A wedding reading is a poem or story chosen by the couple and read by someone of your choice during the ceremony. Below is a small sampling of readings. You can find many more on the internet that are religious, nonreligious and humorous.
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The Elements of Love May your Love be like the earth Rich, natural, and deeply rooted Strong as rock yet soft as sand Always growing and always patient
May your love be like fire Passionate, intense and energetic A flame that never dies As radiant as the morning sun And as warm as an evening embrace
May your love be like water Moving, constantly changing Never still, never stagnant As vast as the ocean And as fresh as a spring's rain
May your love be like air The sharing of dreams, thoughts and emotions Always fragrant, always carefree Found in the breeze of a whisper Or in the breath of a kiss
May your love be like all four elements Physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually intertwined To create the perfect balance And to craft the perfect ribbon For to bind these two hearts into one
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If I Should Fall Behind – By Bruce Springsteen We said we'd walk together come what mayThat come the twilight should we lose our wayIf as we're walking a hand should slip freeI'll wait for youAnd should I fall behindWait for me We swore we'd travel darling side by sideWe'd help each other stay in strideBut each lover's steps fall so differentlyBut I'll wait for youAnd if I should fall behindWait for me Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and trueBut you and I know what this world can doSo let's make our steps clear that the other may seeAnd I'll wait for youIf I should fall behindWait for me |
He’s Not Perfect-Bob Marley He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.” |
‘Union’ by Robert Fulghum You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.” Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Now you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows you shall say to the world – This is my husband/wife. This is my husband/wife. |
I WILL BE HERE, by Steven Curtis Chapman THE SUN DOES NOT APPEAR, I WILL BE HERE. IF IN THE DARK WE LOSE SIGHT OF LOVE, HOLD MY HAND AND HAVE NO FEAR, I WILL BE HERE. I WILL BE HERE, WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE BEING QUIET, WHEN YOU NEED TO SPEAK YOUR MIND I WILL LISTEN. THROUGH THE WINNING, LOSING, AND TRYING WE’LL BE TOGETHER, AND I WILL BE HERE. IF IN THE MORNING WHEN YOU WAKE, IF THE FUTURE IS UNCLEAR, I WILL BE HERE. AS SURE AS SEASONS WERE MADE FOR CHANGE, OUR LIFETIMES WERE MADE FOR YEARS, I WILL BE HERE. I WILL BE HERE, AND YOU CAN CRY ON MY SHOULDER, WHEN THE MIRROR TELLS US WE’RE OLDER. I WILL HOLD YOU, TO WATCH YOU GROW IN BEAUTY, AND TELL YOU ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE TO ME. WE’LL BE TOGETHER AND I WILL BE HERE. I WILL BE TRUE TO THE PROMISES I’VE MADE, TO YOU AND TO THE ONE WHO GAVE YOU TO ME. I WILL BE HERE. |
In Your Eyes In your eyes, I have found my home. In your heart, I have found my love. In your soul, I have found my mate. |
Excerpt from “The Art of a Good Marriage”, by Wilferd A. Peterson A good marriage must be created.
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To Love is Not to Possess
by James Kavanaugh
To love is not to possess,
to own or imprison,
Nor to lose one's self in another.
Love is to join and seperate,
to walk alone and together,
To find a laughing freedom
That lonely isolation does not permit.
It is finally to be able
To be who we really are
No longer clinging in childish dependency
Nor docilely living seperate lives in silence,
It is to be perfectly one's self
And perfectly joined in permanent commitment
To another - and to one's inner self.
Love only endures when it moves like waves.
Receding and returning gently or passionately,
or moving lovingly like the tide
In the moon's own predictable harmony,
Because finally, despite a child's scars
Or an adult's deepest wounds,
They are openly free to be
Who they really are - and always secretly were,
In the very core of their being
Where true and lasting love can alone abide.
