miraclesrule
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Do you have any preferences? Any great/touching one you have used or heard? Did you/are you including them? Any suggestions?
Readings at Wedding Ceremony...
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miraclesrule
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Yeah, my daughter is too. I have been reviewing some of them and they just don''t seem to be ringing anyone''s bell. I do like one of them about hands, right before the exchanging of the rings, but the other ones are...meh...not doing anything for me. In fact I think they are booooorrrrrinnnnngggggg.
But I do think readings have their place and if they are the right ones for the couple and their style then it''s a nice gesture.
But I do think readings have their place and if they are the right ones for the couple and their style then it''s a nice gesture.
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The couple chooses readings that are meaninful to them.... scripture, a poem, prose, Shakespear, an exerpt from "The Little Prince" or "The Velveteen Rabbit," or even lyrics to a song.
Anyone else old enough to remember readings from Khalil Gibran or ... darn, i cannot remember the guy's name, but it was pretty cheesy.
Anyhow, I don't think you have to have them, and I don't think they add much unless they're meaninful to the couple.
BTW the last time I was asked to read at a wedding, it was a selection from the Song of Solomon. All in code, but pretty racy, really......!
Anyone else old enough to remember readings from Khalil Gibran or ... darn, i cannot remember the guy's name, but it was pretty cheesy.
Anyhow, I don't think you have to have them, and I don't think they add much unless they're meaninful to the couple.
BTW the last time I was asked to read at a wedding, it was a selection from the Song of Solomon. All in code, but pretty racy, really......!
October2008bride
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Here''s a few I''ve taken from other sites that I wish I could use but I think the church might not love anything that isn''t from the bible 
:
Blessing of the Hands"
“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 together you build your future. 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. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. 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.”
And my personal favourite:
Union by Robert Fulghum
You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.
The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”
Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.
For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband. This is my wife.
:Blessing of the Hands"
“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 together you build your future. 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. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. 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.”
And my personal favourite:
Union by Robert Fulghum
You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.
The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”
Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.
For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband. This is my wife.
miraclesrule
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Wow October Bride, those are two of the ones my daughter was looking to use. I really like the hands one and think it would good right before they place the rings on their hands. I think your version is a bit abbreviated and I like it better.
I wasn''t that much of a fan of the Robert Fulghum reading, but your version has some variations on it that the one my daughter showed me didn''t have. I was going to edit it for her, but I lost interest in it. I guess it''s because the girl who was going to read it, kept making me laugh by miming some hip action in addition to the "in a car, over a meal, all those late nights....:::imagine thrusting movement here:::: Once she broke that out, I couldn''t really take the reading seriously.
I wasn''t that much of a fan of the Robert Fulghum reading, but your version has some variations on it that the one my daughter showed me didn''t have. I was going to edit it for her, but I lost interest in it. I guess it''s because the girl who was going to read it, kept making me laugh by miming some hip action in addition to the "in a car, over a meal, all those late nights....:::imagine thrusting movement here:::: Once she broke that out, I couldn''t really take the reading seriously.
violet02
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Hrmm okay I think that answers my question! We''re not very sentimental poetic type people and for the life of me I can''t remember anything that was read last year and none of it seemed that touching at the time, (I know I''m terribly horribly non-sappy). So I think we may just go without it.
cellososweet
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For our vow renewal we did:
The first one was funny considering the best man read it and he's a total pyromaniac. He would have the reading that mentions fire. haha
Laura Hendricks “Love is Friendship Caught Fire.”
Love is friendship caught fire; it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and does not brood over the past. It is the day-in and day-out chronicles of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you do not have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough."
and we did:
The first one was funny considering the best man read it and he's a total pyromaniac. He would have the reading that mentions fire. haha
Laura Hendricks “Love is Friendship Caught Fire.”
Love is friendship caught fire; it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and does not brood over the past. It is the day-in and day-out chronicles of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you do not have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough."
and we did:
"Blessing For A Marriage" by James Dillet Freeman
“May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding. May you always need one another -- not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete. The valley does not make the mountain less, but more. And the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you. May you need one another, but not out of weakness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you entice one another, but not compel one another. May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another. May you succeed in all-important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces. May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults. If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back. May you enter into the mystery that is the awareness of one another's presence -- no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities. May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.”
