Hello dear couples…
We have created this private area for you to go through in order to help you create your very own ceremony. It gives you tips on writing your own vows, how to work with your wedding celebrant, choose your readings etc…
Keep this link somewhere safe in order to be able to access this private area whenever you need to.
There is also a lot of information on the internet that you can use.
Have fun!
Sample order of ceremony
Below are the typical elements that make up a symbolic wedding ceremony. Your celebrant will create a first draft of your unique ceremony, based on the responses in your wedding questionnaire and additional elements that may be appropriate for you.
Together, you refine the ceremony to create a text that reflects your personalities, involves those people special to you (readings or music) and creates a magical occasion. A typical ceremony lasts 15-35 minutes from the bride’s entrance to the recessional.
ENTRANCE OF THE BRIDE
(Bride and escort/entourage enter to music)
WELCOME / INTRODUCTION
(Celebrant welcomes the guests on behalf of the couple)
READING 1
MARRIAGE ADDRESS
(Celebrant highlights the importance of marriage and commitment)
READING 2
THE ASKING
(Celebrant asks the bride and groom to declare their intention to marry)
EXCHANGE OF PERSONAL VOWS
GIVING OF RINGS
PRONOUNCEMENT
(Celebrant pronounces the couple ‘husband and wife’)
SIGNING OF THE CERTIFICATE
(Bride, groom, celebrant and two witnesses)
CLOSING WORDS
(Celebrant)
PRESENTING THE NEWLYWEDS
(Celebrant)
RECESSIONAL
(The newlyweds exit to music)
Music adds atmosphere and a sense of occasion to the ceremony and allows the couple to select pieces meaningful to them for the entrance and exit of the ceremony.
Our favourite wedding vendors around France including Paris
Here are some service providers we have discovered and loved when celebrating our wedding ceremonies around France.
Selected Wedding Planners in France:
- Marry Me in France www.marrymeinfrance.com (Beth STRETTON)
- Fête in France www.feteinfrance.com (Anne MULVIHILL)
- France Wedding Planner www.franceweddingplanner.com (Rachael KAPLAN)
Wedding Music (A chance to listen to a large range of wedding music online)
- My Wedding Music www.myweddingmusic.com
- Bride 2b www.bride2b.co.uk
- Celtic Wedding Music www.celticweddingmusic.co.uk
- Unusal Wedding Entrances (Thinking of something different?) KJ’s Dancing Entrance
Paris Wedding Links:
- Full package wedding planner in Paris Claire Bay – Perfect Paris Weddings
She will create a special package just for you because you already have booked us as your celebrant.
Here is a list of our favourite English speaking vendors in Paris:
Photographers & Videographers
- Lindsey Kent – Pictours Paris
- Claire Morris Photography
- Fran Boloni – The Paris Photographer
- Christophe Viseux – Christophe Photo
- David Bacher – David Bacher Photography
- Anthony – One and Only Paris Photography
- Catherine O’Hara – Catherine O’Hara’s Photography
- Tala Nicole – Tala Nicole Photography
- Juliane Berry – Juliane Berry Photography
- Sohia Pagan – Photo Perfect Paris
Flowers & Cakes
There is a florist and cake shop on most street corners in Paris so if you arrive in Paris a few days in advance you can easliy find an artisan to create your bouquet or perfect cake – if not here are a few contacts.
Au Nom de La Rose
More than 10 flower shops in Paris offering only roses. You can also place orders on their website – it’s in French but easy to follow, pay by credit card and they will deliver to your hotel, or find a store near your hotel, they are all over Paris.
Sugarplum (Designer Cakes)
Taylor McLoughlin and Krista Juracek are culinary artists who create special occasion cakes sprinkled with a little magic. They are located in the fifth arrondissement, in the heart of Paris, just a few steps away from the charming rue Mouffetard. Hours: Tue-Sun 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Closed Monday Tel: +33 (0)1 46 34 07 43. Location: 68 rue Cardinal Lemoine, 75005 Paris Paris Metro Cardinal Lemoine.
Berties cup cakery
Bertie’s offers custom elegant wedding cakes, wedding cupcakes, or a combination of the two. Also if you want to make sure the groom feels special let our creative cake design team add a little fun on the big day with the ever popular personalized “Grooms Cake”.
PICNICS IN PARIS
Picnics in Paris has an array of picnic packages available, from casual lunch and dinner picnics, to grand-scale tasting menus in a romantic setting (think pillows, candlelight and French music under the Eiffel Tower!). Picnics and private dinners are all hand-made with local, seasonal, fresh ingredients, and can be enjoyed under the Eiffel Tower, in Luxembourg Gardens, at your hotel or in your home. Chef Kent caters to you and your special event.
Hair & Beauty in Paris
English makeup artist specialising in bridal makeup in Paris. Charles will visit your hotel or venue.
English speaking, originally from Finland working independently as a freelance make up artist based in Paris, France. Sanni will visit your hotel or venue.
Hair & Makeup Artist. Alison will visit your hotel or venue.
James will make you look more stunning than ever for your shoots, bridal or special event. Hairstylist and make up artist for fashion shoots & shows, James will share with you his technical skills to make you look perfect on your event. Languages: French, English, Portuguese, Japanese Tel: +33 (0)6 03 75 89 48.
Severine and her talented team of hair and makeup artists will pamper you before your wedding ceremony taking care of hair, makeup, nails and even help you slip into your dress. Languages: English, French.
Transport in Paris
Looking for a fairy-tale wedding where you are driven to your ceremony in a princess coach led by a white horse and driven by a coachman in a top hat. Don’t forget to check out their photo gallery.
Looking for a fairy-tale wedding where you are driven to your ceremony in a princess coach led by a white horse and driven by a coachman in a top hat. Don’t forget to check out their photo gallery.
