Readings And Poems For
Wedding Ceremonies
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How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with a passion put to use In my old grief’s, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. |
I Love You
(Author Unknown)
I love you.
You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you
in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you,
and to always hold you in highest regard.
These things I give to you today,
and all the days of our life.
**************************************************
What Greater Thing
(George Eliot)
What greater thing is there for two human souls,
than to feel that they are joined for life-
to strengthen each other in all labor,
to rest on each other in all sorrow,
to minister to each other in all pain,
to be one with each other
in silent unspeakable memories ...
**************************************************
Apache Wedding Prayer
_____and _____
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.
******************************************************************
Apache Wedding Prayer- Long Version
Now you will feel no storms,
for each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness,
for each of you is companion to the other,
You are two persons,
but there is one life before you, and one home.
Turn together to look at the road you traveled,
to reach this—the hour of your happiness.
It stretches behind you into the past.
Look to the future that lies ahead.
A long and winding, adventure-filled road,
whose every turn means discovery,
new hopes, new joys, new laughter,
and a few shared tears.
May happiness be your companion,
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead;
And through all the years to come.
Go this day to your dwelling place
and enter into your days together.
May your days be good and longupon the earth.
Your adventure has just begun!
**************************************************
"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.
Whether married, partnered or single you can live what you love. You just have to get over the jitters and let the dreams show you the way. Tie your kite to reality… Check your gut when ever it says, “hey, wait”… Take action when the time is right… Remember and treasure what life shows you… But don’t ever stand in the way of what you really love.
As far as we can tell, dreams are nothing more than love trying to take wing and soar. Imagine for just a moment the thrilling distracting, wonderful, odd, unusual, sensation of new love. You immediately begin dreaming of life together of where you will go of what life will mean for the two of you. Live in that moment every day. Fall in love with new ideas new opportunities and new places all the time trust it, live it, don’t say no to love or crush a dream that wants to live. It isn’t that hard to give yourself over to it. You just have to say yes to life and love. Love will never lead you astray.
Will you live an unusual life together? Will you live the life you love? We all hope so. Anyone with a heart filled by dreams is already halfway there. So breathe deep. Jump in. Swim, or just float on the lands of life of laughter and love.”
From Bob and Melinda Blanchard authors and entrepreneurs
*************************************************
To Love is Not to Possess, by James Kavanaugh (*This reading is truly beautiful in any setting but this readings references to the ocean make it a fav for seaside ceremonies.)
To love is not to possess,
To own or imprison,
Nor to lose one's self in another.
Love is to join and separate,
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 separate 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.
*******************************************************************************
(Author Unknown)
I love you.
You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you
in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you,
and to always hold you in highest regard.
These things I give to you today,
and all the days of our life.
**************************************************
What Greater Thing
(George Eliot)
What greater thing is there for two human souls,
than to feel that they are joined for life-
to strengthen each other in all labor,
to rest on each other in all sorrow,
to minister to each other in all pain,
to be one with each other
in silent unspeakable memories ...
**************************************************
Apache Wedding Prayer
_____and _____
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.
******************************************************************
Apache Wedding Prayer- Long Version
Now you will feel no storms,
for each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness,
for each of you is companion to the other,
You are two persons,
but there is one life before you, and one home.
Turn together to look at the road you traveled,
to reach this—the hour of your happiness.
It stretches behind you into the past.
Look to the future that lies ahead.
A long and winding, adventure-filled road,
whose every turn means discovery,
new hopes, new joys, new laughter,
and a few shared tears.
May happiness be your companion,
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead;
And through all the years to come.
Go this day to your dwelling place
and enter into your days together.
May your days be good and longupon the earth.
Your adventure has just begun!
**************************************************
"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.
Whether married, partnered or single you can live what you love. You just have to get over the jitters and let the dreams show you the way. Tie your kite to reality… Check your gut when ever it says, “hey, wait”… Take action when the time is right… Remember and treasure what life shows you… But don’t ever stand in the way of what you really love.
As far as we can tell, dreams are nothing more than love trying to take wing and soar. Imagine for just a moment the thrilling distracting, wonderful, odd, unusual, sensation of new love. You immediately begin dreaming of life together of where you will go of what life will mean for the two of you. Live in that moment every day. Fall in love with new ideas new opportunities and new places all the time trust it, live it, don’t say no to love or crush a dream that wants to live. It isn’t that hard to give yourself over to it. You just have to say yes to life and love. Love will never lead you astray.
Will you live an unusual life together? Will you live the life you love? We all hope so. Anyone with a heart filled by dreams is already halfway there. So breathe deep. Jump in. Swim, or just float on the lands of life of laughter and love.”
From Bob and Melinda Blanchard authors and entrepreneurs
*************************************************
To Love is Not to Possess, by James Kavanaugh (*This reading is truly beautiful in any setting but this readings references to the ocean make it a fav for seaside ceremonies.)
To love is not to possess,
To own or imprison,
Nor to lose one's self in another.
Love is to join and separate,
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 separate 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.
*******************************************************************************
Another beautiful poem that is perfect for a seaside ceremony is Time Travellers, by Terah Cox
May you take on the world together
with all your hopes and dreams,
may you be each other’s anchor
in smooth or rocky seas.
May you bend to the world’s winds
and brave stalls and storms,
may you find common ground
in all its changing forms.
May you cross stubborn boundaries
and turn many a stone,
may you find haven for your souls,
may you have heart and home.
And if some days are grey
and some nights are long and cold,
May you be each other’s sun and moon
as your destinies unfold.
And should you lose sight of each other
and start to drift apart,
may you circle back by following
the compass of your hearts.
********************************************************************************
May you take on the world together
with all your hopes and dreams,
may you be each other’s anchor
in smooth or rocky seas.
May you bend to the world’s winds
and brave stalls and storms,
may you find common ground
in all its changing forms.
May you cross stubborn boundaries
and turn many a stone,
may you find haven for your souls,
may you have heart and home.
And if some days are grey
and some nights are long and cold,
May you be each other’s sun and moon
as your destinies unfold.
And should you lose sight of each other
and start to drift apart,
may you circle back by following
the compass of your hearts.
********************************************************************************
Where There Is Love (by Helen Rice)
Where there is love the heart is light
Where there is love the day is bright
Where there is love there is a song
To help when things are going wrong
Where there is love there is a smile
To make all things seem more worthwhile
Where there is love there’s a quiet peace
A tranquil place where turmoils cease
Love changes darkness into light
And makes the heart take wingless flight
Oh, blessed are those who walk in love-
They also walk with God above.
**************************************************
Where there is love the heart is light
Where there is love the day is bright
Where there is love there is a song
To help when things are going wrong
Where there is love there is a smile
To make all things seem more worthwhile
Where there is love there’s a quiet peace
A tranquil place where turmoils cease
Love changes darkness into light
And makes the heart take wingless flight
Oh, blessed are those who walk in love-
They also walk with God above.
**************************************************
The Day
(Author unknown)
May this be the start of a happy new life
That’s full of special moments to share
May this be the first of your dreams come true
And of hope that will always be there…
May this be the start of a lifetime of trust
And of caring that’s just now begun…
May today be a day that you’ll always remember
the day when your hearts become one…
*******************************************
This is beautiful to open with! From "Iris", about Iris Murdoch
I hereby give myself. I love you., You are the only being whom I can love absolutely with my complete self, with all my flesh and mind and heart. You are my mate; my perfect partner, and I am yours. You must feel this now, as I do. It was a marvel that we ever met. It is some kind of divine luck that we are together now. As we look at each other we verify, we know, the perfection of our love, we recognize each other. Here is my life.
