On May 14, 2011, our brother David was wed to our dear friend Nadia Noor, in one of the most blessed days of our family’s lives.

“Semper Reformanda” has always been our family’s motto — Always Reforming. When David and Nadia got engaged, they knew they wanted to apply this principle to their wedding as well. One of the many ways in which they’re equally yoked is in their ability to think outside the box, and the spirit in which they tackled building a wedding plan from the ground up, examining every wedding-related tradition of men, made David and Nadia’s wedding truly unique and unforgettable.

From the beginning, David established that he wanted to set an example of a short engagement, an inexpensive wedding and reception, and a wedding-atmosphere that pointed to real life instead of fantasy-land pageantry. He also wanted to communicate the relative jurisdictions of family and church, and remind all of us what the proper role the church plays in the forming of the marriage covenant. Big churches are great for seating many people, but so was the riding ring at our local county fairgrounds. David’s main goal (aside from getting married) was to use the day as an opportunity to teach, encourage, and exhort the attendees. The day was not meant to point to the bride and groom, but to the marriage between the Eternal Bridegroom and His Church, and the message of the gospel.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” (Isa 61:10)

Anna Sofia helps adorn the bride.

Nadia’s big brother David prays with her before she leaves her home as an unmarried woman for the last time.

David had planned for a number of messages to be given on that day.

Our father spoke on the importance of marriage in an anti-marriage culture.

Our recently-married brother Benjamin gave a fervent message on what we can learn about Christ’s relationship with His Church through the picture of marriage.

David’s highest priority for this day, this opportunity, was to see the gospel of Christ preached and to draw everyone’s focus to their need to be united with the Eternal Bridegroom. David Noor gave one of the clearest and most passionate presentations of the gospel we’ve ever heard.

David speaks on the love of Christ as the foundation and the purpose of all other relationships.

Rather than have bridesmaids or groomsmen, David and Nadia wanted their families to stand with them as witnesses — and to participate. All of the family members of bride and groom had a word to honor and exhort the new couple, as our mother is doing here.

Anna Sofia thanks David for over twenty years of close friendship and discipleship.

Elizabeth thanks David and Nadia for their passionate love of God’s law, word, and truth.

Nawelle shares her love and appreciation for her big sister and best friend.

I, Josiah David Botkin, a sinner saved only by the grace of God through the blood of Christ, do by covenant take you, Nadia Joy Noor, to be my wife. I confess that it is God who is joining us together, not according to our merit, but by His grace according to His perfect will. I enter this covenant in faith and with a clear conscience before God based on these facts:

You and I have determined, insofar as we are able, that we are equally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14) We have earnestly sought God and He is answering our prayers. We have determined that God has uniquely prepared us to serve Him together in marriage, that He is building this house, and it is His will that we marry in order to better serve Him. We have sought counsel from family and friends who have confirmed and supported our conclusions.

I have received permission to marry you and on the 29th of March, 2011, you agreed to become my wife. I love you and desire to take you as my wife and faithfully execute all my God-given duties.

Therefore:

I take you, Nadia, to be my wife, and embrace my God-given responsibilities as defined in Scripture, which is the final standard and requirement for all of life. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I promise, Nadia, to love you as Christ loved the church, laying my life down for you. (John 15:13, Ephesians 5:25) I promise to lead you in righteousness and to wash you with the water of the Word. (Ephesians 5:26) I promise to live with you in an understanding way, giving you honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life. (1 Peter 3:7)

I promise to be faithful to you always and to always rejoice in and be exhilarated with your love and beauty. I shall love, nourish, and cherish you as my own flesh, which you shall be. (Proverbs 5:15-19, Ephesians 5:28-31, Genesis 2:24).

If God is pleased to reward us with children, I promise to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, teaching them God’s Word when we sit in our house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7, Ephesians 6:4)

Further, I promise to search Scripture in order to better understand how to obey God and be more pleasing to Him. I promise to pursue sanctification and the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, knowing that against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

I confess the need to seek God and His Kingdom above all else, and purpose by God’s grace to execute all my duty faithfully. I confess that God’s perfect law is binding on all men and my knowledge of God’s law and speaking it publicly today increases my responsibility to obey. May God, who witnesses all things, judge righteously if I do not keep His Law and the words of this covenant. (Nehemiah 5:13)

I have no confidence in my own strength, and I make these promises based only on the promises of God; that He gives grace to the humble, that He gives the ability to overcome every temptation, and that as one of His saved elect I have the strength to obey Him. (1 Peter 5:5, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

May God get glory, honor, and praise through this marriage. Amen.

I, Nadia Joy Noor, a sinner saved only by the grace of God through the blood of Christ, covenant to you, Josiah David Botkin, to be your wife. I confess that it is God who is joining us together, not according to our merit, but by His grace according to His perfect will. I enter this covenant in faith and with a clear conscience before God based on these facts:

You and I have determined, insofar as we are able, that we are equally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14) We have earnestly sought God and He is answering our prayers. We have determined that God has uniquely prepared us to serve Him together in marriage, He is building this house, and it is His will that we marry in order to better serve Him. We have sought counsel from family and friends who have confirmed and supported our conclusions.

I have received permission to marry you and on the 29th of March, 2011, I promised to be your wife. I love you and desire to be your wife and faithfully execute all my God-given duties.

Therefore:

I take you, David, to be my husband, and embrace my God-given responsibilities as defined in Scripture, which is the final standard and requirement for all of life. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I promise, David, to submit myself to you as to the Lord, being subject to you in everything, as the Church is subject to Christ. I will respect and honor you as my earthly lord and head. (Ephesians 5:22-24, 1 Peter 3:1-6)

I promise to help and support you, making your work and vision my own. (Genesis 2:18) I promise to follow you to the ends of the earth, wherever our beloved King sends you. I will not shrink from discomfort, uncertainty, opposition, or hardship, but welcome them, looking to Christ, longing to share in His sufferings and lose my life for His sake. (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Peter 4:13, Matthew 10:39)

I promise to be faithful to you always, joyfully welcoming your authority over my body and gratefully accepting mine over yours. (1 Corinthians 7:1-5) If God is pleased to reward us with children, I will help you raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, teaching them God’s Word when we sit in our house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7, Ephesians 6:4)

Further, I promise to search Scripture in order to better understand how to obey God and be more pleasing to Him. I promise to pursue sanctification and the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, knowing that against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

I confess the need to seek God and His Kingdom above all else, and purpose by God’s grace to execute all my duty faithfully. I confess that God’s perfect law is binding on all men and my knowledge of God’s law and speaking it publicly today increases my responsibility to obey. May God, who witnesses all things, judge righteously if I do not keep His Law and the words of this covenant. (Nehemiah 5:13)

I have no confidence in my own strength, and I make these promises based only on the promises of God: that He gives grace to the humble, that He gives the ability to overcome every temptation, and that as one of His saved elect I have the strength to obey Him. (1 Peter 5:5, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

May God get glory, honor, and praise through this marriage. Amen.

Husband and wife share their first embrace.

Daniel Noor reads from Genesis 24:60: “And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.”

“For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” (Isa 62:5)

Rejoicing in song.

“He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.” (John 3:29)

The three Botkin families.

“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” (Song of Solomon 2:10-13)

Siblings say farewell.

Three generations of strong women say their goodbyes.

Ben and Audri reminiscing over their wedding day seven months ago.

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it…” (Song of Solomon 8:6,7a)

Photos of the wedding feast coming soon!