- American Limousines
- first class limousines service
- Cab Service Prestige
- Paris Cab
- Location Retro Mariage (In French but you can use Google Translate.)
- Anciennes de Prestige (In French but you can use Google Translate.)
Or just use Uber of course! but you may want a transportation mode that is more special for your wedding day.
Taxis in Paris are very unreliable, they don’t not stop in the street when you hail them and you can stand there a while before you finally find one that will stop. Plan a taxi ahead of time through your hotel receptionist or through this website. You can use this group which is the best we can recommend. https://www.g7.fr/en/
Dress Hire in Paris
Dress hire and rental is still in limited supply in Paris compared to most international cities and it is often almost as cheap to buy as to hire. you must plan to arrive at least 3 to 5 days prior to try on your attire and get it tailored to your size. We have included hire shops and places to buy your gown. Not all are in English but you may find the following links a good starting point:
WEDDING DRESS & TUX HIRE (Hire Online)
- Mabonneamie,75001 Paris, +33 (0) 9 72 22 76 10
- Jean-Jaques Ceremonie, 36 rue de Buci, 75006 Paris +33 (0)1 43 54 25 56
- Les deux Oursons, 106 bd de Grenelle, 75015 Paris, +33 (0)1 45 75 10 77
LARGER STORES
- Printemps, 64 bd Haussman, 75009 Paris, +33 (0)1 42 82 50 00
- Galleries Lafayette, 40 bd Haussman, 75009 Paris +33 (0)1 42 82 34 56
- Pronuptia, 64 bd Haussman, 75009 Paris, +33 (0)2 43 49 74 75 rental of tux for men only.
BOUTIQUES
- Delphine Manivet, 93 rue du Faubourg Saint Honore, 75008 Paris, +33 (0) 1 45 44 70 01
- Graine de Cotton, 18 rue de L’Abbe Groult, 75015 Paris, +33 (0) 1 45 31 13 98
- Samson, 15 rue de Tournon, Saint Germain, 75006 Paris, +33 (0) 1 43 25 13 60
- Metal Flaque, 9 rue de L’Echelle, 75001 Paris, +33 (0) 1 40 15 60 84
- Couture Nuptiale, 9 rue de Faubourg Poissonniere, Fond de Cour, Batiment C, 75009 Paris, +33 (0) 1 48 01 83 00
Musicians in Paris
WEDDING MUSIC IN FRANCE – Caroline Pearsall
Freelance professional violin/viola player and teacher (Birmingham Conservatoire, British and American Schools of Paris) working in Paris. String quartet, violin duo and tango bands for events and concerts (parties, weddings, functions).
VOICE, DOUBLE-BASS, CELLO – Phyllipa Scammel
Professional musician that can sing and play cello or double bass at the same time. Phyllipa sings love songs and songs from around the globe in all languages and accompanies herself with her cello or double bass during your ceremony. She can also play solo pieces on her cello if requested.
GUITAR – TIMOTHY TATE
Timothy has performed at over 150 weddings and civil ceremonies throughout the UK and Europe; from elopements with just the couple to grand wedding galas with hundreds of guests. The Classical Guitar proves a delicate, beautiful and versatile instrument which is able to accompany itself. Timothy can perform one or several pieces, from the arrival of your guests to playing you out as you leave.
HARPIST – Caroline Lieby
Professional harpist graduated from the prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon will charm you and create a subtle ambiance for all your events: cocktail parties, corporate events, weddings ceremonies, birthdays. Her website is in French and English.
HARPIST – Myriam Serfass
One of France’s top wedding harpists. Myriam has been a professional harpist since 1986 and has delighted guests at more than 200 weddings, cocktail parties and corporate events. Her website is in French and English.
Romantic Restaurants in Paris
Laperouse – (6th – Romance and History)
Established in 1766, the façade and interiors represent the rich history of this restaurant. Small ‘salons’ in the style of the Belle Epoque that can be privatised for an intimate dinner for two. Meals are designed to use the finest ingredients available each season, with emphasis on wine pairings.
Le jules verne (Eiffel tower) – (7th arrondissement– Great food with a unique view – * Michelin Stars)
A one-of-a-kind dining experience, 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower boasts beautiful views over Paris while also providing an intimate and inviting dining experience. With exceptional ingredients and proven techniques, Alain Ducasse creates the pleasure of modern and accessible French cuisine .
L58 TOUR EIFFEL (Eiffel tower) – (7th – Food with a Unique View)
First level of the Eiffel tower, the food is good, you can book at shorter notice, it’s cheaper than the Jules Verne and it has the same views over Paris.
Bel Canto – (4th – Atmospheric & Musical)
If you enjoy good food and music and want a romantic dining experience then I can recommend Bel Canto. Waiters sing the lyrics to popular opera while you dine.
Bateaux Parisiens – (Seine Dinner Cruise)
The most romantic of the Bateau Parisiens dinner cruises is the Paris Illuminations cruise leaving at 8:30pm nightly. Aboard the entirely glass-encased boat, the 3-hour cruise shows you the secrets of the city along the Seine. The cuisine is traditional French fare.
Bouillon Racine – (6th – Stunning Art Nouveau decor)
Famous brasserie created in 1906 in a stunning Art Nouveau decor. Now listed as an historical monument, the Bouillon Racine offers an immersion in the Paris of the 1900’s. Where food is concerned, the chef has selected a subtle blend of modern day and more traditional dishes.
Auberge Nicolas Flamel – (3rd District)
A small romantic French candlelit restaurant in the oldest house in Paris, dating back to 1407. The house is beautiful and feels old. Offering ala carte and fixed price dining options.
Le Pharamond – (1st District)
Meeting place for the likes of Hemingway and Fitzgerald, founded in 1832 and is now listed as an historic monument. The second floor has four private ‘salons” perfect, for small, private groups. The traditional French cuisine is inspired by fresh ingredients of the season.