********************************************
Excerpt from THE IRRATIONAL SEASON (by Madeleine L'Engle)
(I would like to share with you a passage from a book titled The Irrational Season- that so beautifully describes the commitment you will make to each other today)
But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made.
Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens,
And how much risk they are willing to take.
It is indeed a fearful gamble. Because it is the nature of love to create,
A marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature.
To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take.
If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation. It takes a lifetime to learn another person.
**********************************************************
That's Wonderful Love
By Ravi Sathasivam
How wonderful to win your heart with a smile
How wonderful to kiss your lips with hopeful
How wonderful to get your heart with love
How wonderful to see your soul in me
How wonderful to laugh with your sweet words
How wonderful to hold you tight and kiss gently
How wonderful to fly with you to the dream land
How wonderful to drive you through the mountain valleys
How wonderful to be with you within four walls
How wonderful to give you what you look for
How wonderful to hug you and keep you in my arms
How wonderful to wear our wedding rings on our wedding day
How wonderful to bind your love to last forever.
**************************************************
By Nicholas Sparks-
Marriage is about becoming a team.
You're going to spend the rest of your life learning about each other,
and every now and then, things blow up.
But the beauty of marriage is that if you picked the right person
and you both love each other, you'll always figure out a way to get through it
*********************************************************
Why Marriage? By, Mari Nichols-Haining
Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...
Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me,
Who won't hold them against me,
Who loves me when I'm unlikable,
Who sees the small child in me, and
Who looks for the divine potential of me...
Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night
With someone who thanks God for me,
With someone I feel blessed to hold...
Because marriage means opportunity
to grow in love in friendship...
Because marriage is a discipline
to be added to a list of achievements...
Because marriages do not fail, people fail
when they enter into marriage
expecting another to make them whole...
Because, knowing this,
I promise myself to take full responsibility
For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness
I create me, I take half of the responsibility for my marriage
Together we create our marriage...
Because of this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.
******************************************************************************
Reading by Mark Twain: This is perfect as part of the greeting, or anywhere in your ceremony:
Perhaps Mark Twain expressed the significance of this day best when he wrote:
This will be the mightiest day in the history of our lives, the holiest, and the most generous toward us both -- for it makes of two fractional lives a whole;
It gives to two purposeless lives a work,
And doubles the strength of each whereby to perform it;
It gives to two questioning natures a reason for living,
And something to live for;
It will give a new gladness to the sunshine,
A new fragrance to the flowers,
A new beauty to the earth, a new mystery to life;
And it will give a new revelation to love,
And a new depth to sorrow, a new impulse to worship.
On this day the scales will fall from our eyes and we shall look upon a new world.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************
Reading from "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" (Louis de Bernières 1994 novel, 2001 film). I love this one:
Love is a temporary madness,
it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.
And when it subsides you have to make a decision.
You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together
that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.
Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness,
it is not excitement,
it is not the promulgation of eternal passion.
That is just being "in love" which any fool can do.
Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,
and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches,
they find that they are one tree and not two.
*****************************************************************************
Union by Robert Fulghum
You have known each other for years, through first glance of acquaintance to this moment of commitment. At some moment, 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. Just two people working out what they want what they believe what they hope for each other. 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. You have learned that good company and friendship count for more than good looks. And you have learned that marriage is a maze into which we wonder- a maze that is best got through with a great companion. 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.
**************************************************************************
From George RR Martin’s “Game of Thrones”
You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but same blood flows through both of your hearts.
You need her, as she needs you.
As you are the Moon of his life, he shall be your Sun and Stars.
Your love shall be as ever present as those two celestial bodies... even though they are sometimes hidden from one another's sight.
Your love will be the guiding force that charts the course of your tomorrows, holds your world together in difficult times
and will make life itself shine bolder and brighter than we human beings have a right to dream of."
******************************************************************************
From the book Plan B by Anne Lamott
"Building a wedding -- the bridal party, the families, the guests, the minister, writing the vows, selecting the food -- is like an outdoor sculpture . You're trying to make something beautiful out of unruly and unpredictable elements -- the weather, the nuttier relatives, rivalries, disorders, dreams. Out of mostly old neurotic family and friends, you hope to create something of beauty, a whole. You create it as an act of faith, that for a brief period of time, the love and commitment of two people will bring everyone together, and it will sort of work. Even if the weather or\ personalities are worrisome, these breezes and water will flow through the structure of your wedding, will sanctify and change it, and it will hold.
That's what's so touching about weddings: Two people fall in love, and decide to see if their love might stand up over time, if there might be enough grace and forgiveness and memory lapses to help the whole shebang hang together.. And the ceremony adds so much hope to it all, but also so much more discomfort, and expense, and your only hope is that here on the big day, all that energy will run through the lightest elements and the heaviest, the brightest, the dullest, the funniest, the most annoying, and the whole range will converge within a ring of celebration.
You celebrate what works -- it's a miracle that so much still does -- and you take tender care of what doesn't and yes, Weddings are about families, and families can be a bit of a mess under stress. But the love that gathers here is much more important than anything else on earth, and bigger than anything else on earth, too. Because finally, that love is sovereign.
*******************
Love is like a butterfly-Dolly Parton
Love is like a butterfly-soft and gentle like a sigh.
The multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings.
Love makes your heart feel strange inside
It flutters like soft wings in flight
Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing!
******************************************************************************
Take a moment wedding day reading (Author unknown) *This beautiful reading is perfect for right before your are pronounced married!
Before I pronounce you married partners; I have just one more thing I want to do. Your wedding day is one that seems to fly. It’s a day filled with emotion, friend’s, rings and dances. Many people remember how fleeting their own wedding day was. So I want you to take a few seconds to look into each other’s eyes. Think about the happiness that you are feeling in this place, in this moment. Really let that feeling register in your heart and your mind. Now, I want you to think about your life together in 20 years. Where are you? What are you doing? We all know that your visions of the future are not identical but always complementary. John Lennon once said “A dream you dream alone is only a dream, a dream you dream together THAT is reality” That new reality starts now.
(If you prefer instead of saying "John Lennon once said" I can say "It has been said")
*********************************************************************************************************************************************
The Promise by Heather Berry
Within this blessed union of souls,
Where two hearts intertwine to become one,
There lies a promise perfectly born,
Divinely created,and intimately shared,
It is a place where the hope and majesty of beginnings reside.
Where all things are made possible by the astounding love shared by two spirits.
As you hold each others hands in this promise,
And eagerly look into the future in each others eyes,
May your unconditional love and devotion take you to places were you’ve both only dreamed.
Where you’ll dwell for a lifetime of happiness,
Sheltered in the warmth of each others arms.
*********************************************************************************
1 Corinthians. 13:4-13
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
And now faith, hope, and love abide, but the greatest of these is love.
********************************************
Another version:
1 Corinthians13: V.1-7 & 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, 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. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
*******************************************************************************************************
Poem based on Corinthians-long version
GOD IS LOVE
May you have His kind of love for each other.
LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND
May you be able to lovingly overlook each other’s faults and
weaknesses.
LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS OR BOASTFUL
May you seek praise for each other and not for yourselves.
LOVE IS NOT ARROGANT OR RUDE
May you give of yourselves for each other’s needs and treat one
another with utmost respect.
LOVE DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY
May you genuinely listen to each other with a willingness to be
wrong yourselves
LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE OR RESENTFUL
May you be tolerant of each other’s moods, always ready to forgive,
never holding a grudge.
LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE AT WRONG BUT REJOICES IN
THE RIGHT
May you experience happiness because of each other’s triumphs and
successes.
LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS
May you seek to understand each other’s differences, knowing you
will stick together through it all
LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS
May you always expect the best in each situation, regardless of
temporary setbacks.
LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS
May you never give up your commitment to work on improving your
relationship.
LOVE NEVER ENDS
May you spend the rest of your lives together enjoying His love.
GOD IS LOVE
(1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4)
*********************************************************************
"Wedding Poem" by Whitney Hanson Poetry
They say that sometimes
love starts with a spark.
And that might be true,
but if I were to wish you a love,
I wouldn't wish fire for you.
You see, fire is powerful.
It burns bright and then it's gone.
It's beautiful and warm,
but it doesn't last long.
So instead of wishing you a love that burns,
I wish you a love like a river twists and turns.
It changes and it flows,
It is powerful and free.
But it consistently finds its way back to the sea.
And so like the water,
I hope your love is ever growing, ever changing.
I hope your love is powerful and free,
And may you always find each other,
Like a river finds the sea.
***************************************************************************************
The Lords Prayer (Nice way to begin a Christian ceremony)
One of the most significant Christian traditions is the saying of the Lord’s Prayer. It calls upon God in great faith, trust and confidence. Let us establish ourselves in Gods presence as we join together in this beautiful prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
******************************************************************************************************************************
Reading from Colossians 3:12-17 New International Version (NIV)
As you begin your life as a married couple, I would like to share with you the words as written by Paul the Apostle and Timothy from the book of Colossians
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
**This is beautiful for a beach ceremony or any ceremony*
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.
The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even.
Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits – islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, and continually visited and abandoned by the tides.(Gift From The Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh)
************************************************************************************************************
What If All We Ever Wanted By Tyler Knott Gregson
What if all we have ever wanted isn't hiding in some secret and far away dream,
But inside of us now as we breathe one another
And find home in the way our arms seem to fit perfectly around the spaces between us?
What if we are the answer and love was the question?
What if all this time it was us you were supposed to find?
I am filled with wonderings, questions, and doubt.
But one of these things I am certain:
It will always be you that gives flight to the butterflies inside me,
Calm to the sea I have become,
And hope to the darkness all around us.
It is you and it has always been you.... you.
You that soothes and excites and spreads joy like rainfall on the already damp earth;
You that pulled me from the longest sleep and kissed my eyelids awake.
If life is a question mark, then you, my love, are the proud and bold period that is typed with certainty.
***********************************************************************************************************
Marriage Prayer* This can be read by the Officiant, but is extra special if read by a parent, grandparent or other special person to the couple during the ceremony:
My marriage prayer for you is this:
That you will always remember the qualities that attracted you to each other when you first met and how you felt as your feelings of attraction turned into respect, admiration and finally love.
That you will work hard to turn your feelings of love into acts of love so that nothing and no one can divide you.
That your love might grow to hear all things, believe all things, and hope for all things, and endure all things.
I pray that your love increases and overflows, beyond anything you can yet imagine.
********************************************************************************
Marriage Blessing by Joanna Fuchs
May your marriage always be blessed
with the pure and profoundly loving feelings
drawing you so closely together now:
extraordinary communication,
listening and understanding,
putting yourselves in the other’s place,
as well as expressing your own needs;
eagerness to compromise,
because you love so much, you want to give
whatever is needed, wanted, for happiness;
and deep commitment to do whatever it takes
to maintain the strong bond
present on your wedding day.
May your marriage always be blessed, now and forever.
******************************************
Hand in Hand:
Hand in Hand you enter marriage; hand in hand you step out in faith. The hand you freely give to each other, is both the strongest and the most tender part of your body. In the years ahead you will need both strength and tenderness. Be firm in your commitment. Don't let your grip become weak. And yet, be flexible as you go through change. Don't let your hold become intolerable. Strength and tenderness...Firm commitment and flexibility....of such is a marriage made, hand in hand: Remember this well!
**************************************************************
From Still life with Woodpecker Tom Robins.
"Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice.
Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet.
That would mean that security is out of the question.
The words "make" and "stay" become inappropriate.
My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free.”
**********************************************************************
Love, Joy, Understanding, Friendship, Courage...
In joining your lives may God grant you both...
Love... to afford each other a special quality of time together.
Joy...in the accomplishments of one another.
Understanding...that your interests and desires
will not always be the same.
Friendship...based on mutual trust.
Courage...to speak of a misunderstanding
and to work on a solution
before the setting of the sun.
Compassion...to comfort each other in pain and sorrow.
Foresight...to realize rainbows follow rainy days.
Imagination...to keep with you part of the child you used to be.
Mirth...from your sense of humor.
Awareness...to live each day with the knowledge
that there is no promise of tomorrow.
May God bless you and keep you
in the Palm of His hand.
*******************************************************************
Blessing
May you never take each other for granted but always experience the wonders of your union. May your love consist not only in gazing into each other’s eyes, but also in looking outward in the same direction. May your life together be a source of strength and inspiration to yourselves, your families and your friends. May you never forget the beginning of your love for one another, take care of it, nurture it, and allow it to grow strong and firm in the years that are to come. May you always concentrate on making each other happy and secure in your commitment to one another and always rely on your ability to keep the promises you have made to one another today throughout the thick and thin of life’s experiences. And may you always be in love. May your love be as beautiful each day you share as it is on this day of Your Wedding and may all of your wishes come true.
******************************************************************************
An excerpt from The Prophet by Kihlil Gibran
Let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.
****************************************************************************************
This Day (Author unknown)
May this day shine eternally in your lives.
May it add brilliance to every achievement
and cast a divine light over any misfortune.
May you care for each other in all sadness.
May you give cheer to each other.
May you give vitality to each other in all undertakings.
May all that is virtuous, beautiful and honest, remain with you always.
******************************************************************************
"Loves Journey” by Amanda Prescott (Beautiful for any couple, especially a couple who may have met later in life, reconnected after years or been together while)
The road to happiness is laden with twists and turns, sharp and winding. The obstacles never-ending. Each day gives us hope for a brighter tomorrow, new beginnings. The promise of things to come. Our hopes and dreams never-fading, nor will we allow it.
When the days wear long and it seems I can barely hold on, I close my eyes and think of you. And just as the warmth of the sun touches my skin, I recall how you have touched my heart.
I take a deep breath and sigh. I picture your smile, the innocence in your laughter. I think of how you have brought so much love, faith, hope and happiness into my life. Proving that true love really does exist. I think of your touch, the warmth in your embrace. I feel your strength in everything that you do. And it gives me the strength and courage to push forward. I’ve never felt so complete or so alive till I found you.
I open my eyes, smiling. Knowing nothing can bring me down. The road to happiness has been long. Sometimes taking us down a worn and beaten path. Our faith in love has pulled us through, showing us the way. And so, we shall walk side by side, eternally, through our loves journey.
*******************************************************************************************"
Touched By An Angel," Maya Angelou
"We, unaccustomed to courage, exiles from delight, live coiled in shells of loneliness,
until love leaves its high holy temple, and comes into our sight, to liberate us into life.
Love arrives, and in its train come ecstasies, old memories of pleasure, ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear, from our souls.
We are weaned from our timidity, In the flush of love's light, we dare be brave,
And suddenly we see, that love costs all we are, and will ever be. Yet it is only love, which sets us free."
