Without getting too far into it, this article is a piece of marriage advice that I need a constant reminder of throughout my daily life. It is a lesson I learned from our wedding pastor while we were going through pre-marital counseling, and is something we all need to know before making the biggest commitment of our lives...marriage.
And I promise, it's short, sweet, and straight to the point but so worth the read!
Click on the image below to read the article!
Written with love, by Pastor Dave Page
I recently did a wedding in Malibu for a wonderful couple and the bride’s mother made a comment I’ll never forget. She said, “You always remember your wedding pastor.”
It’s true. I remember the pastor who married me and my wife. His name is Dr. Jess Moody and he was the pastor of a church in the Greater Los Angeles area. In fact, I talked with him just a couple weeks ago. He is a dear friend who I share a special bond with.
The wedding day really is a significant day for couples and I relish the fact that I get to be involved. As a wedding pastor, my goal is to make it something they will always remember with fond memories and that it will have a great impact on their family and friends who come to support them. I design each wedding ceremony to reflect the values and desires of the couples I serve using various wedding elements (vows, rings, readings, poems, prayers, and innovative ideas). I make the wedding a celebration and I make it fun!
In a nutshell, I specialize in providing exceptional wedding ceremonies for couples that are spiritual but not religious. I really enjoy the interaction I have with the couples I marry and the friendships that are formed.
Consider the comments below from two brides and one father of a bride that I’ve had the privilege of marrying.
"It was divine intervention when I found Pastor Dave online. From our very first communication, I knew that we had found our guy. Pastor Dave is the type of person you want to have as a friend and would only be so lucky to have as your Pastor. We met on a number of occasions and when the wedding day came, we both felt that it was our friend that was up there with us, not just a pastor officiating the vows.”
~ Heather (MacLean) Russell, Real Estate Agent in Phoenix, AZ (Wedding in Santa Barbara)
“Pastor Dave assisted my husband and I in our greatest celebration life can offer, our wedding. Pastor Dave inspired us and made our wedding day very special. Through our engagement Pastor Dave got to know us and was able to speak about our relationship and our future. Not only did he provide a wonderful ceremony he provided us with a message for our future to never stop believing in what truly matters in life - family and our spirituality.
~ Sarah Shields, Personal Stylist Manager Nordstrom (Wedding in the Malibu Hills)
“I wanted to personally thank you for the wonderful ceremony that truly was the cornerstone of an unforgettable, amazing day. Lindsay and Brooks truly admire you and very much appreciated their premarital counseling sessions with you. As they both said, ‘Pastor Dave is awesome, he loves love’ and it certainly showed as you presided over their wedding!’”
~ Jay Sherwood, Investment Banker and Father of Lindsay (Sherwood) Burgoon. (Wedding in Santa Ynez)
Mark Russell, Heather’s husband is the founder of the popular Oregano's Pizza Bistros in Scottsdale, AZ. Mark asked me to look him up the next time I came to Phoenix. I did and he and Heather treated us (me and my wife) to an incredible dinner six months after their wedding.
I cherish the bonds that are formed with couples I marry and stay in touch with many of them. I especially enjoy seeing them have kids and keeping up with them through Facebook and emails. Maybe some couples will forget me someday but I will never forget any of them.
In my next blog post I will share “What to Look for When Choosing a Wedding Officiant.”
Written with love, by Pastor Dave Page
Puppy love is something everyone has heard of and most of us have experienced. It’s a love between a young couple within days or weeks of getting together. It’s not really true love, more like blind affection - immature, young love. It’s been said that puppy love leads to a dog’s life. Not in this case. Meet Jake and Aly.
Jake grew up in a church I founded in Auburn, CA. His parents, Dale and Susan, are good friends and are extremely proud of him. Jake met Aly in college and learned early of her love for dogs in general, Labrador retrievers in particular. Jake and Aly dated for five years and experienced their share of ups and downs but something always drew them back to one another. Then Aly moved to Australia and it seemed like the relationship might end.
In early 2014, Aly was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis), which led her to move back home to California. The only person she thought about during this time was Jake. Aly shared her diagnosis with him and thought it might scare him off but instead it drew them closer together and began a new chapter in their love story. Jake said, “I knew I had to be with Aly because I wanted to be the one to take care of her. I’m the only one who can do that.”
For the past two years Jake has been Aly’s rock through some challenging health issues. He has been her consistent source of love, strength, and encouragement. Falling back in love with Jake was Aly's most fulfilling and rewarding decision she ever made.
The night Jake proposed, he told Aly they were going to dinner with his parents at a restaurant near their favorite beach in Los Angeles. They arrived early, so Jake suggested they walk along the beach before dinner. While walking, Aly spotted an arch built in the sand. As Jake led her closer toward the arch, Aly began to realize it was created for her. Embedded in the sand in the shape of a heart were candles, rose petals, photos of the couple from the past five years, and a sign made with their hashtag #adventuresofjakenaly that the couple had created a few months ago for all the trips and adventures they'd been on.
As they approached the heart shaped arch, Jake pulled Aly into the center and told her he’d asked her dad for permission to marry her. But it doesn’t end there. Jake figured there was one more important person’s blessing that he needed. Aly’s mom had died from breast cancer when Aly was 16 years old. Jake pulled out a letter he’d written to Aly’s mom asking for her permission to marry her daughter. Aly wept as he read the beautiful letter.
After reading the letter, Jake got down on one knee and asked Aly for her hand in marriage. Aly responded with a tearful yet giddy “yes.” They then kissed and hugged. At that moment, a woman walked up and handed Aly a Labrador puppy with a balloon tied to its neck that said, “She said yes!” Aly fell to the ground in complete shock and exuberant joy as the puppy climbed on top of her with kisses sharing her excitement.
As Aly stood up see saw both of the couple’s parents running toward them on the beach. But there’s more. As Aly turned around she noticed her best girlfriend from Australia standing in front of her with a balloon. Jake had thought of every detail, including having her best friend fly in from half way around the world to share in an unforgettable moment. A moment that Jake and Aly will remember and cherish forever.
Now this is a true puppy love that will last a lifetime.