Creating your personal vows
Writing your own wedding vows may seem like a daunting task, but here are six easy steps that you can follow to help you.
- First, talk to your partner to make sure that you are both agreed on the idea of creating personalized wedding vows. Decide together whether you want to write one wedding vow that you will both say, or whether you want to write individual vows.
- Then, sit down separately in a quiet place, with paper and pen, and answer the following questions. (Even if you don’t think the answer will end up in your wedding vows, still take the time to write it down, as it will help to clarify what is most important to you in relation to this exercise.)
- What is the single greatest thing about the person you are going to marry?
- When did you know that you were in love?
- When did you know this person was the one you wanted to marry?
- What does marriage mean to you?
- What will change about your relationship once you are married?
- What is your favourite memory of your partner?
- Take time to read through a variety of wedding vows (see the examples at the end of this document or visit the private area of our website), and perhaps note some of your favourite passages from literature that seem to capture what you’d like to say in your vows.
- Now, try taking a sentence or two from literature, add a sentence or two from the answers to the above questions, and finish with a vow – a sentence that begins “I promise” or “I vow”.
For example:
“As the poet Rilke said, ‘This is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love. The more they give, the more they possess.’
You are the most generous, loving, unselfish person I know. I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you […….]. I feel so fortunate that you have chosen to share your love with me, and grow old together.
Today I choose you for my wife. I promise to love and honour you, care for you, and be faithful to you, from this day forward and for the rest of our lives.”
- As an alternative approach, try filling in the blanks in a simpler vow.
(Name), you are my (best friend, true love, the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, etc.)
Today, I take you to be my (wife, husband,) I promise you that I will be (faithful, worthy of your trust, worthy of your love, your loving partner, etc.)
I vow to (honor you, cherish you, love you, respect you, laugh with you, cry with you, support you in your goals, etc.), for as long as we both shall live.
- Practice reading what you’ve written aloud to a friend or family member, ideally someone who knows your relationship. They may have good suggestions for you, or the simple act of reading it out loud might help you identify places where you can improve. Once you’ve worked out a final version send it to your celebrant.
N.B.
If you want to create personal vows, but are struggling with the process, let your celebrant know, so that they can offer their help.
Remember your vows do not have to be the same.
At your ceremony, you can read your vows, or you can ask the celebrant to lead you with “Say after me…”
Sample Vows
- I (name), take you (name) to be my (husband/wife), my partner in life, and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.
- (Groom / Bride): I (Name) affirm my love to you (Name) as I invite you to share my life. I promise always to respect your needs. I will endeavour through kindness, unselfishness, and trust to achieve the warm rich life we now look forward to. To this end I call upon all present to witness that I take you (Name) to be my lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health while we both shall live.
- I, (name), take you (name), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.
- I, (name), take you, (name), to be my friend, my lover, the (mother/father) of my children and my (husband/wife). I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.
- I, (name), choose you (name) to be my (husband/wife), to respect you in your successes and in your failures, to care for you in sickness and in health, to nurture you, and to grow with you throughout the seasons of life.
- I, (name), take you, (name), to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the (man/woman) you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us.
- I offer myself to you as a partner in life. I vow to love you in sickness and in health. I commit myself to encourage you in good times and in bad. I will cherish and respect you all the days of our life together. Starting anew once again, I give thanks that I have found you. May our marriage be a gift to the world and our families, as your love is a gift to me.
- I come today to give you my love, to give you my heart and my hope for our future together. I promise to bring you joy, to be at home with your spirit and to learn to love you more each day, through all the days of our lives. My love for you is endless and eternal.
- Because of you, I laugh, I smile, and I dare to dream again. I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life has in store for us, and I vow to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live.
- Since I found you, I have found a new life. The decision to commit to share that life with you is one I make happily and with full confidence in our love, secure in the knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve all of your goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
More Example Vows ……..
Your vows are one of the most important part of your ceremony and you will be asked to look at “A Guide to Writing Your Wedding Vows” which will explain how to create your own personal vows. However many couples often find one of our example vows below particularly meaningful and may decide to use it for their own ceremony, and remember your vows don’t have to be the same.
V001 – Share My Life
(Groom): I (Groom’s Name) affirm my love to you (Bride’s Name) as I invite you to share my life. I promise always to respect your needs. I will endeavour through kindness, unselfishness, and trust to achieve the warm rich life we now look forward to. To this end I call upon all present to witness that I take you (Bride’s Name) to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health while we both shall live.
(Bride): I (Bride’s Name) affirm my love to you (Groom’s Name) as I invite you to share my life. I promise always to respect your needs. I will endeavour through kindness, unselfishness, and trust to achieve the warm rich life we now look forward to. To this end I call upon all present to witness that I take you (Grooms Name) to be my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health while we both shall live.
V002 – Traditional
I, (name), take you (name), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.
V003 – New Family
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my friend, my lover, the (mother/father) of my children and my (husband/wife). I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.
V004 – Partner in life
I (name), take you (name) to be my (husband/wife), my partner in life, and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.
V005 – Simple vow
I, (name), choose you (name) to be my (husband/wife), to respect you in your successes and in your failures, to care for you in sickness and in health, to nurture you, and to grow with you throughout the seasons of life.
V006 – Falling in love every day
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the (man/woman) you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us.
V007 – Eyes wide open
I marry you with my eyes wide open. You have helped me let go of the past, and I embrace the future. Thank you for making me laugh again. Bless you for taking my hand as we begin anew.
V008 – Starting anew
I offer myself to you as a partner in life. I vow to love you in sickness and in health. I commit myself to encourage you in good times and in bad. I will cherish and respect you all the days of our life together. Starting anew once again, I give thanks that I have found you. May our marriage be a gift to the world and our families, as your love is a gift to me.