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Sabine
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Dang, one of my biggest annoyances with having a strictly Catholic ceremony is just how restrictive our readings are. If I had the choice, I would totally pick one of my or FI''s favorite love poems, or even a love letter written from one famous person to another, or EVEN have someone read one of the love letters that FI and I wrote to one another! I''m a sap for readings!
cellososweet
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i wanted some readings of letters betwee de Beauvoir and Sartre, but didn''t have time to pick my favorites.
brgirl
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Hi! We aren''t religious, but we needed to add some sort of reading to make our ceremony longer than 5 minutes...Originally I was opposed to any readings, but I started researching and found one we liked at http://www.celebrateintimateweddings.com/ceremony1.html
A speaker named Larry James performs ceremonies, and there is an excerpt from his ''Romantic'' wedding ceremony that begins with "Happiness in Marriage'' from the link above. We read that at our wedding, and I thought it was just a nice commentary. (we also gave him credit in the program for writing it)
A speaker named Larry James performs ceremonies, and there is an excerpt from his ''Romantic'' wedding ceremony that begins with "Happiness in Marriage'' from the link above. We read that at our wedding, and I thought it was just a nice commentary. (we also gave him credit in the program for writing it)
miraclesrule
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cello: Those awesome readings! I especially like the second one.
Sabine: I hear ya on religious ceremonies. Back in the day when I was married, about the only thing anyone ever read was 1 Corinthians (I can''t even spell it anymore) Chapter 13.
violet: Too sappy for you, eh? A lot of the readings that I looked through were just too cheesy for cake.
I know that a lot of people are not having religious weddings and anymore and I can''t say as I blame them, I have been to way too many weddings that left me shaking my head at some of the ancient and blatantly sexist things that get said by some priests and ministers. But I still believe there should be an element of spirituality, which in my opinion, is very different from religion.
That''s why I like the second one cello posted so much. It''s got a spiritual vibe.
Sabine: I hear ya on religious ceremonies. Back in the day when I was married, about the only thing anyone ever read was 1 Corinthians (I can''t even spell it anymore) Chapter 13.
violet: Too sappy for you, eh? A lot of the readings that I looked through were just too cheesy for cake.
I know that a lot of people are not having religious weddings and anymore and I can''t say as I blame them, I have been to way too many weddings that left me shaking my head at some of the ancient and blatantly sexist things that get said by some priests and ministers. But I still believe there should be an element of spirituality, which in my opinion, is very different from religion.
That''s why I like the second one cello posted so much. It''s got a spiritual vibe.
Pandora II
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We''ve chosen Edward Monkton''s ''A Lovely Love Story'' - it''s about dinosaurs in love (we are big dinosaur fans!)
For the second reading we''ve been thinking for a LONG time and came up with Kahlil Gibran''s ''Thoughts on Marriage'', but weren''t really fussed.
In the end, we have asked FI''s grandfather to choose one for us - a favourite poem or something. He is unlikely to be alive by xmas and is too ill to come to the wedding so we thought it would be nice to have him participate in some way.
For the second reading we''ve been thinking for a LONG time and came up with Kahlil Gibran''s ''Thoughts on Marriage'', but weren''t really fussed.
In the end, we have asked FI''s grandfather to choose one for us - a favourite poem or something. He is unlikely to be alive by xmas and is too ill to come to the wedding so we thought it would be nice to have him participate in some way.
miraclesrule
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Brgirl: That''s a great site for officiant ideas and themes, and especially the tone of the ceremony. Tone is very important in my opinion. Thanks for posting....
mimzy
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totally agree with the bolded part. if they don''t have anything that they KNOW that they want, don''t bother. otherwise, it almost makes the ceremony less personal, less sincere if it''s just something that your daughter randomly picked out.
if they really want something, what about something that is important to your or the groom''s family? a love letter between grandparents, a reading that was done at his parents wedding, etc?
lucy.lucy.80
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There are a lot to choose from. Biblegateway.com may be helpful and you can look up certian passages based on subject.
We will be using corinthians 13
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
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.
Love never fails.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
We will be using corinthians 13
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
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.