********************************************************************************************
Themed poems:
Couple who enjoys motorcycle riding:
Come Ride with Me.
Come join with me stay by my side
Hop on board let’s take a ride
Hold on tight, the ride is long.
Come ride with me where you belong.
Come aboard my horse of steel
Hold me close and let me feel
The need in you as strong as mine.
Come ride with me, we’ll be just fine
Come take a ride and trust in me
We’ll ride as one for all to see.
******************************************************************************
For the couple who likes to travel:
Love and Marriage are a lot like a road trip. With this in mind I would like to share a reading with you (by Nikki Giovanni)
“We love because it’s the only true adventure.” The truest adventure is opening your heart to another, rather than hiding it in a safe box under lock and key. After all, falling in love is not for the faint of heart. It takes a special kind of courage to entangle your heartstrings with another’s and wander hand in hand into an unknown future together.
Every unknown involves an element of risk, but daring to love has the utmost risk.
It means trusting your heart to another in hopes that they will give you theirs in exchange.
Everyone knows love can be unpredictable. There is no map to pull out and examine when you get lost. There are twists and turns and you never know where the road will lead next or if it will suddenly and abruptly end.
However, the reward of the journey is invaluable and infuses meaning into life like all great adventures do.
(this next part is optional):
As you begin this new adventure in your life I ask you to remember:
Marriage makes the journey of life more exciting, rewarding and fulfilling
After all what could be better than an adventure with your best friend
A journey is more fun when you take the time to stop and enjoy all that comes your way
When things happen that will slow down your journey such as the occasional speed bump, flat tire or detour, remember to treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourself often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your partnership deserves. focus on what still seems right between you, not only the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
The joy is not in the destination but in the journey itself
So as you embark on this new adventure I simply say to you “Buckle Up” and enjoy the ride
*******************************************************************************
Dog lovers? Here is a fun reading
How falling in love is like owning a dog by Taylor Mali
First of all, it’s a big responsibility,
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you’re walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain’t no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?
On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.
Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.
Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don’t you ever do that again!
Sometimes love just wants to go out for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise. It will run you around the block
and leave you panting, breathless. Pull you in different directions
at once, or wind itself around and around you
until you’re all wound up and you cannot move.
But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.
****************************************************************
Another great Dog or pet reading!
John and Mary (pets name) is overjoyed that you have decided to enter into the closer relationship of husband and wife (or married couple). They would like to share with you the wise advice for a happy life together titled “All I need to know about life I learned from my dog— (Anonymous,)
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride together. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
When you want treats, practice obedience.
Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
Take naps together and stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Be loyal.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
Thrive on the attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout...Run right back and make friends. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk together.
Love each other unconditionally.
*************************************************
Butterfly Poems for butterfly release:
May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
******************************************************************************
May your marriage always be blessed
with the pure and profoundly loving feelings
drawing you so closely together now:
extraordinary communication,
listening and understanding,
putting yourselves in the other’s place,
as well as expressing your own needs;
eagerness to compromise,
because you love so much, you want to give
whatever is needed, wanted, for happiness;
and deep commitment to do whatever it takes
to maintain the strong bond
present on your wedding day.
May your marriage always be blessed, now and forever.
******************************************
Hand in Hand:
Hand in Hand you enter marriage; hand in hand you step out in faith. The hand you freely give to each other, is both the strongest and the most tender part of your body. In the years ahead you will need both strength and tenderness. Be firm in your commitment. Don't let your grip become weak. And yet, be flexible as you go through change. Don't let your hold become intolerable. Strength and tenderness...Firm commitment and flexibility....of such is a marriage made, hand in hand: Remember this well!
**************************************************************
From Still life with Woodpecker Tom Robins.
"Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice.
Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet.
That would mean that security is out of the question.
The words "make" and "stay" become inappropriate.
My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free.”
**********************************************************************
Love, Joy, Understanding, Friendship, Courage...
In joining your lives may God grant you both...
Love... to afford each other a special quality of time together.
Joy...in the accomplishments of one another.
Understanding...that your interests and desires
will not always be the same.
Friendship...based on mutual trust.
Courage...to speak of a misunderstanding
and to work on a solution
before the setting of the sun.
Compassion...to comfort each other in pain and sorrow.
Foresight...to realize rainbows follow rainy days.
Imagination...to keep with you part of the child you used to be.
Mirth...from your sense of humor.
Awareness...to live each day with the knowledge
that there is no promise of tomorrow.
May God bless you and keep you
in the Palm of His hand.
*******************************************************************
Blessing
May you never take each other for granted but always experience the wonders of your union. May your love consist not only in gazing into each other’s eyes, but also in looking outward in the same direction. May your life together be a source of strength and inspiration to yourselves, your families and your friends. May you never forget the beginning of your love for one another, take care of it, nurture it, and allow it to grow strong and firm in the years that are to come. May you always concentrate on making each other happy and secure in your commitment to one another and always rely on your ability to keep the promises you have made to one another today throughout the thick and thin of life’s experiences. And may you always be in love. May your love be as beautiful each day you share as it is on this day of Your Wedding and may all of your wishes come true.
******************************************************************************
An excerpt from The Prophet by Kihlil Gibran
Let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.
****************************************************************************************
This Day (Author unknown)
May this day shine eternally in your lives.
May it add brilliance to every achievement
and cast a divine light over any misfortune.
May you care for each other in all sadness.
May you give cheer to each other.
May you give vitality to each other in all undertakings.
May all that is virtuous, beautiful and honest, remain with you always.
******************************************************************************
"Loves Journey” by Amanda Prescott (Beautiful for any couple, especially a couple who may have met later in life, reconnected after years or been together while)
The road to happiness is laden with twists and turns, sharp and winding. The obstacles never-ending. Each day gives us hope for a brighter tomorrow, new beginnings. The promise of things to come. Our hopes and dreams never-fading, nor will we allow it.
When the days wear long and it seems I can barely hold on, I close my eyes and think of you. And just as the warmth of the sun touches my skin, I recall how you have touched my heart.
I take a deep breath and sigh. I picture your smile, the innocence in your laughter. I think of how you have brought so much love, faith, hope and happiness into my life. Proving that true love really does exist. I think of your touch, the warmth in your embrace. I feel your strength in everything that you do. And it gives me the strength and courage to push forward. I’ve never felt so complete or so alive till I found you.
I open my eyes, smiling. Knowing nothing can bring me down. The road to happiness has been long. Sometimes taking us down a worn and beaten path. Our faith in love has pulled us through, showing us the way. And so, we shall walk side by side, eternally, through our loves journey.
*******************************************************************************************"
Touched By An Angel," Maya Angelou
"We, unaccustomed to courage, exiles from delight, live coiled in shells of loneliness,
until love leaves its high holy temple, and comes into our sight, to liberate us into life.
Love arrives, and in its train come ecstasies, old memories of pleasure, ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear, from our souls.
We are weaned from our timidity, In the flush of love's light, we dare be brave,
And suddenly we see, that love costs all we are, and will ever be. Yet it is only love, which sets us free."
********************************************************************************************
Themed poems:
Couple who enjoys motorcycle riding:
Come Ride with Me.
Come join with me stay by my side
Hop on board let’s take a ride
Hold on tight, the ride is long.
Come ride with me where you belong.
Come aboard my horse of steel
Hold me close and let me feel
The need in you as strong as mine.
Come ride with me, we’ll be just fine
Come take a ride and trust in me
We’ll ride as one for all to see.