V009 – Endless and eternal
I come today to give you my love, to give you my heart and my hope for our future together. I promise to bring you joy, to be at home with your spirit and to learn to love you more each day, through all the days of our lives. My love for you is endless and eternal.
V010 – I laugh, smile and dream again
Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again. I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life has in store for us, and I vow to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live.
V011 – I have found a new life
Since I have found you, I have found a new life. The decision to commit to share that life with you is one I make happily and with full confidence in our love. Secure in the knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve all of your goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
V012 – Laugh and cry
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my (husband/wife), my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward.
In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honour, and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
V013 – Irish Wedding Blessing
You are the star of each night,
You are the brightness of every morning,
You are the story of each guest,
You are the report of every land.
No evil shall befall you, on hill nor bank,
In field or valley, on mountain or in glen.
Neither above, nor below, neither in sea,
Nor on shore, in skies above,
Nor in the depths.
You are the kernel of my heart,
You are the face of my sun,
You are the harp of my music,
You are the crown of my company.
You to me are all these, my beloved (spouse’s name). I vow to love you like my most prized treasure, to put you in the highest place of honour and respect, to stand as your pillar of support and shoulder of strength, to cherish you and to care for you for all the days of my life.
V014 – Forever love
I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give.
I promise to accept you the way you are.
I fell in love with you for the qualities, abilities, and outlook on life that you have, and won’t try to reshape you in a different image.
I promise to respect you as a person with your own interests, desires, and needs, and to realize that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own.
I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my personal world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face change as we both change in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.
And finally, 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.
V015 – Modern vow
I acknowledge my love for you and invite you to share my life as I hope to share yours.
I promise to walk by your side, to love, help and encourage you.
I vow to take time to share with you,to listen and to care.
I will share your laughter and your tears as your partner, lover and friend.
I promise always to respect you and honour you as an individual and to be conscious of your needs.
I shall seek through kindness and compassion to achieve with you the life we have planned together.
V016 – Lucky to find you
Today, I want you to know how lucky I feel for having found the one perfect person for me, the one who suits me so comfortably and who gives me joy and boundless hope and anticipation for the future.
Every day we’re together, you do nothing but make me happy. The day we met was the day I became truly alive again, and today — our wedding day — I declare my love and devotion for you before the entire world.
I make a vow to stand by your side through the best and worst of times, and to give you the best of what I have from now until the end of our days.
I promise to walk by your side, to love, help and encourage you.
I vow to take time to share with you,to listen and to care.
I will share your laughter and your tears as your partner, lover and friend.
I promise always to respect you and honour you as an individual and to be conscious of your needs.
I shall seek through kindness and compassion to achieve with you the life we have planned together.
V017 – Eskimo love song
You are my husband/wife
My feet shall run because of you
My feet dance because of you
My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
My mind thinks because of you
And I shall love because of you
V018 – I promise you these things
From this day forward I promise you these things.
I will laugh with you in times of joy and comfort you in times of sorrow. I will share in your dreams, and support you as you strive to achieve your goals.
I will listen to you with compassion and understanding, and speak to you with encouragement. I will help you when you need it, and step aside when you don’t.
I will remain faithful to you for better or worse, in times of sickness and health. You are my best friend and I will love and respect you always.
V019 – Days of sunshine
I promise to be there when you need me, to fill your days with sunshine, to comfort you and encourage you, to help you reach your goals, to be your best friend ever, and to love you all my life, with all my heart.
V020 – Rock and confidant
Today, I join my life to yours, not merely as your husband/wife, but as your friend, your lover, and your confidant.
Let me be the shoulder you lean on, the rock on which you rest, the companion of your life.
With you I will walk my path from this day forward.
Wedding Music Examples
Music for ceremonies is normally arranged by couples or their wedding planner and delivered by a DJ, Band or guest using an IPod.
We are however often asked for suggestions. Music is a very personal choice, but for a little inspiration we will share with you some of the music our couples have actually used for their ceremonies.
There are normally 3 places where music can be included in the ceremony.
The entrance of the bride, signing of the wedding certificate and exit of the married couple.
(If you copy the descriptions into YouTube you will be able to listen to the music.)
Entrance of the Bride:
“Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel
“The Throne Room” from Star Wars by John Williams
“Marry Me” by Train
“Somewhere Over The Rainbow” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole
“Songbird” by Eve Cassidy
“HALO” by Beyoncé
“One Day Like This” by Elbow
“Panis Angelicus”by Thomas Aquinas
“A Groovy Kinda Love” by Phil Collins
“Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve (Instrumental)
“She Moved Through The Fair” by Sinéad O’Connor
“You Make Me So Very Happy” by Blood, Sweat & Tears
“Flute Sonata” by Poulenc
“Bron Yr Aur” by Led Zappelin
“Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Savage Garden
“Till Kingdom Come” by Coldplay
“Wiyathul” by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
“The Promise” by Tracy Chapman
“Roll Away Your Stone” by Mumford & Sons
Certificate Signing:
“Flower Duet” from the Opera Lakme by Leo Delibes
“Signed Sealed & Delivered” by Stevie Wonder
“Put You In a Song” by Keith Urban
“Poppiholla” by Chicane
“You Got The Love” by Florence & The Machine
“Loving Cup” by Rolling Stones
“Ave Maria” by Franz Schubert
“Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles
“Prelude in C Major” by Johann Sebastian Bach
“Pavane” by Gabriel Fauré
“By Your Side” by Sade
“A Moment Like This” by Leona Lewis
“Flamenco Sketches” by Miles Davies
“To Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan (Instrumental)
“That’s All” by Michael Buble
“Clair de Lune” byDebussy
“Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
“Fields Of Gold” by Sting
“Go Where You Wanna Go” by the Mamas and the Papas
“Kissing You” by Desree
“I Wanna Grow Old With You” by Adam Sandler
“The Book Of Love” by Peter Gabriel
“First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes
“She’s Always a Woman” by Billy Joel
Exit of the Bride:
“The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” by Georg Friedrich Händel
“Wedding March” by Mendelssohn
“I Got You Babe” by UB40 & Chrissie Hynde
“I Do” by Colbie Caillat
“Man On Fire” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
“All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles
“Wherever You Will Go” by The Calling
“You’re Just To Good To Be True”
“At Last” by Etta James
“You Really Got Me” by The Kinks
“I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz
“It’s A Beautiful Day” by U2
“Spring” by Vivaldi
“Love Story” by Taylor Swift
“You And Me” by The Wannadies
“Count On Me” by Bruno Mars
“I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas
“Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla
“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John
“Coz I Love You” by James Blunt
“Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen
“Suddenly” by Angry Anderson
“Little Ghost” by The White Stripes
Wedding Symbolic Certificate
If you’ve chosen a Wedding Certificate Signing as a part of your ceremony you will receive a personalised paper parchment certificate (A4), presented in a protective jacket. (The signing creates a perfect photo opportunity at the end of your ceremony).
