If you missed the first installment in this two-post series be sure to check it out here. Rather than steps and tips, these 10 Ways to Plan a Christ-Centered Wedding focus on the heart and mind. I hope they encourage you!

6. Treat Others with the Love and Mercy of Christ - Whether it’s family, friends, vendors, pastors, future family, or anyone else you come in contact with during wedding planning, you have a choice as to how you will treat each person. Over and over again, you will have opportunities to lay aside your own “rights,” sacrificing out of love for others. And when you do this, you are giving these people a glimpse of Christ in you, who laid aside His own rights in order to serve and love us (Philippians 2).

7. Look for Opportunities to Serve Others as Christ Served You - You will be surrounded by people who want to serve you--vendors, shower hostesses, the bridal party, and more. But instead of demanding everything be about you, you have the chance to serve others. Bring gifts to hostesses, talk with friends about their lives instead of just your wedding, get to know your vendors. And when you do this, once again you are representing Jesus, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

8. Continue to Nurture Love for Your Future Spouse -  Planning a wedding can take a toll on all relationships, especially with your future spouse. Schedule date nights when you can go through a Christ-centered marriage book, or even fun nights when wedding talk is off-limits. Protect your relationship and don’t let the wedding take over.

9. Prepare for a Christ-centered Marriage - Spend personal time in prayer leading to the wedding, asking God to work in your heart through His Holy Spirit to make you the husband or wife He would have you be. Study the life and words of Jesus, and pray for grace and strength to live in the freedom and joy of what He has done for you.

10. Distinguish Between the Essentials and the Non-Essentials - When you make the presentation of the gospel the over-riding essential, it’s easier to determine what things are not essential. There is a freedom in letting the other stuff go, rather than stressing over every tiny detail. When you want people to be impressed with Christ, not with YOU, it frees you up to focus on the most important things, like having a wedding of worship.

These are just 10 things to do in setting out to plan a wedding, but they are fleshed out in greater detail and with more practical application in the book: