“If you are looking for God where will you find him?

We can aspire to look in heaven, but when we attain this place we will never come back to tell others whether he was there.

We can look around us and in our hearts, is that where God is? Is he with us, around us?

Perhaps our path is to help others who are less fortunate than ourselves and utter the Lords names; then maybe we will find the truth and taste peace on earth.”

A wedding, these days, can be an emotional experience in terms of planning and the day itself. Often taking a year or so to plan, detail can be very important. By far the most important decision to be made is what type of wedding you are going to achieve. It is so important that you decide what you want and what you can expect from the day.

Think carefully about your start times, elders and children, and what they will do if there are extensive delays during the whole day. Try and keep them entertained with tea of cold drinks or make sure there is space where they can rest.

Some people get so tied up in the day to day running that the world must look like its running around so fast. Is this how you want to remember your day?

Some weddings are quiet, some are not BUT it is impossible to compare one wedding to another. You must try not to do that. It is easier to acknowledge this from the start. And it is critical that you note this on the day itself.

It is no good thinking my friend had a quiet wedding and I didn’t. If this happens there are reasons most probably outside of our control. Dynamics of each element come together to make your day yours. Everything is time bound.

There are things we can do to make the event easier Fasting as a question always comes up. Do I have to fast? Do my parents have to fast? I am pretty much open about this. Some people cannot fast for medical reasons; others are upset because they can’t fast on the day. The truth is we don’t have to do everything. We can make adjustments.

If you have a wedding co-ordinator they will make sure all the elements fit in, if you don’t then make sure one person has overall responsibility and it is their task to ensure everything is completed, not yours. Let them make arrangements and co-ordinate, after you have pre-planned that is, and delegate on the day the group photographs for example, the dinner, etc. Let them think liaise with all the service providers. It is really this simple.

Your work will have been done well before the day. You will know the detail of the music for each element, you will know what time your guests will be lunching and what time the head table will eat and what time you will finally leave the event. All these decisions are made before the wedding day.

It is not your task as a couple on the day, under the Mandap, to worry or answer queries. Your task is to sit back, listen, take part and understand.

When the day finally arrives let others do the worrying, but try and ensure your immediate family are comfortable. And on this day itself when you walk in to the Mandap do so with flare, and the groom, well you should be watching your bride. Be attentive during the service and most importantly, enjoy the spiritual experience.