ceremony readings

[sillyberry]

So - what are (or were) your ceremony readings? Why did you select them? How did you choose your readers?

I'm 18 days away and I still have neither reader nor reading...yikes!

 

[vc10um]

We're having two readings.

One biblical (1 Corinthians..."Love is patient, Love is kind...etc")
One not.

I am still not set on the non-biblical passage...but this one is currently in the lead:
A passage by Reverend Paul L’Herrou
If your love is to grow and deepen,
You must find a way to move with each other,
Perhaps in a slow and graceful dance (bare feet firmly to the ground),
A dance that circles and tests and learns as it gradually moves closer
To that place where you can each pass through the other
And turn and embrace without breaking or losing any part of yourselves
But only to learn more of who you each are by your touching,
To find that you are each whole and individual and separate
Yet, in the same instant, one, joined as whole
That does not blur the two individuals as you dance.
The music is there if you will listen hard,
Through the static and noise of life, and other tunes that fill your heads.
You are here, marking time to the music.
The dance can only begin if you will take the first (and hardest)
Tentative, uncertain, stumbling steps.

I found it via Offbeat Bride somehow. It's been awhile, but I'm pretty sure if you Google "Offbeat Bride Wedding Readings" you should be able to find it.

We decided to have one reader from "my" side and one from FI's. FI's Aunt with whom he is especially close (she is only 2 years his senior and just got married in August) will be doing the biblical reading which is tied in with the officiant's message. My best guy friend will be doing the non-biblical reading. It was easy to choose him because I wanted him involved somehow and making him a groomsman (such that only 2 people were standing up for FI but 4 people were standing up on my behalf) seemed unfair. So reader was the next best option!

 

[jaylex]

We are having two... both biblical.. and our Pastor is somewhat planning his message around them.

Old Testament (plus the following excerpt from a devotional) Being read by a close mutual friend

Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your People will be my people and your God my God.”
Ruth 1:16

Ruth promised Naomi that she would remain with her for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; till death parted them... Ruth 1:16 isn’t about courtship but about commitment.

Those who make choices in their relationships with others begin to act with divine purpose. They say, “My schedule is unfinished, but I am willing to put your name on every page… before anything else.” They say, “No matter what happens, you can count on me being there with you.” They promise “I cannot be all things to all people, but I will commit to caring about you, no matter what…”
There is nothing more profound in this uncertain world than to know, first, that your Savior walks with you, and, next, that your spouse is there too. Nothing.
--Wayne Brouwer

And New Testament Being read by my step sister

Philippians 1:9-11 (The Message bible)
So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.



We chose them because we liked that they weren't standard "wedding" readings...
We read the first one in a couples devotional book we have and I especially love the devotional that goes with it.
The second one also came from a devotional and I loved the translation and the idea that it's not enough to just spout out "I love you, I love you, I love you!" all the time.. having a love that is "sincere and intelligent" is something I would like to always strive for in our marriage.
All of our songs are pretty secular so I think it all balances out nicely

 

[Amys Bling]

we are having a similar version of the following being read by the officiant just prior to the rign exchange...

The Hands of the Bride and Groom
Maid of Honor

Bride's name, please face Groom's name, and hold his hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you. Bride and groom should be facing each other, his upturned hands resting in hers.

These are the hands, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.

These are the hands you will place with expectant joy against your stomach, until he too, feels his child stir within your womb.

These are the hands that look so large and clumsy, yet will be so gentle as he holds your baby for the first time.

These are the hands that will work long hours for you and your new family.

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 rack your mind.

These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you.

Best Man

Groom's name, please hold Bride's name's hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that they are to you. Bride should now place her upturned hands in the Groom's hands.

These are the hands that are smooth, young, and carefree, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as she pledges her love and commitment to you all the days of her life.

These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurts, supporting and encouraging them along the way, and knowing when it's time to let go.

These are the hands that will massage tension from your neck and back in the evenings, after you've both had a long hard day.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.
They are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you are grieving.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and chrish you through the years,
for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope, each time she tells you that you are to have another child; that together you have created a new life.

Perhaps these are the hands that will comfort you when you are told you cannot have a child, and will convince you that together you will create new life in other ways.

These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together, as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.

Priest

Dear Father, bless the hands that you see before you this day. May they always be held by one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their love. Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted to reaching for your perfection. May Bride's name and Groom's name see their four hands as healer, protector, shelter, and guide.

We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you now and forever, Amen.

 

[vc10um]

AmysBling...that is so beautiful, but I would NEVER make it through it without breaking down into sobs during the ceremony!!!

 

[Amys Bling]

AmysBling...that is so beautiful, but I would NEVER make it through it without breaking down into sobs during the ceremony!!!

Oh, I already know that as this is being read, I will be a ball of tears....

 

[UnderBlue]

We didn't use any readings, or have anyone but the officiant speak.

We didn't see the need (I mean we don't go around reciting poems any other time, why now?), so don't feel like you have to put them in there.

 

[vc10um]

AmysBling...that is so beautiful, but I would NEVER make it through it without breaking down into sobs during the ceremony!!!

Oh, I already know that as this is being read, I will be a ball of tears....

As my makeup artist told me after I told her I was practically sobbing through the entire royal wedding, "Practice the pretty cry!"

 

[sillyberry]

I think maybe just one reading for us:

From "The Irrational Season" by Madeleine L'Engle

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…When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling [and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.]

