Includes bibliographical references.

Contents:

Leaving comes before cleaving

A Wedding of stories

Planning a meaningful wedding

When the ordinary is complicated

Getting married changes things

A covenant of abiding seriousness

Symbols of genograms

Scripture texts for weddings

This book examines the issues surrounding the process of forming the marriage bond such as courtship, the early years of marriage, and specifically, the events that must happen for successful bonding to take place. This book is designed for couples planning to marry, for parents who are struggling to stay close to their children while staying out of the wedding plans, and for clergy who work with couples preparing for marriage.--From publisher's description.