On Wednesday of this week a gentle knock on my front door sent Jack into a fit of barking, but the young girls out on the porch weren’t bothered.

“Hi, I’m Lauren, your neighbor,” the redheaded 20-something said. “I live several blocks that way [pointing] and am going house-to-house to let people know my fiancé and I will be getting married this Saturday. The ceremony will be on the beach, but the reception will be at our house, on the lawn.”

She went on to say she hoped residents would give grace on Saturday when the music got loud and went late. I told her I was all for marriage and would enjoy the festivities from afar.

I said, “Do you think the many beach walkers will turn into beach gawkers during your ceremony?”

“Oh, that’s fine!” she said. “It’ll all be part of the fun.” (I took that to be my personal invitation.)

As the girls left, Lauren handed me a green card, which I read later. “We first exchanged ‘I love you’ on the beach; now we will exchange marriage vows here on August 11.” Also on the card was an apology for any inconvenience the wedding or reception might cause and a promise that “the music will end by 11:30 pm EST.” Signatures of both the bride and groom were included, and I was impressed with this extra effort to troubleshoot.

Yesterday was their special day, and it dawned unseasonably cold with black clouds and spitting rain. Wedding weather is critical when festivities are outdoors, and the bride was the first thing on my mind. But their day developed nicely, generating blue skies and warm breezes for the beachside exchange of vows. Bathing suit clad walker-gawkers hung out at respectful distances waiting for a glimpse of the bride. At 6:00 pm she appeared in a flow-y gown and made her way down a grassy dune toward her groom, who stood under a canopy on the sand.

Marriage was God’s idea and is his recommendation for most of mankind. That’s probably because if brides and grooms want to live together successfully, they have to make use of biblical principles. If they go against them, the marriage falters and may eventually fail.

Because today’s marriage statistics give young people only a 50-50 chance, many conclude it isn’t worth it. “It’s just a piece of paper,” they reason. “What’s the big deal?”

But of course the big deal is commitment. God commits to us, and he wants us to commit to each other. Marriage turns out to be an ideal proving ground for true love, which is agape love, undeserved love. It isn’t easy, but it sure is rewarding. I hope yesterday’s beach couple has already got that figured out.

One thing is sure: their wedding photos will be extraordinary with white caps in the background and seagulls in the foreground. And if my face appears anywhere, may they Photoshop it out.

“Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:8)