they
alluded to having an extremely short service without any Christian elements because they
didn't want to be uncomfortable or to alienate their Jewish friends and family members who
would be attending."Ordained Pastor Jim Gum empathizes with brides in this situation.
"You have to tread wisely with what you're willing to compromise. It's difficult to
honor your father and mother if you're just taking their money but not listening to their
concerns and wishes."
So where do you draw the line between honoring your parents
while staying true to your Christian faith? |