When Eric and I first started planning our wedding people often asked what was the theme we were going for (garden, beach, fancy, elegant, etc.) and the one word we both kept coming up with was holy. We want our wedding to at every moment reflect God. We want people to leave realizing they just witnessed a great sacrament. From the sacredness of the mass to every element of the reception we constantly asked ourselves what would most glorify God. We thought we might share a few elements that specifically reflect that so you can notice them at the wedding.
1. The Mass
We are having a full Catholic Mass because the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith and Jesus himself. We firmly believe that our marriage will get all of its strength from the Eucharist and so we will begin our new life together with a celebration of that powerful sacrament. The music at the Mass was carefully selected to signal that this is a sacred event. The readings were selected because they represent three key aspects of marriage: that it has existed since creation, that male leadership is designed by God and is key to a good marriage, and that Mary must be present in marriage because as our mother she will be interceding for us and taking care of all our needs.
2. Attire
My dress and the dresses of the bridesmaids all reflect the dignity of woman desiring to reflect the holiness of a woman of God. We also asked our guests to observe the Church's dress code in order to maintain the sacredness of the space. <more on this in a later blog>
3. Music at the Reception
You will notice that all of the music is clean! We will not be playing any songs that use profanity, degrade women and the sexual act, or are all around dirty. We will also not be playing any music that would make someone want to dance inappropriately. The reception is a celebration of a holy sacrament and we do not want a single element of the festivities to be an offense again God. Don't worry, our music is amazing! There are plenty of songs out there that are great for dancing and still clean. We have a new found love of the 80s!
4. Alcohol
The only alcohol you will find at our reception will be wine. We opted away from an open bar because we did not want to encourage drunkenness at our wedding. Of course an open bar doesn't automatically equal drunkenness but we decided to just remove the temptation. We are opting to serve wine because it was served at a wedding where Jesus performed his first miracle and it has been a long Catholic tradition to serve wine at a wedding and other celebrations.
5. Our Lady of Fatima
We are getting married on the feast day of the final miracle at Fatima. Because of this you will find special ways that we are highlighting our Mother Mary on her special day!
6. Bouquet and Garter Toss
Instead of throwing my bouquet we will be doing an anniversary dance in which little by little married couples are eliminated from the dance floor based on years married until one couple remains who has been married the longest. That couple will receive the bouquet. We are doing this to honor life long married love! Eric will not be tossing my garter because I did not feel comfortable having him take something from under my dress and throw it into a crowd of single men.
Disclaimer:
Please do not take this blog as judgment. These are ways that Eric and I have opted to focus our wedding on the holiness of the sacrament. Please do not assume that if your wedding reception was different that we would say it was unholy.
Please continue to pray for us as we prepare for this amazing sacrament in which we desire to be a reflection of the love of God for the world!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Dress to Impress...but who?
One thing I noticed about my mom when I was growing up was that every time she would buy new clothes she would bring them home and try them on for my dad. If he liked them they stayed, if not they got returned. I finally asked her one day why she does that? Her answer has stuck with me to this day; she said "he is the only one who I care to look attractive for." I thought then and believe even more now that her answer was beautiful and profound.
I recently read a book called "His Needs, Her Needs" about the five basic needs of men in a marriage and the five basic needs of women in a marriage. One of the the needs for men was to have a spouse they find attractive. This makes sense to me because men are very visual. In fact I have heard that it is their strongest sense. Men want to be physically attracted to their wife. Does the level of attraction he has for her affect his love for her? It shouldn't but that doesn't mean women should stop caring about being attractive for their spouse and take for granted that they will still love them. I love dressing nice for Eric and I know he likes it too. There are certain ways I wear my hair that every time I do he remarks "you look pretty today." On special occasions and date nights I make sure to pick one of those hair styles. He doesn't know I do this but it is just a tiny little way that I show my love for him and meet his need/desire of physical attractiveness.