******************************************************************************
For the couple who likes to travel:
Love and Marriage are a lot like a road trip. With this in mind I would like to share a reading with you (by Nikki Giovanni)
“We love because it’s the only true adventure.” The truest adventure is opening your heart to another, rather than hiding it in a safe box under lock and key. After all, falling in love is not for the faint of heart. It takes a special kind of courage to entangle your heartstrings with another’s and wander hand in hand into an unknown future together.
Every unknown involves an element of risk, but daring to love has the utmost risk.
It means trusting your heart to another in hopes that they will give you theirs in exchange.
Everyone knows love can be unpredictable. There is no map to pull out and examine when you get lost. There are twists and turns and you never know where the road will lead next or if it will suddenly and abruptly end.
However, the reward of the journey is invaluable and infuses meaning into life like all great adventures do.
(this next part is optional):
As you begin this new adventure in your life I ask you to remember:
Marriage makes the journey of life more exciting, rewarding and fulfilling
After all what could be better than an adventure with your best friend
A journey is more fun when you take the time to stop and enjoy all that comes your way
When things happen that will slow down your journey such as the occasional speed bump, flat tire or detour, remember to treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourself often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your partnership deserves. focus on what still seems right between you, not only the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
The joy is not in the destination but in the journey itself
So as you embark on this new adventure I simply say to you “Buckle Up” and enjoy the ride
*******************************************************************************
Dog lovers? Here is a fun reading
How falling in love is like owning a dog by Taylor Mali
First of all, it’s a big responsibility,
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you’re walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain’t no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?
On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.
Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.
Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don’t you ever do that again!
Sometimes love just wants to go out for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise. It will run you around the block
and leave you panting, breathless. Pull you in different directions
at once, or wind itself around and around you
until you’re all wound up and you cannot move.
But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.
****************************************************************
Another great Dog or pet reading!
John and Mary (pets name) is overjoyed that you have decided to enter into the closer relationship of husband and wife (or married couple). They would like to share with you the wise advice for a happy life together titled “All I need to know about life I learned from my dog— (Anonymous,)
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride together. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
When you want treats, practice obedience.
Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
Take naps together and stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Be loyal.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
Thrive on the attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout...Run right back and make friends. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk together.
Love each other unconditionally.
*************************************************
Butterfly Poems for butterfly release:
May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
******************************************************************************
An American Indian Legend
According to an American Indian Legend:
If anyone desires a wish to come true they must first capture a butterfly
and whisper that wish to it.
By making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to the
heavens and be granted.
(As you release your butterflies, whisper your wish for the newly wedded couple, and
that the butterfly will carry your wish to Heaven – from where all blessings flow..)
******************************************************************************
Butterfly Benediction’s
May the morning sun caress you,
The rains of change refresh you,
And the gentle breeze of His Spirit
Lift the wings of your transformation.
by Richard D. Breen, copyright 2003
*****************************************************************************
As we celebrate this day, let us release these butterflies
as a symbolic gesture of Joy and Happiness to ____________.
As the butterflies dance from flower to flower, may their lives together
enjoy the same Bountiful Joy and New Beginnings.
And as the butterflies charm us with their grace and beauty, may their lives
equally bring joy to others, and grace to God.
By MonarchBouquets.com.
******************************************************************************
Maybe (Anonymous)-I love this reading for any wedding but its especially poignant for those who have had to go through the bad to get to the good :)
Maybe...We are supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift
-Maybe...it is true that we don't know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives
-Maybe...the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way
-Maybe...the best kind of love is the kind you can sit on a sofa together and never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had
-Maybe...you shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
-Maybe...you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy
-Maybe... Love is not about finding the perfect person, it's about learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.'
************************************************************************************
According to an American Indian Legend:
If anyone desires a wish to come true they must first capture a butterfly
and whisper that wish to it.
By making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to the
heavens and be granted.
(As you release your butterflies, whisper your wish for the newly wedded couple, and
that the butterfly will carry your wish to Heaven – from where all blessings flow..)
******************************************************************************
Butterfly Benediction’s
May the morning sun caress you,
The rains of change refresh you,
And the gentle breeze of His Spirit
Lift the wings of your transformation.
by Richard D. Breen, copyright 2003
*****************************************************************************
As we celebrate this day, let us release these butterflies
as a symbolic gesture of Joy and Happiness to ____________.
As the butterflies dance from flower to flower, may their lives together
enjoy the same Bountiful Joy and New Beginnings.
And as the butterflies charm us with their grace and beauty, may their lives
equally bring joy to others, and grace to God.
By MonarchBouquets.com.
******************************************************************************
Maybe (Anonymous)-I love this reading for any wedding but its especially poignant for those who have had to go through the bad to get to the good :)
Maybe...We are supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift
-Maybe...it is true that we don't know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives
-Maybe...the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way
-Maybe...the best kind of love is the kind you can sit on a sofa together and never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had
-Maybe...you shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
-Maybe...you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy
-Maybe... Love is not about finding the perfect person, it's about learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.'
************************************************************************************
Irish blessings/poems:
Irish Wedding Blessing Option 1:
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon the fields.
May the light of friendship guide your paths together.
May the laughter of children grace the halls
of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile
from your lips,
A twinkle from your eye.
And when eternity beckons,
at the end of a life heaped high with love,
May the good Lord embrace you
with the arms that have nurtured you
the whole length of your joy-filled days.
May the gracious God hold you both
in the palm of His hands.
And, today, may the Spirit of Love
find a dwelling place in your hearts. Amen.
Irish Wedding Blessing, option 2 short version:
May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace. May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase. May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.
Irish Wedding Blessing option 3 long version:
May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.
May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.
May the saddest day of your future
Be no worse than the happiest day of your past.
May your hands be forever clasped in friendship
And your hearts joined forever in love.
Your lives are very special,
God has touched you in many ways.
May his blessings rest upon you
And fill all your coming days.
Irish wedding Blessing option 4.
May your hands be forever clasped in friendship and your hearts joined forever in love. Your lives are very special, God has touched you in many ways. May his blessings rest upon you and fill all your coming days.
Irish Wedding Blessing option 5.
May you always have enough happiness to keep you sweet, trials to keep you strong, success to make you eager, friends to give you comfort, wealth to meet your needs, enthusiasm to look for tomorrow, and a growing love to make each day better than the day before.
***************************************************************************
Irish Wedding Blessing Option 6.
May the Lord smile upon you in all your comings and goings,
And may every new day be another chance to grow as one in wisdom, trust, and love.
May you always share: more blessings than burdens, more laughter than tears,
And more strength for what lies ahead then you will ever need.
May your hearts not forget that love lasts when you put faith and family first.
And many happy years from now, may you still be walking hand in hand under God's heaven.
May your life together be a good one.
*****************************************************************************
As Robert Fulghum once wrote “We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love.”
***************************************************************************
All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," by Robert Fulghum
All of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.
These are the things I learned…
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Give them to someone who feels sad.
Live a balanced life.
Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day.
Take a nap every afternoon.
Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
***************************************************************************************
Great quote by Albert Einstein:
Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?
Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour.
Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.