Your certificate will be personalised with your wedding date, venue, your single names and a section for your signatures and that of your celebrant.
Additional Details
As a symbolic ceremony there is no legal requirement for witnesses, but if you would like to involve two of your guests in the signing, please let us know this in advance, so we can add a the line for witnesses to your certificate.
If you would like a name in a non-standard English font – Russian, Japanese etc. please let us have this well in advance.
Where we have a readily available photograph of your wedding venue, we will include it on your certificate, otherwise the certificate will contain text only.
Rehearsal Ceremony
We do not recommend having a rehearsal ceremony WITH your celebrant onsite.
HOWEVER WE DO recommend that you schedule a short moment the day before the wedding, with all the guests that are participating in the ceremony, to review the following:
- where and when should they be at the different meeting points: bride’s room for hair and makeup, welcoming guests at the ceremony site, inside waiting to walk down the aisle…
- how do they walk up and down the aisle: order, with who, where do they come from, where are they going, what do they do once at the altar (sit, stand: where, when)
- who reads the readings or helps with the rituals if any, where do they stand. Just tell them that the celebrant will call their names when the time comes.
- who signs the certificate with you: again we will call them up when the moment comes
- who takes care of the music if on your phone or on speaker… how does it work, try it out, test the volume, which songs and when (the celebrant will review this with him/her before the ceremony as well).
- make sure you have a microphone ready for the celebrant
- make sure the batteries of the speaker, phone, mic are loaded
- where do the guests go after the ceremony, who leads the way
- what is the schedule of the day in general and have a few people know they may need to help navigate guests, or do certain tasks
Rituals & Special elements
In addition to the decoration of your venue and selection of music, it’s possible to make your ceremony even more memorable by including a very personal moment, or by adding a special element that involves some or all of your guests.
You can research any of these online and even view videos on youtube to see how each works out.
Rose Ceremony
The couple exchange a single red rose as a symbol of their love and commitment on their wedding day. A single red rose means “I love you” and becomes their first gift to each other as husband and wife.
Sand Ceremony
There are many variations of this ceremony, but essentially, different coloured sands are blended together.
The bride and groom each take a small jar of sand of different colours and pour them into a third container swirling the sands together.
Just as the mixed grains of sand can never be separated, so too will the couple remain joined together in marriage and never separated.
Candle Ceremony
The candle ceremony symbolises the joining of two people and their families. The mothers (or a representative) of the bride and groom each light a candle, to symbolise two familes, and the individuality of the bride and groom.
At the end of the ceremony the bride and groom each take a flame from their family candle and bring the two flames together to light their marriage candle.
The Loving Cup Ceremony
A favourite with grooms, this ritual involves the Best Man pouring a glass of wine and handing it to the bride and groom.
The celebrant invites them to take a sip of wine for each blessing. (See example below.)
“And now please drink to the love you’ve shared in the past.”
Groom and Bride each sips from the cup.
“Drink to the love in the present, on this your wedding day.”
Groom and Bride each sips from the cup.
“And drink to your love in the future and forever more.”
Groom and Bride each sips from the cup.
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Honour Your Mother
Here’s a lovely way to pay tribute to your mothers on the occasion of your wedding.
Arrange to have two extra roses placed at the back of your bouquet. As you make your way up the aisle, stop and present one rose to your mother along with a kiss and say, “I love you.”
When the ceremony is over and you are walking arm-in-arm with your new husband, stop and repeat this gesture of love with your mother-in-law.
This gesture is especially effective if neither mother knows you will be doing this. What a nice surprise!
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Hand Fasting Ceremony
Until the mid 1700’s, few unions were sanctified in a church or synagogue. Rather, they were celebrated by a simple ‘hand fasting’ ceremony over the village anvil, in the fields or in the groves of trees.
A ritual where ribbons are draped across the hands of the bride and groom as they make significant vows to each other.
Wishing Stone Ceremony
As guests arrive, they are greeted by an usher holding a small basket of pebbles. Each guest takes a stone, and holds it during the wedding ceremony. Towards the end of the ceremony, the guests are asked to imbue the stones with their love and wishes for the couple, as they embark on their new life together. At the end, the stones are collected, and presented to the couple.
A few more ideas ………… and maybe you have some of your own.
- If there are children at the ceremony, perhaps ask some to take part, as ring bearers or as flower girls handing flowers to guests on at the ends of the rows of seats, or leading the procession strewing the bride’s path with flower petals.
- Give your guests disposable cameras and ask them to take snaps of themselves, partners and the wedding and have them returned at the end of the day so you have a massive collection of memories.
- Fill the venue with scented candles and flowers, and instead of the traditional confetti why not let your guest blow bubbles (very eco friendly!) ?