I once met a lady who said she would run around with the kids all day in her comfy sweats and workout clothes and then 30 minutes before her husband came home from work she would shower and put on a dress. I thought that was so sweet and showed how much she cared to look nice for him. When people have company over they usually try to look nice so why not do the same for the most important person in your life. I bet her husband would have loved her just as much in her sweats but I bet he felt extra loved knowing she cared that much to dress up a little to welcome him home.
Taking this one step further I think this can apply even at bed time. No I am not about to tell women that you should wear slinky nighties to bed every night but I once heard a male friend say "flannel pajamas are artificial contraception and should be banned by the church." As silly as that is, it got me thinking. At night the only person who sees you is your spouse so why not take that opportunity to show how much you care to look nice for him by wearing attractive pajamas. I have had more fun these last few months buying all new cute pajamas for when Eric and I get married.
Please don't take this blog the wrong way and think I am supporting vanity or saying that a woman's worth is in how she looks. I know Eric loves me as much in sweats as he does in a pretty dress but why not look nice for him especially when it makes him feel loved? There is only one man who I desire to be found attractive by and that is my future spouse. So I look forward to following my mom's example and showing him the clothes I buy to get his opinion. In fact I have already done this when he helped me pick out my dress for his sister's wedding :)
Why not give it a try ladies. Dress up a little for your husband for a few weeks and see the reaction you get...
I recently read a book called "His Needs, Her Needs" about the five basic needs of men in a marriage and the five basic needs of women in a marriage. One of the the needs for men was to have a spouse they find attractive. This makes sense to me because men are very visual. In fact I have heard that it is their strongest sense. Men want to be physically attracted to their wife. Does the level of attraction he has for her affect his love for her? It shouldn't but that doesn't mean women should stop caring about being attractive for their spouse and take for granted that they will still love them. I love dressing nice for Eric and I know he likes it too. There are certain ways I wear my hair that every time I do he remarks "you look pretty today." On special occasions and date nights I make sure to pick one of those hair styles. He doesn't know I do this but it is just a tiny little way that I show my love for him and meet his need/desire of physical attractiveness.
I once met a lady who said she would run around with the kids all day in her comfy sweats and workout clothes and then 30 minutes before her husband came home from work she would shower and put on a dress. I thought that was so sweet and showed how much she cared to look nice for him. When people have company over they usually try to look nice so why not do the same for the most important person in your life. I bet her husband would have loved her just as much in her sweats but I bet he felt extra loved knowing she cared that much to dress up a little to welcome him home.
Taking this one step further I think this can apply even at bed time. No I am not about to tell women that you should wear slinky nighties to bed every night but I once heard a male friend say "flannel pajamas are artificial contraception and should be banned by the church." As silly as that is, it got me thinking. At night the only person who sees you is your spouse so why not take that opportunity to show how much you care to look nice for him by wearing attractive pajamas. I have had more fun these last few months buying all new cute pajamas for when Eric and I get married.
Please don't take this blog the wrong way and think I am supporting vanity or saying that a woman's worth is in how she looks. I know Eric loves me as much in sweats as he does in a pretty dress but why not look nice for him especially when it makes him feel loved? There is only one man who I desire to be found attractive by and that is my future spouse. So I look forward to following my mom's example and showing him the clothes I buy to get his opinion. In fact I have already done this when he helped me pick out my dress for his sister's wedding :)
Why not give it a try ladies. Dress up a little for your husband for a few weeks and see the reaction you get...