***************************************************************************************
“If I Should Fall Behind” by Bruce Springsteen (*This is really beautiful when either the bride or groom read it to the other)
We said we'd walk together, baby come what may
That come the twilight should we lose our way
If as we're walking, a hand should slip free
I'll wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me
We swore we'd travel, darling side by side
We'd help each other stay in stride
But each lover's steps fall so differently
But I'll wait for you
And if I should fall behind
Wait for me
Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true
But you and I know what this world can do
So let's make our steps clear, so that the other may see
And I'll wait for you
If I should fall behind
Wait for me
Now there's a beautiful river in the valley ahead
There 'neath the oak's bough soon we will be wed
Should we lose each other in the shadow of the evening trees
I'll wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me
Darling… I'll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me
***********************************************************
Native American Prayer:
God in heaven above please protect the ones we love.
We honor all you created as _____ and ___ pledge their hearts and lives together.
We honor mother-earth - and ask for their marriage to be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons;
We honor fire - and ask that their union be warm and glowing with love in their hearts;
We honor wind - and ask that they sail through life safe and calm as in our father's arms;
We honor water - to clean and soothe their relationship -that it may never thirsts for love;
With all the forces of the universe you created, we pray for harmony and true happiness as
they forever grow young together. Amen.
*****************************************************************
We said we'd walk together, baby come what may
That come the twilight should we lose our way
If as we're walking, a hand should slip free
I'll wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me
We swore we'd travel, darling side by side
We'd help each other stay in stride
But each lover's steps fall so differently
But I'll wait for you
And if I should fall behind
Wait for me
Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true
But you and I know what this world can do
So let's make our steps clear, so that the other may see
And I'll wait for you
If I should fall behind
Wait for me
Now there's a beautiful river in the valley ahead
There 'neath the oak's bough soon we will be wed
Should we lose each other in the shadow of the evening trees
I'll wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me
Darling… I'll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me
***********************************************************
Native American Prayer:
God in heaven above please protect the ones we love.
We honor all you created as _____ and ___ pledge their hearts and lives together.
We honor mother-earth - and ask for their marriage to be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons;
We honor fire - and ask that their union be warm and glowing with love in their hearts;
We honor wind - and ask that they sail through life safe and calm as in our father's arms;
We honor water - to clean and soothe their relationship -that it may never thirsts for love;
With all the forces of the universe you created, we pray for harmony and true happiness as
they forever grow young together. Amen.
*****************************************************************
This Marriage by Rumi
May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
*************************************************************************
Writing By Hand by Maelina Frattaroli ~ This reading is perfect for the couple who write as a hobby or profession
Think about it: love is like writing by hand,
Maybe inside a journal,
Where no two covers are alike.
Pages are crisp. New.
Ink hits paper, and that's The Beginning.
It flows freely when we form
The letters with our own hands.
We try to keep inside the lines
But sometimes we cross through them.
Often, we don't use the lines at all.
The paper changes along with the story:
It becomes rough around the edges.
We draft, write, and rewrite.
We rely on the rules of the red pen,
Sometimes hidden within the margins,
And find ourselves changing course,
Refilling ink for exciting twists and turns.
Holding hands covered in this ink,
With every callus formed from the labor.
Through run-ons and sentence fragments,
We work hard, and write our own chapters.
We live our own stories to find The Middle,
And the Happy Ending that give us
Once Upon a Time…
May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
*************************************************************************
Writing By Hand by Maelina Frattaroli ~ This reading is perfect for the couple who write as a hobby or profession
Think about it: love is like writing by hand,
Maybe inside a journal,
Where no two covers are alike.
Pages are crisp. New.
Ink hits paper, and that's The Beginning.
It flows freely when we form
The letters with our own hands.
We try to keep inside the lines
But sometimes we cross through them.
Often, we don't use the lines at all.
The paper changes along with the story:
It becomes rough around the edges.
We draft, write, and rewrite.
We rely on the rules of the red pen,
Sometimes hidden within the margins,
And find ourselves changing course,
Refilling ink for exciting twists and turns.
Holding hands covered in this ink,
With every callus formed from the labor.
Through run-ons and sentence fragments,
We work hard, and write our own chapters.
We live our own stories to find The Middle,
And the Happy Ending that give us
Once Upon a Time…
France - Matthew of Rievaulx - 13th century
The winter will lose its cold,
as the snow will be without whiteness,
The night without darkness,
the heavens without stars,
the day without light,
The flower will lose its beauty,
all fountains their water,
the sea its fish,
the tree its birds,
the forest its beasts,
the earth its harvest -
All these things will pass before
anyone breaks the bonds of our love,
And before I cease caring for you in my heart.
May your days be happy in number as flakes of snow,
May your nights be peaceful,
and may you be without troubles.
*****************************************************************************
Bob Marley
Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you.
When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement.
The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever.
In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby.
Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you.
You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do.
You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible.
You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end.
Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.
*******************************************************************************
The winter will lose its cold,
as the snow will be without whiteness,
The night without darkness,
the heavens without stars,
the day without light,
The flower will lose its beauty,
all fountains their water,
the sea its fish,
the tree its birds,
the forest its beasts,
the earth its harvest -
All these things will pass before
anyone breaks the bonds of our love,
And before I cease caring for you in my heart.
May your days be happy in number as flakes of snow,
May your nights be peaceful,
and may you be without troubles.
*****************************************************************************
Bob Marley
Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you.
When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement.
The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever.
In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby.
Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you.
You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do.
You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible.
You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end.
Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.
*******************************************************************************
The Bridge Across Forever (by Richard Bach)
A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.
****************************************************************************
Time and Love (Author unknown)
Time is the essence of everyone’s life,
Take time with your loved ones
Have the time of your life.
For nobody knows what tomorrow may bring,
Be it luck, be it love,
Can be most anything.
But one thing I do know I’ll forever
Love you still,
My heart keeps on beating and my
Dreams fulfill.
Every minute, everyday, that you pass my way,
I’ll love you forever, tomorrow and today.
*****************************************************************************
I carry your heart by E. E. Cummings
*This reading can be beautiful for the couple to read to each other, each taking a paragraph
I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)
I am never without it (anywhere
I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)
A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.
****************************************************************************
Time and Love (Author unknown)
Time is the essence of everyone’s life,
Take time with your loved ones
Have the time of your life.
For nobody knows what tomorrow may bring,
Be it luck, be it love,
Can be most anything.
But one thing I do know I’ll forever
Love you still,
My heart keeps on beating and my
Dreams fulfill.
Every minute, everyday, that you pass my way,
I’ll love you forever, tomorrow and today.
*****************************************************************************
I carry your heart by E. E. Cummings
*This reading can be beautiful for the couple to read to each other, each taking a paragraph
I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)
I am never without it (anywhere
I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)
****************************************************************************
From the Beyond Words Daily Readings in the ABC's of Faith
They say they will love, comfort, honor each other to the end of their days. They say they will cherish each other and be faithful to each other always. They say they will do these things not just when they feel like it, but even - for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health - when they don't feel like it at all. In other words, the vows they make could hardly be more extravagant. They give away their freedom. They take on themselves each other's burdens. They bind their lives together. The question is, what do they get in return?
They get each other in return. There will always be the other to talk to, to listen to. There is still someone to get through the night with, to wake into the new day beside. If they have children, they can give them, as well as each other, roots and wings. If they don't have children, they each become the other's child.
They both still have their lives apart as well as a life together. They both still have their separate ways to find. But a marriage made in heaven is one where a man and a woman become more richly themselves together than the chances are either of them could ever have managed to become alone.
*************************************************************************************
From the Beyond Words Daily Readings in the ABC's of Faith
They say they will love, comfort, honor each other to the end of their days. They say they will cherish each other and be faithful to each other always. They say they will do these things not just when they feel like it, but even - for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health - when they don't feel like it at all. In other words, the vows they make could hardly be more extravagant. They give away their freedom. They take on themselves each other's burdens. They bind their lives together. The question is, what do they get in return?
