If one or the other of you have children from a previous marriage, it is imperative to acknowledge them in the wedding ceremony. You cannot make promises to a beloved without acknowledging the very real obligations you have to children from your previous life.

I hear plenty of couples complain that they wish that their partner hadn’t been married before, but a partner’s previous marriage and parenthood are what make that partner who he or she is. And it’s certainly not the children’s fault that their parents didn’t have a workable marriage.

Children are an incredible responsibility. And I think they’re a responsibility not only to the parent who has children but also to the person marrying into that family. They are a precious trust for the future in which you are privileged to participate.

Tip: More tomorrow about the ceremony.