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
39 days to go
Eric and I will become husband and wife in just 39 days. Things are getting busier as all the little details have to now come together. I am excited to say that no one has really gotten stressed out yet. People keep asking me if we are stressed or freaking out yet but honestly we are not stressed or freaking out. We are just excited that the day is drawing closer and closer. God is blessing us beyond belief and we just can't wait to become husband and wife! I still sometimes stop and have to realize that this is really happening! These next 39 days will fly by! Please keep us in your prayers as we make final preparations for our special day!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Bridal Shower Bliss
Yesterday my bridesmaids, friend Andi and mom threw me a wonderful bridal shower. The theme was vintage kitchen and thanks to the set decorations from my matron-of-honor's husband's last film the place fit the theme and was adorable! The invitation told everyone to wear their favorite apron to the party and the girls made me one that says Mrs. Mattson (picture below). They also gave everyone a recipe card to fill out so I now have lots of new recipes to try out with all our new kitchen gear.
I feel so blessed and loved by all the planning and hard work (some even driving 4 hours with a migraine) my girlfirends put in to make my shower so great! And I feel so loved by all the women who came and showered me with love and gifts. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by amazing women. It now really does feel like the wedding is just around the corner and I can't wait!
One of my favorite gifts was my future mother-in-laws LAFD apron now passed dow to me the soon to be LAFD wife
I feel so blessed and loved by all the planning and hard work (some even driving 4 hours with a migraine) my girlfirends put in to make my shower so great! And I feel so loved by all the women who came and showered me with love and gifts. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by amazing women. It now really does feel like the wedding is just around the corner and I can't wait!
My new apron
Such a cute theme
The amazing gifts
The beautiful hostesses
With my mommy
My soon to be mother-in-law
Great to meet my future mother-in-law's beautiful friends
Finally got to snuggle baby Lucas
A few of my mom's "groupies"
Dessert!
Can't wait to read these...
...and try these!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Ms to Mrs
Eric and I picked up our marriage license a few days ago which was a very exciting event. When we looked down to sign the paperwork we saw Robyn Mattson on the line for "new name." It was crazy and exciting to see the name I will forever more have once we are married in October. Reflecting on the excitement of the name change I began to think of all the times I have heard women criticize the tradition of taking the man's name. One that really stands out to me is when women say "but you will lose your identity!" Yes, that is exactly what will happen. My identity as Robyn Gibson will be forever gone. I will take on a new identity as Robyn Mattson (just typing that is fun :). Does this mean I am a different person? Yes, actually it does. I will no longer be "me", from now on it will be "us." I am happy to give up my identity as an individual and become a team, a partnership, and hopefully one day a family. This is not something that is scary or sad or negative in my mind. I have loved being a Gibson and anyone who knows me knows how much I love my dad and am proud to have his name. But my dad helped me pick the best possible spouse and on October 13th he will give me away to this worthy man who I will be joined to. As the two become one flesh it seems only fitting to me that we also bare the same name. Do my parents see this as dishonorable to them? Not at all! My mom was proud to become a Gibson and both of my parents are excited to see me become a Mattson.
One final thought on why I am more than willing and excited to take the Mattson name. When we filled out the paperwork for our marriage license there was the option of having Eric take my name. When I saw that I immediately said "no way! You are the leader of this family and so it is your name that we will bare!" Any who have been following my blog have probably gathered how much I value the leadership role of the husband and father in a family. It will be Eric's job to guide our marriage and family and ultimately lead us all to heaven so it is his name that myself and our future children will bare.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Humanae Vitae and Creighton NFP
Today marks the 44th anniversary of the proclamation of the papal document Humanae Vitae, a document in which Pope Paul VI beautifully teaches the value of family and life. This document was written as contraception was on the verge of becoming widely accepted and looking at it now one can see how deeply prophetic it is. Pope Paul VI warns that if society accepts the birth control pill we will see wide spread marital infidelity, disregard for the value of women, and government imposed contraception. We have for years seen the evils of his first two predictions and with the new HHS mandate we see the third coming into full force. All together spooky and amazing if you ask me! When Humanae Vitae was given to the Church many scoffed at it and said the Holy Father was being ridiculous. If only the world had listened to him and trusted the guidance of Holy Mother Church think how much better off society and the family unit would be today.