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Apache Wedding Blessing (The Apache wedding blessing is a misleading name, given that this unique wedding blessing has no origins with the Apache people.) Now you will feel no rain, May beauty surround you both on the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion always. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together, And may your days be good and long upon the earth |
Apache Wedding Blessing (Modernized)
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years, may happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth. Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship as they threaten all relationships at one time or another remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
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"Beach Chairs" by Joyce Ebrecht Sitting on the beach chairs
Sitting on the beach chairs
Sitting on the beach chairs
Sitting on the beach chairs
Sitting on the beach chairs
Sitting on the beach chairs |
Union by Robert Fulghum You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks — all those sentences that began with "When we're married" and continued with "I will and you will and we will"- those late night talks that included "someday" and "somehow" and "maybe"- and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, " You know all those things we've promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word." Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife. |
Quote from Carl Sagan The size and age of the Cosmos are beyond what our minds can easily comprehend. Lost somewhere between its immensity and eternity lies our tiny planetary home. Our planet is so astonishing, packed full of mountains, deserts, seas, all the plants and animals, glorious wonders we can share. On the Earth walks mankind with all it’s faults to bear, yet ever so exquisite with so much love and moral depth. May we remain grateful every day on Earth we live for the brief but wonderous opportunity that all of life is. Although mankind is faulty, we continue to strive. The sum of all thinking, all our accomplishments……. is love. From within one of the billions of species to walk upon this tiny spec in the universe we find two imperfect people who want to share their short lives, living it as one. May this marriage take two fractional lives and make those fractional lives a whole. May these partners build a better world for the next generation to come. May this union bring a new light to the sunshine, a new fragrance to the flowers, a new beauty to the earth, and a new mystery to life. |
On Your Wedding Day- Anonymous Today is a day you will always remember The greatest in anyone's life You'll start off the day just two people in love And end it as Husband and Wife
It's a brand new beginning the start of a journey With moments to cherish and treasure And although there'll be times when you both disagree These will surely be outweighed by pleasure
You'll have heard many words of advice in the past When the secrets of marriage were spoken But you know that the answers lie hidden inside Where the bond of true love lies unbroken
So live happy forever as lovers and friends It's the dawn of a new life for you As you stand there together with love in your eyes From the moment you whisper 'I do'
And with luck, all your hopes, and your dreams can be real May success find its way to both your hearts Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys But today is the day it all starts. |
The Art of Marraige
In the art of marriage, the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say "I love you". It is cultivating flexibility, understanding, and a sense of humor. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives, standing together and facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating your love for each other in many thoughtful ways. Happiness in marriage is doing things for each other in the spirit of love and having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each other can grow. It is not only marrying to right partner, it is being the right partner. |
World English Bible 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
4Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, 5doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 6doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never fails. |
1 Corinthians 13 (ESV) English Standard Version The Way of Love 13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. |
1 Corinthians 13 (NIV) New International Version 13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. |
THE KEY TO LOVE Anonymous
The key to love is understanding... The ability to comprehend not only the spoken word, but those unspoken gestures, the little things that say so much by themselves. The key to love is forgiveness... to accept each other’s faults and pardon mistakes, without forgetting, but with remembering what you learn from them.
The key to love is sharing... Facing your good fortunes as well as the bad, together; both conquering problems, forever searching for ways to intensify your happiness.
The key to love is giving... without thought of return, but with the hope of just a simple smile, and by giving in but never giving up.
The key to love is respect... realizing that you are two separate people, with different ideas; that you don’t belong to each other, that you belong with each other, and share a mutual bond.
The key to love is inside us all... It takes time and patience to unlock all the ingredients that will take you to its threshold; it is the continual learning process that demands a lot of work... but the rewards are more than worth the effort... and that is the key to love.
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Foundations Of Marriage, by Regina Hill (before vows) "Love, trust, and forgiveness are the foundations of marriage. In marriage, many days will bring happiness, while other days may be sad. But together, two hearts can overcome everything... In marriage, all of the moments won't be exciting or romantic, and sometimes worries and anxiety will be overwhelming. But together, two hearts that accept will find comfort together. Recollections of past joys, pains, and shared feelings will be the glue that holds everything together during even the worst and most insecure moments. Reaching out to each other as a friend, and becoming the confidant and companion that the other one needs, is the true magic and beauty of any two people together. It's inspiring in each other a dream or a feeling, and having faith in each other and not giving up...even when all the odds say to quit. It's allowing each other to be vulnerable, to be himself or herself, even when the opinions or thoughts aren't in total agreement or exactly what you'd like them to be. It's getting involved and showing interest in each other, really listening and being available, the way any best friend should be. Exactly three things need to be remembered in a marriage if it is to be a mutual bond of sharing, caring, and loving throughout life: love, trust, and forgiveness." |
From This Day Forward, Steve and Cookie Roberts (before Vows)
Marriage is serious business and hard work. It's not just becoming roommates, it's becoming soul mates; it's not just signing a license, it's sharing a life. That explains our title. The words in the marriage ceremony "from this day forward" are scary. At the moment a couple exchanges those vows, they can never know what they really mean, what hills and valleys stretch out in front of them in the years ahead. But if you take the words seriously, there's no going back. There's only the future, unlimited and unknowable, and the promise to make the journey together. |
Gift from the Sea "When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern. |