Posing for a picture after a friend’s wedding and anticipating our own.
Marriage licenses and photo booths
By the end of this month, I’ll be married. I’ll be Katie Ginn, though I might still include “Eubanks” for MCL matters. Just a week before this edition published, Stephen and I met at the Madison County Circuit Clerk’s office in Canton and got our marriage license. It took about 20 minutes.
Stephen was half afraid obtaining the license would amount to an accidental elopement. But no, we won’t be legally wed till the preacher signs off on it.
Still, watching the deputy clerk emboss a gold seal on that otherwise unremarkable sheet of paper made my teeth chatter. No, the courthouse didn’t have the A/C on blast: Every so often, when something wonderful, nerve-wracking, or otherwise awe-inspiring is about to happen, that’s just how my body reacts. My teeth chatter.
I tried to suppress a smile, then thought, “What am I doing?” I was one step closer to marrying my fiancé — I could grin all I wanted!
Two days later, our singles group from church threw us our third and (as far as we know) final shower. They’ve all been fun, but this one included a bit of a surprise, though we should’ve seen it coming.
Many of you know I’m a huge fan of the “Lord of the Rings” books and movies. Stephen is a huge fan of “Star Wars.” Our singles group knew this and proceeded to host what I’m sure was the nerdiest wedding shower that any of us had ever attended.
There was a “photo booth” area featuring LOTR and Star Wars props, including an elven crown and ears made of pipe cleaners and felt; Stars Wars plates, cups and napkins; and even a sign on the front door, featuring a photo of Stephen and me dressed as Han Solo and Princess Leia, with the words “You Shall Pass” (yes, that’s a tweaked LOTR quote).
It seems like every time we reach the end of our wedding-planning rope, we encounter something joyful like this, and I’m so glad.
Just a couple weekends earlier, we drove to Austin to watch a friend of Stephen’s get married. It was the most beautiful wedding I’d ever attended, and I wasn’t even pre-emptively jealous. In fact, that sunset ceremony was just what I needed to get over myself. (My hairstyling attempts that day had ended in a ’90s nightmare, so I’d had to pin part of my hair up, which made me irrationally irritable.)
So much of this engagement season has been a challenge, but I want to focus on the joy — the nerdy homemade photo booths and gorgeous Texas weddings, not the overdone hairspray or never-ending task lists.
Stephen rightly pointed out recently that we took on a five-month engagement with Christmas in the middle of it. And we’re still together! And our friends are still friends with us! In fact, they’re such good friends, they make us Yoda ears and lightsabers for goofy wedding-shower photos. I’d call that a win.
Yes, we still have plenty left to do. Wedding-related tasks that were upcoming at press time included:
• Reaching out to folks who hadn’t RSVP’d
• Sending playlists to the sound guy
• Finalizing the catering menu
• Shopping for the honeymoon (trying to upgrade my beach vacation wardrobe)
But the reason for all of these tasks is that we’re getting married in a few weeks. We get to be companions as we follow Jesus. We get to share a life and a home together. And I am so excited.
Not every season is fun, and God doesn’t expect us to pretend we’re happy when we’re not. But if you’re in a good season, I hope you can pause and remember why it’s good. Most of all, I hope we can all remember God’s sovereignty in every situation.
Before our wedding shower the other day, Stephen and I did a little Bible study. (His suggestion. Did I mention I was grateful for him?) Here’s Psalm 2:2-4a –
“The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
‘Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.’
He who sits in the heavens laughs.”
If God is so unbothered by world powers that He laughs at them, He can surely handle our battles, too. Let’s praise Him for that today!`
Katie Eubanks
katie@mschristianliving.com