As I reflect on Humanae Vitae today I think too about the process Eric and I are going through to learn more about the beauty of human fertility. Natural Family Planning is a church approved natural way to achieve or avoid (if serious and grave reasons are present) pregnancy. There are a few forms of NFP out there but the method Eric and I have chosen to learn is the Creighton model. This system of fertility care was designed to treat infertility but can also be used to avoid pregnancy if needed. I love this method because the focus is over all fertility awareness and care. The reason Eric and I specifically love this method is because we are hoping to start a family right away and this method allows us to see the times when pregnancy is most likely to occur as well as identify any potential issues. What is so amazing is that during these few months before our wedding we are working with a Creighton practitioner to make sure my fertility is healthy and that I will be able to first of all get pregnant and second of all be able to sustain a pregnancy. They will be able to identify and treat any possible issues before we are even at the point of trying for a family. Taking these classes has made me deeply aware of the gift of my fertility. On any given day both Eric and I can look at my chart and know exactly what is going on with my cycle. I think of so many women who take pills to suppress their God given system of fertility and I am saddened that in most cases they simply do not know what they are doing to themselves. I am in awe of my body as I watch my chart and see how it works. God is amazing and I can see evidence of Him in the way the body works. I pray today on the anniversary of Humanae Vitae that more woman and men would come to love the precious and amazing gift of fertility, life and family!
If you would like more information on Creighton NFP here is the link for you. If you have ever experienced infertility including miscarriage I HIGHLY recommend you look into this. Creighton has proven to be the most effective at treating infertility.
http://www.creightonmodel.com/
Also here is a link to the encyclical Humanae Vitae.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html
As I reflect on Humanae Vitae today I think too about the process Eric and I are going through to learn more about the beauty of human fertility. Natural Family Planning is a church approved natural way to achieve or avoid (if serious and grave reasons are present) pregnancy. There are a few forms of NFP out there but the method Eric and I have chosen to learn is the Creighton model. This system of fertility care was designed to treat infertility but can also be used to avoid pregnancy if needed. I love this method because the focus is over all fertility awareness and care. The reason Eric and I specifically love this method is because we are hoping to start a family right away and this method allows us to see the times when pregnancy is most likely to occur as well as identify any potential issues. What is so amazing is that during these few months before our wedding we are working with a Creighton practitioner to make sure my fertility is healthy and that I will be able to first of all get pregnant and second of all be able to sustain a pregnancy. They will be able to identify and treat any possible issues before we are even at the point of trying for a family. Taking these classes has made me deeply aware of the gift of my fertility. On any given day both Eric and I can look at my chart and know exactly what is going on with my cycle. I think of so many women who take pills to suppress their God given system of fertility and I am saddened that in most cases they simply do not know what they are doing to themselves. I am in awe of my body as I watch my chart and see how it works. God is amazing and I can see evidence of Him in the way the body works. I pray today on the anniversary of Humanae Vitae that more woman and men would come to love the precious and amazing gift of fertility, life and family!
If you would like more information on Creighton NFP here is the link for you. If you have ever experienced infertility including miscarriage I HIGHLY recommend you look into this. Creighton has proven to be the most effective at treating infertility.
http://www.creightonmodel.com/
Also here is a link to the encyclical Humanae Vitae.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html
Monday, July 23, 2012
Parker Mattson Family Trip
Sorry I have been MIA for a bit. I have been busy writing papers for grad school and vacationing with Eric's family in Parker, AZ. We had a wonderful trip with the the entire Mattson family. It was Eric's 35th birthday and we celebrated right with lots of yummy food. I had a blast cooking for the group and spoiling my pre-husband (as Big Eric called him). Here are a few pictures Chris captured of the trip!
Big Eric and Chris
Birthday Breakfast Spread
Birthday Flowers for Chris for giving Eric life 35 years ago
My present to Eric was framed copies of his band's CDs
Frosting Eric's birthday cake
The Whole Group
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