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ing sessions as long and painful as possible. If they can survive a series of premarital counseling sessions from me, then they deserve a lifetime of holy matrimonial bliss.
• One strange phenomenon I have seen in weddings throughout the years is the number of people who cry at weddings. For some it may be overwhelmed with happiness. Others may be overwhelmed with memories of their own wedding. But the father of the bride is the one I watch.
• It is very hard for some of these fathers to keep back the tears, not because they are losing a daughter, or because they are gaining a son-in-law, but because they are losing a whole lot of money on this wedding.
• Then it got me thinking. Most weddings cost a small fortune. Of course small is a relative term. A young bride coached by her mother will find ways to burn through the father's bank account. "No price is too much to pay for this daughter of ours," the mother explains. "She's worth everything it costs."
• And the father weeps some more. Especially if there is the younger daughter in the wings.
• Looking into the situation the more I discovered just how much people pay for their weddings.
• When anybody asks me about performing the wedding ceremony and how much I charge, I always say that I do not charge anything. What I am really saying is that I would prefer cash. I always leave that to the discretion of the groom. Usually, the groom is so discreet in paying me that I actually never see any money.
• When I discover how much the wedding has cost and how much I was not given as an honorarium for my services, I too, weep at weddings.
• Occasionally, I meet a young couple who understand the importance of a Christian marriage. Although it is viewed as old-fashioned, I like to reflect what the Bible
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