- Play music that really means something to you – your special song (from your first date?)
- If appropriate, mention and thank the person who introduced you.
- With a smaller wedding party, have your guests sit or stand in a semi circle around you.
- In Scandinavian customs, fiddlers accompany the wedding procession. If you have musicians among your entourage, why not invite them to lead the bridal procession?
Selected Readings
Readings are an important way to recognise and involve those who are close to you in your special day. To help you get started, we have listed a few popular readings below, but if there are others that you find online that are more meaningful please feel free to you use those instead.
Some couples have also put together their own readings with the congratulations letters they received from their guests after their engagement notice, or the mother of the bride does a moving speech instead of doing it at the reception, or a list of quotes about marriage and advice to the newlyweds… Ask your celebrant if you need help on this as we have seen many different original options for this part.
Typically there would be two readings by your guests, in the first part of the ceremony – don’t forget this is your wedding, you can have whoever, and as few or as many readings as you choose.
We have categorised the readings for you here below. Click on the links to read through them.
Romantic & About Marriage
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres – Extract
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.*
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (Touching view of real love)
“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 someone 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 does’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 your 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.”
“I suppose you are Real?” said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive.
But the Skin Horse only smiled.
“Someone made me Real,” he said. “That was a great many years ago;
but once you are Real you can’t become unreal again… It lasts for always.”
From This Day Forward unknown author
From this day forward, let us laugh together, and plan together,
let us find our favorite places, and go together…
Let us enjoy the sunshine, and the rain,
being alone together, and in crowds together…
From this day forward, together,
Let us love!
Let Us Walk Together
Let us walk together yet not as one, but such that our shadows are
separate and distinct, such that our souls are unbound and free.
Let us share our time, yet do not give all your time, nor take all of mine
for in order to develop to the fullest, to be free, we must have
solitude and individuality.
Let me wander in solitude, when I need to be alone,
yet be near, when I need you.
Let us share our love.
Give freely of your love, but do not smother me,
my soul must breathe a free air.
Take my love, but do not demand it, for love given of obligation,
is stale and without life.
Let us share our lives.
Share my life, but do not try to shape it.
Let me share your life, but do not let it revolve around me.
Let us share ourselves.
Accept me as I am, do not attempt to change me to fit your dreams.
Respect me for what I am, not for what I was or one day may be.
Share yourself with me, but do not allow me to limit your freedom
or bind your soul.
Let us share our minds, thoughts, goals, values and dreams.
Let us develop these within ourselves without restriction or loss of freedom.
Thus our two free souls, may wander together as they develop in freedom.
As we share our lives, as we walk through life together,
know my love is yours, but not my soul …. for it must be free.
A Successful Marriage by Paul Kurtz (Humanist philosopher)
A successful marriage is one where each partner discovers that it is better to give love than to receive it. To truly love another person is to wish that person to develop and flourish in his or her own terms. In a long marriage there will be joy and laughter, but also sadness and sorrow, harmony and discord, as you strive to overcome adversity and fulfil your dreams.
The key value of wedlock is that it allows for intimacy between a woman and a man, who can enjoy each other’s company, share ideals and expectations, confess failures and admit defeats to each other, and yet realise in union the qualities of the good life.
As you build your home, embark upon careers, and raise a family, your marriage can become a work of art in which both of you together give it line and form, colour and tone. You will be challenged every day and in every way to make your marriage work. If you do, it can become a thing of beauty, a joint creation of aesthetic”
Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
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.
The Art of Marriage by Wilfred A. Peterson
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 expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
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.
Today
Today I marry my friend,
the one I laugh and cry with,
the one I have learned from and shared with.
This one I have chosen to support, encourage and give myself to,
through all the days given us to share.
Today I marry the one I love
Taken from poems by Denise Braxton Brown and Peggy Wrightsman
Let’s grow old together…beginning with today.
Let’s work slowly with each other and build a relationship
that we can both enjoy being a part of.
Let’s share love and understand that neither of us is perfect;
we are both subject to human frailties.
Let’s hold each other close and whisper though the night
— pledging our love, honoring our commitment.
Let’s encourage each other to pursue our dreams,
even when we’re weary from trying.
Let’s expect the best that we both have to give
and still love when we fall short of our expectations.
Let’s be friends and respect each other’s individual personality
and give one another room to grow.
Let’s be candid with each other and point out strengths and weaknesses.
Let’s understand each other’s personal philosophy, even if we don’t agree.
Let’s lie awake long into the night sharing our innermost secrets.
Let’s be friends as well as lovers.
Let’s laugh at time and plan with each other and wonder how we ever got along without this love we’ve found.
Let’s never take for granted these moments that we’ve shared, but always be reminded of how intensely we have learned to live, how completely we have learned to love.
Let’s grow old together…and look back on life and smile.
Marriage Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love by Edmund O’Neil
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 fulfil.
I Promise by Dorothy 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 realise 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.
I Give You My Heart by Ruth Van Gramberg
I stand beside you strong and sure
my dearest, dearest friend,
And as we make our sacred vows
My thoughts of you transcend.
I give you my heart, my hopes, my dreams
Accept these gifts of mine
They are so precious and fragile
They need your care divine.
Treat my trust with gentleness
Treat me with loving care
I can but grow with patience and love
As long as you are there
The Promise by Eileen Rafter (Romantic)
The sun danced on the snow with a sparkling smile,
As two lovers sat quietly, alone for a while.
Then he turned and said, with a casual air
(Though he blushed from his chin to the tips of his hair),
“I think I might like to get married to you”
“Well then, she said, “Well there’s a thought,
But what if we can’t promise to be all that we ought,
If I’m late yet again, when we plan to go out.
For I know I can’t promise, I’ll learn to ignore
Dirty socks and damp towels strewn all over the floor.