Love never fails.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Elmorton
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We had four readings (we''re both writers and so...well..lots of readings
i carry your heart with me - ee cummings (it''s the one Cameron Diaz reads at the end of In Her Shoes)
A Birthday by Christina Rosetti
Love Is by Nikki Giovanni (less traditional, not gooey - might want to check this out)
and an excerpt from Song of the Open Road by Walt Whitman (again, a little less traditional, kinda masculine)
I like readings because it was a wonderful way to include people who are important to us (friends, godparents, etc) who weren''t in the wedding party AND give a little depth to our ceremony - like someone else said, it would have been SO FAST w/o readings.
i carry your heart with me - ee cummings (it''s the one Cameron Diaz reads at the end of In Her Shoes)
A Birthday by Christina Rosetti
Love Is by Nikki Giovanni (less traditional, not gooey - might want to check this out)
and an excerpt from Song of the Open Road by Walt Whitman (again, a little less traditional, kinda masculine)
I like readings because it was a wonderful way to include people who are important to us (friends, godparents, etc) who weren''t in the wedding party AND give a little depth to our ceremony - like someone else said, it would have been SO FAST w/o readings.
violet02
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I think I''m thinking of readings as in, you have a friend stand up and read a poem.
Our officiant will do some sort of reading during the ceremony though, he''s a reverend. We''re not religious but want him to say something nice about love etc.. so that may count towards a ''reading''. We''re also doing a sand ceremony so our ceremony is longer than five minutes.
I''m not actually adverse to having the officiant give a talk and a reading so I''ll revise what I said before. I am a bit adverse to having people stand up and read.
Our officiant will do some sort of reading during the ceremony though, he''s a reverend. We''re not religious but want him to say something nice about love etc.. so that may count towards a ''reading''. We''re also doing a sand ceremony so our ceremony is longer than five minutes.
I''m not actually adverse to having the officiant give a talk and a reading so I''ll revise what I said before. I am a bit adverse to having people stand up and read.
Neveah
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Hi Miraclesrule!
We just got married last month, and had this reading at our wedding. We got a lot of compliments on it.... everyone loved it! We poured over many but really loved the message in this!! (we also did one religious reading but those are easy to find!) GL!!
Why Marriage? by Mari Nichols
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 with this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.
We just got married last month, and had this reading at our wedding. We got a lot of compliments on it.... everyone loved it! We poured over many but really loved the message in this!! (we also did one religious reading but those are easy to find!) GL!!
Why Marriage? by Mari Nichols
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 with this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.
modernsparkler
Brilliant_Rock
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wow... these are great. We are about 11 months out and I hadn''t even thougt of which ones to use but these offer some great inspiration!
miraclesrule
Ideal_Rock
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PS''er never cease to amaze me. I have to rush out and get a baby shower gift for my former assistant so I can''t take the time to respond to each of you but know that I thank you from the depth of my soul for your input.
Neveah, I *adore* that reading. I am copying it to send my daughter.
My daughter had initially planned three different reading, one wasn''t broken up into three parts for the grandmothers, but honestly, logistically I think that would take up the entire amount of time we are allotted for the whole ceremony.
The other two would be from her FSIL and I can''t remember the only one. Two many things competing with my brain cells rights now.
Neveah, I *adore* that reading. I am copying it to send my daughter.
My daughter had initially planned three different reading, one wasn''t broken up into three parts for the grandmothers, but honestly, logistically I think that would take up the entire amount of time we are allotted for the whole ceremony.
The other two would be from her FSIL and I can''t remember the only one. Two many things competing with my brain cells rights now.
KimberlyH
Ideal_Rock
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I Love You 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. Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all.
Sooner or Later Anonymous
Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines, and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favorite memories, and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all -- one known only by those who love.
I Promise by Dorothy R. Colgan
I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give.
I promise to respect you as your own person and to realize that your interests, desires and needs are no less important than my own.
I promise to share with you my time and my attention and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship.
I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how. Completely and forever.
Thanks for this thread, miracles. The first is the reading from our wedding. It made me teary to reflect and I left a copy on DH''s computer with a note telling him how lucky I am to have him in my life.
We had my aunt do a biblical reading and DH''s lifelong friend read Roy Croft''s I Love You.
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. Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all.
Sooner or Later Anonymous
Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines, and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favorite memories, and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all -- one known only by those who love.
I Promise by Dorothy R. Colgan
I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give.
I promise to respect you as your own person and to realize that your interests, desires and needs are no less important than my own.
I promise to share with you my time and my attention and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship.
I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how. Completely and forever.
Thanks for this thread, miracles. The first is the reading from our wedding. It made me teary to reflect and I left a copy on DH''s computer with a note telling him how lucky I am to have him in my life.
We had my aunt do a biblical reading and DH''s lifelong friend read Roy Croft''s I Love You.
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