David & Brodie’s Wedding Story and Photos

Posted by Brodie Wheaton | Tuesday, November 15, 2011 | 7:00 am CT

RE-POSTED OCTOBER 2011 FOR FamilyTalk INTERVIEW WITH DR. DOBSON

MON-TUE (Oct 10-11, 2011): Dr. James Dobson interviews David Wheaton on SINGLENESS and MARRIAGE

LISTEN TO PART 1 HERE and PART 2 HERE

Dr. James Dobson, host of the Family Talk Radio Program, recently interviewed David and his wife Brodie on the topic of “Longing for Marriage.” The two-part interview covers issues such as finding contentment in singleness, marrying later in life, trusting in God’s sovereignty, and reflections on their own story.

The interview airs on Monday and Tuesday, October 10-11, 2011. To find a station in your area click here or listen online at FamilyTalk.org

David wrote the following story for our wedding guests on June 20, 2009 about God’s divine intervention and blessing in our lives.

OUR STORY IS HIS SOVEREIGNTY

While neither of us remember the exact day, Brodie and I met each other at the ages of five and eight, respectively, when her family moved from Cincinnati to the Lake Minnetonka area of Minnesota.

The first contact between our families occurred on a winter day in 1978 when Brodie, her parents, and older brother, Josh, came for cross-country skiing lessons taught by my mother at what would turn out to be an appropriately named place – Lake Grace.

That initial meeting led to a friendship between our mothers and then subsequently our families. Shortly thereafter, my mother shared with Brodie’s mother the life- and eternity-changing message that one can be reconciled to God and have their sins forgiven through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Mrs. Hackney put her trust in this “good news”, and then later, Brodie and Josh did the same.

Life didn’t turn into happily-ever-after, though, as Brodie’s father eventually divorced Mrs. Hackney and left the family when Brodie was just thirteen.

Yet, God promises to be a father to the fatherless and He has been just that all these years, even providing another earthly father to fill that role in Brodie’s life. My own dad was that earthly father and explains why he is walking Brodie down the aisle today.

For most of my teens and twenties, Brodie was more “my good friend Josh’s younger sister” or like an adopted sister rather than a future life partner. I was busy playing tennis and traveling much of the time yet we were still friends and did things together in group settings like get-togethers with family or trips to the North Shore of Lake Superior.

About ten years ago, Brodie and I dated for the first time after my father encouraged me to consider her as a potential wife. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a strong desire to be married at that time and I was about to make a career transition as well. Brodie asked me where things were going after a year of dating to which I couldn’t give a definitive answer. We stopped dating, yet something interesting happened – our relationship began to grow from good friends to best friends over the next several years.

Knowing that we had so many of the fundamentals of a strong life partnership such as the same faith, values, interests, and background, we dated again a few years ago but this time going from best friends to husband and wife seemed a difficult divide to cross. A second break-up left Brodie thinking marriage to me would never happen (or to anyone else, she tells me now) and my wondering if I was actually meant to be married. And yet remarkably, what could have driven us apart for good, resulted in an even deeper friendship in due time.

Earlier this year, I began to think and pray about marriage again. As I read passages from the Bible and a Christian book on marriage, I began to more fully understand the purposes for marriage such as companionship, co-laboring, pro-creation, and the pre-eminence of Christ. I began to have a growing affirmation in my soul and spirit that Brodie was truly the right one and now was finally the right time.

After inviting Brodie to stop by on her way home from a political event one snowy night in early March, I told her I’d like to get together to discuss the following question: What has hindered us from going from dating to marriage in the past and what would need to change for it to work going forward?

Brodie was surprised that I would bring this up again but agreed to think and pray about it and get together. Two, in-depth, honest, and productive talks later – with several phone calls and emails in between – convinced us (separately) that God had brought us to a new and different point in our lives. I told Brodie I’d “get back to her” with what I thought should be the next step.

As we went for a walk with our dogs along Lake Minnetonka on an overcast, calm day on Saturday, April 4th, I did get back to her … with a proposal of marriage and an engagement ring! Rather than a third attempt at dating, I sensed God wanted me to take a small step of faith, and Brodie responded with a shocked look but an affirmative answer.

So now we’re here, eleven weeks from that day of engagement, to enter into a life-long covenant of marriage before God and men. We’re so thankful you are here to share in our joy. We’re especially thankful for our families and their love and support. And we’re most thankful to God. Far from inevitability, our story is about His sovereignty, His timing, and His continuing work in our lives.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Below are some photos from our wedding in Minnesota and then our honeymoon in England and Scotland.

For best viewing, click on a thumbnail image. Once the slideshow opens you will note “next” and “previous” under each photo. Simply click on these to proceed through the slideshows.

WEDDING & HONEYMOON ALBUMS – Many thanks to my brother, Josh Hackney, for taking the wedding photos.

WEDDING GALLERY