Deuteronomy 24:5 - The Newlywed Year
by Nashville Boudoir Photographer Caley Newberry
"When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army of be liable for any other public duty. he shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken."
Deuteronomy 24:5
About 40% of my boudoir photo sessions are for soon-to-be wives — women excitedly approaching their wedding day and a honeymoon ahead with the person they're committing their life to. I'm currently doing my best to read through the Bible in 2018, and this was a Scripture that stuck out to me in my study.
I love that God took the time to make sure newlywed couples were intentional and established good foundations. This wasn't an excuse to be lazy and not work. It was an intentional focus on one person, prioritizing a marriage more than a career or duty.
While taking a year off from work is pretty unlikely for all of us (though wouldn't that be nice?!), I have some friends who recommend taking a year and not going, going, going as much as we usually do in that newlywed phase. Rather than going out with friends every weekend, choose to stay in more. Connect with each other. Learn the other person and his/her needs well.
God knew better than you or I did as newlyweds that, over time, that newlywed fondness fades and new attitudes can replace it if you let them creep in. Taking the time to deeply, fully connect and bond during those first months is so important for you to have a deeper love that will continue to thrive when you inevitably begin to fall into a rut later on.
Whether you take a honeymoon right after your wedding to decide to save up for a bit and go somewhere a few months later, take time to step away from crazy life and reconnect again and again.
In June, Jonathan and I went to a little cabin in North Georgia. It had no cable, no Internet, no cell service. Just a TV, a VCR (you laugh, but we totally watched Mission Impossible III on VHS one night), and a perfect little creek and fire pit and tons of coffee. Going in, I was nervous about the number of emails I might miss over those four days that I couldn't check in, but you know what? Everything waited. And that intentional time of connection was centering during the months experienced afterward.
That honeymoon phase isn't just important in those first few weeks of marriage. Revisit that time as often as you can with just the two of you.