They get each other in return. There will always be the other to talk to, to listen to. There is still someone to get through the night with, to wake into the new day beside. If they have children, they can give them, as well as each other, roots and wings. If they don't have children, they each become the other's child.
They both still have their lives apart as well as a life together. They both still have their separate ways to find. But a marriage made in heaven is one where a man and a woman become more richly themselves together than the chances are either of them could ever have managed to become alone.
*************************************************************************************
On Your Wedding Day” (Anon)
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 it’s way to your hearts
Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys
But today is the day it all starts!
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 it’s way to your hearts
Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys
But today is the day it all starts!
****************************************************************************
Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.
The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness.
We pardon to the extent that we love.
Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again.
And great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.
Loved for ourselves.
And even loved in spite of ourselves.”
Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.
The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness.
We pardon to the extent that we love.
Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again.
And great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.
Loved for ourselves.
And even loved in spite of ourselves.”
****************************************************************************
Cherish Every Moment, Leslie A. Neilson
Today is the beginning of a dream.
A day where two souls are woven together.
Cherish every moment that life offers.
And celebrate every small pleasure.
Express your love at every chance.
And allow it to unfold gracefully.
Show your devotion and dedicate your lives
to the enrichment of each other.
Strive always for honesty and integrity.
Build upon your marriage daily.
And seek to understand each other.
But above all this….
Draw upon the love you feel today
and forever etch it in your hearts
Cherish Every Moment, Leslie A. Neilson
Today is the beginning of a dream.
A day where two souls are woven together.
Cherish every moment that life offers.
And celebrate every small pleasure.
Express your love at every chance.
And allow it to unfold gracefully.
Show your devotion and dedicate your lives
to the enrichment of each other.
Strive always for honesty and integrity.
Build upon your marriage daily.
And seek to understand each other.
But above all this….
Draw upon the love you feel today
and forever etch it in your hearts
****************************************************************************
Marriage is a promise of Love by Edmund O’Neill
Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.
It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal.
It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.
Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships.
A wife and a husband are each other’s best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic.
And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child.
Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.
Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid.
It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life.
When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique unto themselves, which binds them closer than any spoken or written words.
Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill. ~
Marriage Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love,
Marriage is a promise of Love by Edmund O’Neill
Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.
It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal.
It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.
Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships.
A wife and a husband are each other’s best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic.
And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child.
Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.
Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid.
It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life.
When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique unto themselves, which binds them closer than any spoken or written words.
Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill. ~
Marriage Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love,
****************************************************************************"
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
**************************************************************************
“Love” (by Roy Croft)
I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.
I love you for putting your hand Into my heaped-up heart and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can’t help dimly seeing there.And for drawing out Into the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life not a tavern but a temple.
Out of the works of my every day not a reproach but a song.
I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good and more than any fate could have done to make me happy.
You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign.
You have done it by being yourself.
**********************************************************************************************
Blessing of the hands: This is very nice done after the rings:
Officiant: Please face each other and take each other’s hands so that you may see the gift that they are to you.
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as you build your future together.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will join your family as one.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it, support and encouragement to pursue your dreams, and comfort you through difficult times.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.
~~~Or the shorter version~~~
Optional opening: As you hold each others hands see the gift that they are to you. Take a moment to feel the softness of each other’s skin, the curve of fingers, the warmth of palms. Take a deep breath. Give each other’s hands a little squeeze. Relax into your partner’s presence, their support and strength, and let their hands anchor you in this moment.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief racks your mind.
These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.
These are the hands that will give you support and encourage you to chase your dreams. Together, everything you wish for can be realized.
*****************************************************************************
"I Do" By Bonnie Mohr (Religious)
This is your love story, come true...
Your journey of marriage begins with "I DO".
Cherish this bond, it belongs to only the two of you.
Start each day with gratitude and compassion for each other, and unconditional love will follow.
Believe in each other; support each other's dreams.
Remember to dream together too.
Always give more than you think the other needs.
Say, "I Love You" and "Thank You" everyday!
Trust, respect, and appreciate each other.
Be spontaneous, be fun, be romantic!
Stand together, but let there be space in your togetherness.
Know when to listen, to talk, to let your heart feel.
Apoligize. Forgive and forget - doing so will make you feel better!
Work together. Play together. Pray together. Allow God to be the foundation of your marriage.
You have been chosen for each other...it is His plan.
With each passing year, you will grow closer together, drawing strength from on another...and two shall become one.
You will be blessed with the greatest happiness in life. To love and to be loved.
******************************************************************************************
Poem "They are about to say "I Do" (Non-religious)
They are about to say I do.
Three little letters, two little words.
It's the simplest part of the day.
But there's nothing simple about the things that will remain unsaid.
I do means I do know I could be hurt.
But I'm ready to be healed with you.
It means I do want to try.
Even when the fear of failure holds me back.
And I do not know the future, but I'm ready to be surprised along the way.
And I do means I do want your love and I do give you mine.
And nothing we do will ever be the same.
Because you and I will be doing it all together.
******************************************************************
“All I know about Love” (by Neil Gaiman)
This is everything I have to tell you about love: nothing.
This is everything I've learned about marriage: nothing.
Only that the world out there is complicated, and there are beasts in the night, and delight and pain, and the only thing that makes it okay, sometimes, is to reach out a hand in the darkness and find another hand to squeeze, and not to be alone.
It's not the kisses, or never just the kisses: it's what they mean.
Somebody's got your back.
Somebody knows your worst self and somehow doesn't want to rescue you
or send for the army to rescue them.
It's not two broken halves becoming one.
It's the light from a distant lighthouse bringing you both safely home
because home is wherever you are both together.
So, this is everything I have to tell you about love and marriage: nothing,
like a book without pages or a forest without trees.
Because there are things you cannot know before you experience them.
Because no study can prepare you for the joys or the trials.
Because nobody else's love, nobody else's marriage, is like yours,
and it's a road you can only learn by walking it, a dance you cannot be taught,
a song that did not exist before you began, together, to sing.
And because in the darkness you will reach out a hand, not knowing for certain if someone else is even there. And your hands will meet, and then neither of you will ever need to be alone again.
And that's all I know about love.
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From Instructions For Life In The New Millennium by His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama
Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
And that a loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
Be gentle with the earth, be gentle with one another.
When disagreements come remember always to protect the spirit of your union.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake,take immediate steps to correct it.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
So love yourselves, love one another, love all that is your life together and all else will follow.
********************************************************************
Recipe For Happily Ever After by IIona Blake
Today will be perfect In every single way.
A beautiful fairy tale, for your wedding day.
The theme of your day Is to have love and laughter
And to live your days Happily ever after.
Living happily is what we need to survive,
So how does one keep the magic alive?
How do you light a spark that never goes out?
And how does one live a life Without fear or doubt?
How do some people manage to keep their love strong?
And how do some couples always feel like they belong?
What do you need to do to stay in love forever
And make each day special and grow fonder together?
Well, these very questions you must address every day.
You must take the time to go out of your way,
To always share love, and always share laughter,
To do whatever it takes to live happily ever after.
Here is a recipe I think is a must- So let's begin with Always having trust.
Don't forget it's important To have total respect,
And to always stay loyal To keep your love perfect.
You must communicate Each and every day.
Three special little words You must never forget to say,
"I love you."
It's amazing How these words make you feel Happy, safe, and valued,
And they will keep your love real.
A simple act of kindness Goes a long, long way.
