When the Wedding Was Perfect… but Something Was Missing
Part 1 of The Greatest of These, inspired by 1 Corinthians 13.
The string quartet was flawless. The flowers were breathtaking. The bride’s custom-written vows had everyone in tears. But as I walked to my car, something about the day felt… unfinished. Like watching a movie with the sound off. Beautiful—but hollow.
Her name was Janelle. She was radiant in blush and lace, clutching a bouquet of calla lilies.
Her fiancé, Glenn, wore a pale gray suit that set off his warm smile. They had planned every detail of their ceremony—sunset lighting, unity sand for their blended family, handwritten vows that danced like poetry.
As their officiant, I was honored to guide them through it all. But after the ceremony, something unexpected happened.
Janelle’s aunt, Miss Lottie, pulled me aside and said with a gentle smile,
“Baby, that was lovely. But did they mention the Lord? I heard music and promises, but I didn’t hear love. Not His kind of love.”
I paused. She wasn’t criticizing. She was discerning.
I remembered 1 Corinthians 13:1—
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
Miss Lottie was right. The words were beautiful, but something deeper was missing.
We live in a world that celebrates eloquence—grand declarations of love, Pinterest-worthy proposals, ceremonies that go viral. But God reminds us that love is not just a sound—it’s a source.
Without love—real love, the kind that is patient, kind, humble, and enduring—our most poetic vows are just noise. Our gestures ring hollow. Our lives, even when dressed in their Sunday best, miss the mark.
Love isn’t found in the perfect speech or the most expensive ring. It’s found in daily surrender. In God’s example. In how we show up on the ordinary Tuesdays—when no one’s watching and there’s nothing to post.
1 Corinthians 13 doesn’t begin with “Love is patient…”
It begins with this: You can have all the right words and still miss the point.
Janelle told me later that even though everything looked perfect on the outside, she felt what her aunt had sensed. There was a moment during the ceremony where she looked into Glenn’s eyes and thought, “This is beautiful… but are we truly ready?”
That question led them to something far more valuable than a flawless wedding day. It led them to the love they didn’t know was missing.
A few weeks after their wedding, I received a message from Janelle.
She wrote:
“Claudia, thank you for everything. Our day was beautiful—but Aunt Lottie’s words stuck with me. Glenn and I started reading 1 Corinthians 13 together every morning. It’s changed how we speak to each other. We didn’t just want a perfect day. We want a purposeful marriage.”
That’s what we’re building here at Joy for a Lifetime—not just ceremonies, but sacred beginnings.
Whether you're planning your wedding, a vow renewal, or a private elopement...
Whether you’re writing new vows or recommitting to forever...
Let’s start with what matters most: love that lasts.
Schedule your free consultation today:
https://www.notarynearme-florida.com
Serving Zephyrhills, Tampa Bay, and couples across the country through virtual options
Want to go deeper?
Head over to the Joy for a Lifetime YouTube channel and listen to the full reading of 1 Corinthians 13—a reminder of what love sounds like when it speaks from heaven.
Because love isn’t just heard in beautiful vows.
It’s shown in how we live, give, forgive… and grow.
And when God is at the center, every “I do” becomes a doorway to
Joy for a Lifetime.