Not sure if I want to keep in the bracketed part...

 

[rosetta]

I'd love t hear more ladies, still haven't got mine....

 

[vc10um]

I think maybe just one reading for us:

From "The Irrational Season" by Madeleine L'Engle

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…When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling [and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.]

Not sure if I want to keep in the bracketed part...

That one was on my short list, SB, and I think it's really fitting for you and almost-Mr. SB. And I'd drop the brackets...I think the thought, for your purposes, is complete at "human calling."

This is another one of my favorites...it was used in ladyciel's wedding.

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.

And this is the other one we have been considering for ours, but I still think I like the first passage I posted better:

To Love is Not to Possess
James Kavanaugh
To love is not to possess,
To own or imprison,
Nor to lose one's self in another.
Love is to join and 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.

 

[sillyberry]

vc, I also love Union - that was the other passage I sent my officiant. Very similar in feel and tone.

I wouldn't mind having a second reading somewhere, but I'm just not feeling anything. I don't want another "marriage is a hard choice!" passage! There was one I liked, but now I can't remember or find it anywhere...must be a sign.

 

[CurlySue]

We also used "Union" by Fulghum. That was our first reading.

Our second reading was suggested to us by our officiant, and we loved it.

"Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship - as they threaten all relationships at one time or another - remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives - remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."

When I googled this readin, I saw it listed as an Apache Marriage Blessing but also as Matthew 18:20. We just listed it as "Untitled, Author Unknown."

 

[Tigarlily1]

We are having two readings... one biblical one not.

We haven't chosen our biblical one yet.

"The Art Of Marriage"
by Wilferd A. Peterson (longer version)

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things...

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude
of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding and a sense of humour.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.

- by Wilferd Arlan Peterson

 

[sirbenson]

We are probably gonna have Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss and

‘Song of the Open Road’ by Walt Whitman:

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.
Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,
strong and content I travel the open road.
I inhale great draughts of space,
The east and the west are mine, and the north and the south are mine.
I am larger, better than I thought,
I did not know I held so much goodness.
Comrade, I give you my hand!
I give you my love more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself? Will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

 

[Echidna]

I'm having one of my best friends read "i carry your heart with me" by e.e. cummings. The punctuation is a bit interesting so I deliberately choose a confident reader (I'm a picky English major ) and I have been told by our celebrant that it's "very personal", but I figured that was the point so I'm going with it!

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

John 15:4-5 and 11-12

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.


My wedding band is a flowering vine as a reminder of this scripture and our promise to each other and God to keep our marriage connected to Christ so that it will be "fruitful". There's a verse in the middle about branches withering away and being burned if they are not connected to the vine, but I chose to leave that part of the metaphor out for obvious reasons - nobody wants a reference to hell in the middle of a wedding, yikes.

I also had my sister sing "Wither Thou Goest" which is based on Ruth's words - Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.

We chose this reading and song because the words were meaningful to us, and these were ideas that we wanted to publicly declare to our friends and family on our wedding day. I chose my college friend Jenny who was also in the house party for the reading because I know she likes to read publicly (or any sort of performance), she has a nice voice, and she believes in the passage as well.

 

[rosetta]

These are great, please share more!

 

[YSQueen]

I'd love to see more too!!!

 

[Gypsy]

Reading: Union by Robert Fulghum

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.


My favorite. We had our officiant read this. But I know other's who have had their readers read it too.

Just saw it's already been posted here...


Here are some old theads on the subject... they have some lovely readings as well if you are still looking.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/share-your-ceremony-reading-s-please.120947/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/share-your-ceremony-reading-s-please.120947/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/ceremony-readings.160595/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/ceremony-readings.160595/[/URL]

My thoughts on ceremonies in general as a newlywed ... if anyone is interested: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-ceremony-reflections.119175/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-ceremony-reflections.119175/[/URL] There are readings posted through out that might help you guys as you plan.

Good luck!

 

[jstarfireb]

We had 2 readers. I chose them because they were close friends that I sort of wanted to be bridesmaids, but I didn't think they'd buy into the whole bridesmaid thing with the dress and stuff.

One of them read these two short pieces:

“To Be One With Each Other” by George Eliot
What greater thing is there for two human souls
than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen
each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow,
to share with each other in all gladness,
to be one with each other in the
silent unspoken memories?

I CHING Excerpt
When two people are at one
in their inmost hearts,
they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze.
And when two people understand each other
in their inmost hearts,
their words are sweet and strong,
like the fragrance of orchids.

The other read this one:

WHAT OF MARRIAGE?
From "The Prophet" by Kahlil 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.

Finally, after the exchange of vows and rings, the officiant read the Apache Marriage Blessing:

Now you will feel no rain,
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 more loneliness,
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two bodies,
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place,
To enter into the days of your togetherness.
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

 

[zoebartlett]

We asked my cousin to read notes that my second grade students had written. I asked them one day in class to write what they thought love was. I also asked them to write about what makes a good friend. Their responses were great and perfect for our ceremony!

 

[Gypsy]

Zoe... do you mind sharing? I'd love to read the respones!

 

[zoebartlett]

Zoe... do you mind sharing? I'd love to read the respones!

I don't mind sharing at all. I just have to find them! I'll post them if I do.

 

[Gypsy]

Zoe... do you mind sharing? I'd love to read the respones!

I don't mind sharing at all. I just have to find them! I'll post them if I do.

Thank you!