So if we can’t vow to be all that we should
I’m not sure what to do, though the idea’s quite good”.
But he gently smiled and tilted his head
Till his lips met her ear and softly he said
“I promise, to weave my dreams into your own,
That wherever you breathe will be my hearts home.
I promise, that whether with rags or with gold I am blessed
Your smile is the jewel I will treasure the best.
Do you think then, my love, we should marry – do you?”
“Yes” she said smiling “I do”.
Our Union by Hafiz (Touching)
Our union is like this: You feel cold, so I reach for a blanket to cover our shivering feet.
A hunger comes into your body, so I run to my garden and start digging potatoes.
You asked for a few words of comfort and guidance, and I quickly kneel by your side offering you a whole book as a gift.
You ache with loneliness one night so much you weep, and I say here is a rope, tie it around me, I will be your companion for life.
On your wedding Day by 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 time when you both disagree
These will surely be outweighed by pleasure
You’ll have heard many words of advice in the past
When the secrets of marriage were spoken
But you know that the answers lie hidden inside
Where the bond of true love lies unbroken
So live happy forever as lovers and friends
It’s the dawn of a new life for you
As you stand there together with love in your eyes
From the moment you whisper ‘I do’
And with luck, all your hopes, and your dreams can be real
May success find its way to your hearts
Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys
But today is the day it all starts.
The Beauty of Love by Anon (Ideal for Vow Renewals or older couples)
The question is asked: “Is there anything more beautiful in life than a young couple clasping hands and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be anything more beautiful than young love?”
And the answer is given: “Yes, there is a more beautiful thing”.
“It is the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing their journey together on that path. Their hands are gnarled but still clasped; their faces are seamed but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed and tired but still strong with love and devotion”.
Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love. Old love.
A Clock by Gary Walls (Written for his son’s wedding)
A clock is a symbol of marriage.
The clock is a beautiful and useful thing and works well.
It is strong and solid and has a bright and pleasant face.
It is built to last a lifetime.
The hands are joined together but they move independently.
They are equally important.
They move at different speeds and in different circles.
They come together and then pursue their own path.
But they always come back together, soon and often.
The clock is beautiful but it is only useful when the hands work together to tell their story.
The Future by Emma Salmon
“The Future”
In my future I see you and me,
And a house and garden filled with trees.
I see dinner parties surrounded by friends,
And a vegetable patch we love to tend.
I see cosy nights in front of the fire,
And a four-poster bed for when we tire.
I see our kitchen which will be the heart of the home,
And a Victorian bath brimming with foam.
I see muddy wellies by the front door,
And the kids eating cookies and asking for more.
I see nights in the garden camping under the stars,
And shelves full of mismatching local jam jars.
I see family picnics outside with the dog,
And a little blue shed containing the logs.
I see us sat by the window watching the snow,
And reading the papers and learning to grow.
I see pictures of family in quirky frames,
And letters on the kids’ doors spelling out their names.
I see laughter, pain, kisses and tears,
And helping each other to confront our fears.
I see you as my friend and also my lover,
Your confidant and your children’s mother.
I see a wonderful future for you and I,
And it’s cloaked in love until we die.
By Leo Tolstoy (Sailing analogy for marriage)
Having embarked on marriage he saw at every step that it was not at all what he had imagined. At every step he experienced what a man experiences when, after admiring the smooth, happy motion of a boat on a lake, he finds himself sitting in it himself.
He found that it was not enough to sit quietly without rocking the boat, that he had constantly to consider what to do next, that not for a moment must he forget what course to steer or that there was water under his feet, that he had to row, much as it hurt his unaccustomed hands, that it was pleasant enough to look at it from the shore, but very hard, though very delightful, to sail it.
I Love You Because by Anon
“I Love You Because”
I love you because you’re my future,
my present and part of my past.
My world has been turning so quickly,
and time just keeps moving so fast.
I love you because you have something,
no ordinary person could give.
Warmth that I will cling to forever,
and hold onto as long as I live.
I love you because your devotion,
is tender and wonderfully rare.
And no-one could ever imagine
the magical moments we share.
I love you because you are truthful,
your eyes hold a key to my heart.
I know that you share my commitment,
and I know that we never shall part.
I love you because you are wonderful.
and you give me all that I need.
A hug when I seek reassurance,
and a smile when we’ve disagreed.
I love you because – I just love you,
for too many reasons to say.
And I’ll always be right here beside you,
a breath and a heartbeat away.
Extract from The Irrational Season, by Madeleine L’Engle
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.
Always Love Each Other by Larry S. Chengges
“Always Love Each Other”
If you can always be as close and as happy as today, yet be secure enough to grow and change along the way.
If you can keep for you alone your love as man and wife, yet find the time to share your joy with others in your life.
If you can be as one, and walk through marriage hand in hand, yet still support the goals and dreams that each of you have planned.
If you can dare to always go your separate ways together, then all the wonder of today will stay with you forever.
I Will Be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman
“I Will Be Here”
If in the morning when you wake,
If the sun does not appear,
I will be here.
If in the dark we lose sight of love,
Hold my hand and have no fear,
I will be here.
I will be here,
When you feel like being quiet,
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen.
Through the winning, losing,
and trying we’ll be together,
And I will be here.
If in the morning when you wake,
If the future is unclear,
I will be here.
As sure as seasons were made for change,
Our lifetimes were made for years,
I will be here.
I will be here,
And you can cry on my shoulder,
When the mirror tells us we’re older.
I will hold you,
to watch you grow in beauty,
And tell you all the things you are to me.
We’ll be together and I will be here.
I will be true to the promises I’ve made,
To you and to the one who gave you to me.
I will be here.
Marriage by Dic Jones
“Marriage”
May you find new energy
By day in the warmth of the sun,
And the gentle light of the moon,
Shed her beams upon you by night,
And shower you with warmth
To scatter away your worries and every fear.