Blend it with understanding and you can't go astray.
Don't forget friendship. It will help you to cope.
Add a sprinkle of faith and an abundance of hope.
Remember your smile. It is beautiful to see.
It can brighten one's day. It can make you feel free.
So, my wish for you both Is you always have love and laughter,
And I pray that you will enjoy Your happily ever after
***********************************************************************
Movie lines:
From The Notebook
The best kind of love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more.
*************************************************************************
And of course the Twilight vows:
I, Edward Cullen, take you Isabella Swan, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner, my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in everything, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live
I, Isabella Marie Swan, take you Edward Anthony Masen Cullen to be my beloved husband, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this, from my heart, for all of the days of our lives.”
*****************************************************************************
Back to the Future
Where Doc says.."Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever
you make it. So make it a good one, both of ya.”
*****************************************************************************
Susan Sarandon in Shall We Dance:
We need a witness to our lives. There's a billion
people on the planet... I mean, what does any one life
really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to
care about everything. The good things, the bad things,
the terrible things, the mundane things... all of it,
all of the time, every day. You're saying 'Your life
will not go unnoticed because I will notice it.
Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness'."
**************************************************************************
From Eat, Pray, Love By Elizabeth Gilbert
People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you are fortunate enough.
But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings.
And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
**************************************************************************
“Love” (by Roy Croft)
I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.
I love you for putting your hand Into my heaped-up heart and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can’t help dimly seeing there.And for drawing out Into the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life not a tavern but a temple.
Out of the works of my every day not a reproach but a song.
I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good and more than any fate could have done to make me happy.
You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign.
You have done it by being yourself.
**********************************************************************************************
Blessing of the hands: This is very nice done after the rings:
Officiant: Please face each other and take each other’s hands so that you may see the gift that they are to you.
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as you build your future together.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will join your family as one.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it, support and encouragement to pursue your dreams, and comfort you through difficult times.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.
~~~Or the shorter version~~~
Optional opening: As you hold each others hands see the gift that they are to you. Take a moment to feel the softness of each other’s skin, the curve of fingers, the warmth of palms. Take a deep breath. Give each other’s hands a little squeeze. Relax into your partner’s presence, their support and strength, and let their hands anchor you in this moment.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief racks your mind.
These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.
These are the hands that will give you support and encourage you to chase your dreams. Together, everything you wish for can be realized.
*****************************************************************************
"I Do" By Bonnie Mohr (Religious)
This is your love story, come true...
Your journey of marriage begins with "I DO".
Cherish this bond, it belongs to only the two of you.
Start each day with gratitude and compassion for each other, and unconditional love will follow.
Believe in each other; support each other's dreams.
Remember to dream together too.
Always give more than you think the other needs.
Say, "I Love You" and "Thank You" everyday!
Trust, respect, and appreciate each other.
Be spontaneous, be fun, be romantic!
Stand together, but let there be space in your togetherness.
Know when to listen, to talk, to let your heart feel.
Apoligize. Forgive and forget - doing so will make you feel better!
Work together. Play together. Pray together. Allow God to be the foundation of your marriage.
You have been chosen for each other...it is His plan.
With each passing year, you will grow closer together, drawing strength from on another...and two shall become one.
You will be blessed with the greatest happiness in life. To love and to be loved.
******************************************************************************************
Poem "They are about to say "I Do" (Non-religious)
They are about to say I do.
Three little letters, two little words.
It's the simplest part of the day.
But there's nothing simple about the things that will remain unsaid.
I do means I do know I could be hurt.
But I'm ready to be healed with you.
It means I do want to try.
Even when the fear of failure holds me back.
And I do not know the future, but I'm ready to be surprised along the way.
And I do means I do want your love and I do give you mine.
And nothing we do will ever be the same.
Because you and I will be doing it all together.
******************************************************************
“All I know about Love” (by Neil Gaiman)
This is everything I have to tell you about love: nothing.
This is everything I've learned about marriage: nothing.
Only that the world out there is complicated, and there are beasts in the night, and delight and pain, and the only thing that makes it okay, sometimes, is to reach out a hand in the darkness and find another hand to squeeze, and not to be alone.
It's not the kisses, or never just the kisses: it's what they mean.
Somebody's got your back.
Somebody knows your worst self and somehow doesn't want to rescue you
or send for the army to rescue them.
It's not two broken halves becoming one.
It's the light from a distant lighthouse bringing you both safely home
because home is wherever you are both together.
So, this is everything I have to tell you about love and marriage: nothing,
like a book without pages or a forest without trees.
Because there are things you cannot know before you experience them.
Because no study can prepare you for the joys or the trials.
Because nobody else's love, nobody else's marriage, is like yours,
and it's a road you can only learn by walking it, a dance you cannot be taught,
a song that did not exist before you began, together, to sing.
And because in the darkness you will reach out a hand, not knowing for certain if someone else is even there. And your hands will meet, and then neither of you will ever need to be alone again.
And that's all I know about love.
************************************************************************
From Instructions For Life In The New Millennium by His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama
Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
And that a loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
Be gentle with the earth, be gentle with one another.
When disagreements come remember always to protect the spirit of your union.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake,take immediate steps to correct it.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
So love yourselves, love one another, love all that is your life together and all else will follow.
********************************************************************
Recipe For Happily Ever After by IIona Blake
Today will be perfect In every single way.
A beautiful fairy tale, for your wedding day.
The theme of your day Is to have love and laughter
And to live your days Happily ever after.
Living happily is what we need to survive,
So how does one keep the magic alive?
How do you light a spark that never goes out?
And how does one live a life Without fear or doubt?
How do some people manage to keep their love strong?
And how do some couples always feel like they belong?
What do you need to do to stay in love forever
And make each day special and grow fonder together?
Well, these very questions you must address every day.
You must take the time to go out of your way,
To always share love, and always share laughter,
To do whatever it takes to live happily ever after.
Here is a recipe I think is a must- So let's begin with Always having trust.
Don't forget it's important To have total respect,
And to always stay loyal To keep your love perfect.
You must communicate Each and every day.
Three special little words You must never forget to say,
"I love you."
It's amazing How these words make you feel Happy, safe, and valued,
And they will keep your love real.
A simple act of kindness Goes a long, long way.
Blend it with understanding and you can't go astray.
Don't forget friendship. It will help you to cope.
Add a sprinkle of faith and an abundance of hope.
Remember your smile. It is beautiful to see.
It can brighten one's day. It can make you feel free.
So, my wish for you both Is you always have love and laughter,
And I pray that you will enjoy Your happily ever after
***********************************************************************
Movie lines:
From The Notebook
The best kind of love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more.
*************************************************************************
And of course the Twilight vows:
I, Edward Cullen, take you Isabella Swan, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner, my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in everything, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live
I, Isabella Marie Swan, take you Edward Anthony Masen Cullen to be my beloved husband, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this, from my heart, for all of the days of our lives.”
*****************************************************************************
Back to the Future
Where Doc says.."Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever
you make it. So make it a good one, both of ya.”
*****************************************************************************
Susan Sarandon in Shall We Dance:
We need a witness to our lives. There's a billion
people on the planet... I mean, what does any one life
really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to
care about everything. The good things, the bad things,
the terrible things, the mundane things... all of it,
all of the time, every day. You're saying 'Your life
will not go unnoticed because I will notice it.
Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness'."
**************************************************************************
From Eat, Pray, Love By Elizabeth Gilbert
People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you are fortunate enough.
But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings.
And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.
