I admit that I saw part of the Royal wedding this morning. Brad wanted to know what was so fascinating about it. I told him I wasn’t sure, but it had something to do with the dress.

When I saw Kate’s dress I thought it looked a lot like Grace Kelly’s wedding dress. It couldn’t be a coincidence that William’s “commoner” wife chose a wedding dress so similar to Grace Kelly’s, another “commoner” wife. Brad laughed because I couldn’t remember what country Grace Kelly’s husband reigned over, but I could remember what her dress looked like… as I said, it’s all about the dress!!

Sadly, our young girls are seeing much more than the dress. Millions of them will aspire to find their prince and capture the “fairytale” love they’ve seen played out in the media. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled William and Kate finally tied the knot, but when talking with my teenage daughter about their romance I’ve found little I want her to admire or imitate. Let’s name a few highlights:

1. They met when Kate was modeling her underwear in a fashion show.
2. They lived in a flat with other co-eds when their romance began.
3. They started sleeping together soon after (God calls it ‘fornication’ in the Bible but we sanitize it by calling it “sleeping together” or “making love”).
4. They’ve “lived together” off and on for eight years. No wonder it took him so long to commit; as many men have told me—he had all the benefits without the responsibility and commitment of marriage!

That’s not the way I want my daughter attracting her man and it’s not the kind of man I want her entrusting her heart to. How do I neutralize the effect of this fake fairy tale and encourage her to embrace the real deal?

I pray for the man my daughter will marry almost every night. I ask God to capture his heart, give him the strength to remain pure and prepare him to lead my strong-willed daughter with love and confidence. That’s the kind of man we talk about and the romance I pray she dreams of.

I teach her about who God is and how to discover His perfect plan for her heart.

I look for role models that give her hope.

Last weekend another bride walked down the isle with her prince. She’s the kind of bride I’d love to see plastered all over the news. She’s the kind of bride I want my daughter to imitate.

Rebecca St. James is a singer, songwriter, author, actress and advocate for purity. I met her several years ago when she did the voice of ‘Carla the Lioness’ for an animation project I’m producing. In her late 20’s at the time, Rebecca was vocal about her desire to be married and her commitment to remain pure for her future husband. She received a lot of criticism through the years but her convictions didn’t waver.

Last weekend she and her groom gave each other the purity rings they’d both worn as reminders of their commitment to God’s call to sexual purity. Now that’s romantic!!!!

Most of the world won’t know about Rebecca’s wedding, but you and I do. We can pass her story on to our sons and daughters and encourage them with the reality that God still brings His Princesses and Princes together and it’s worth the wait!!!