May gentle breezes blow
To renew your strength,
And may you not slide
Where the paths are steep.
May light guide your steps through the world
While continuing to respect the earth.
May hurricane or foul weather
Be unable to strike you
While you are in each other’s company
Sleeping together,
And when the hoar frost causes the acorns to fall
May you keep each other warm.
Two hearts, one aspiration,
Two tongues, but one language,
Two ropes clinging to the same ring,
Two souls, but one journey.
You will share each other’s company,
There is no loneliness where there are two of you.
Extend your tent further
To keep the fire burning,
With the door open to everyone
And all strings removed.
May all your dreams come true,
May your anger be short lived and your memory long.
Wedding Feast by by Diane Fahey – Australian (Fairy Tale)
“Wedding Feast”
The last wedding guest enters-
a king with shining retinue.
At he great table, all eyes turn
towards the figure in the doorway.
who embraces the bridegroom, gifts him
with his wealth – and this story:
I am Iron Hans. A spell made me
a wild man, but you have set me free –
oh disobedient, loving child,
oh anguished, questioning youth,
oh waiting and labouring one:
golden giver away of gold.
The bride and bridegroom toast their guest;
with linked arms they lead the dance.
Wedding Song by contemporary New Zealand poet Rachel McAlpine.
“Wedding Song”
So you are the hunter
and I am the gatherer
and you are the gardener
and I am the traveller
and I am the dancer,
and you are the dance.
For the looks may change, and the heart may range,
And the love be no longer fond;
Wilt thou love with truth in the years of youth
And away to the years beyond?
And I am the dreamer
and you are the harbour
and you are the future
and I am the farmer
and you are the juggler,
and I am the clown.
I see you—I know you,
I love you—I see—
that you are the builder
and I am the weaver
and you are the mover
and I am the mender
and you are the mountain,
and I am the cloud.
And you are the lover
and I am the lover
and we are a twosome,
and you are the one.
Just As Long As Your Eyes Are Blue by ‘Banjo’ Paterson – Australian (Renewal of vows)
“Just As Long As Your Eyes Are Blue”
Wilt thou love me, sweet, when my hair is grey
And my cheeks shall have lost their hue?
When the charms of youth shall have passed away,
Will your love as of old prove true?
For the looks may change, and the heart may range,
And the love be no longer fond;
Wilt thou love with truth in the years of youth
And away to the years beyond?
Oh, I love you, sweet, for your locks of brown
And the blush on your cheek that lies —
But I love you most for the kindly heart
That I see in your sweet blue eyes.
For the eyes are signs of the soul within,
Of the heart that is real and true,
And mine own sweetheart, I shall love you still,
Just as long as your eyes are blue.
For the locks may bleach, and the cheeks of peach
May be reft of their golden hue;
But mine own sweetheart, I shall love you still,
Just as long as your eyes are blue.
Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson OBE (1864-1941)
was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author.
The Beauty of Love by Anon (Renewal of vows)
“The Beauty of Love”
The question is asked:
“Is there anything more beautiful in life
than a young couple clasping hands and pure hearts
in the path of marriage?
Can there be anything more beautiful than young love?”
And the answer is given:
“Yes, there is a more beautiful thing”.
“It is the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing
their journey together on that path.
Their hands are gnarled but still clasped;
their faces are seamed but still radiant;
their hearts are physically bowed and tired
but still strong with love and devotion”.
Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love.
Old love.
Taken from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause, you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.
Taken from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause, you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.
Together with You
Together With You
Together is my favourite word,
and when you hold my hand
and when we talk for hours on end,
I know you understand..
Together is remembering
A special time or place
and feeling the assurance
of a tender, warm embrace..
Together is a certainty.
along life’s rocky way,
your comfort and companionship
will be there day by day..
Together is a silence
that I share with one true friend,
when the circle of our thought
has no beginning and no end.
Love & Sentiment
In My Life John Lenon & Paul McCartney
There are places I’ll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I’ll love you more
The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach
A soulmate 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 soulmate 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 soulmate is the one who makes life come to life.
The Eskimo Love Song
You are my husband, you are my wife
My feet shall run because of you
My feet dance because of you
My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
My mind thinks because of you
And I shall love, because of you
Reading for a 7 year old child
We were given two hands to hold,
two legs to walk,
two eyes to see,
two ears to listen, but why only one heart?
Because, the other was given to someone else, for us to find.
I Would Live In Your Love by Sara Teasdale
I would live in your love as the sea-grasses live in the sea,
Borne up by each wave as it passes,
drawn down by each wave that recedes;
I would empty my soul as the dreams
that have gathered in me,
I would beat with your heart as it beats,
I would follow your soul as it leads.
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 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.
Love is Little Things
To me, love is being with you.
It is looking into your eyes.
It is spending a whole day with you and still dreading our goodbyes.
Love is spending time with you no matter what we do.
Love is anything at all as long as it takes two.
Love is planning out our lives while sitting on our bed.
Love is knowing you will catch every tear that I may shed.
Love is feeling beautiful when all my makeup’s gone.
Love is laughing at you when I make you yawn.
Love is holding hands with you wherever we may go.
Love is what I feel with you, with you it’s all I know.
Love is when you kiss my hand just like in storybooks.
Love is when my knees grow weak from one of your sweet looks.
Love is when you kiss me and the whole world fades away.
Love is knowing you are mine and that you’re here to stay.
Loving You by Larry S. Chengges
Your love is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
It has given my life new priorities and meaning and filled it with joy.
Thank you for giving so much of yourself
And for helping me to discover so much about myself too.
Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself.
When we are together Love feels so right with you
And I miss you so much when we are apart
I’ll always be there for you
And together I know
We can make our dreams come true.
Thank You by Led Zeppelin
If the sun refused to shine,
I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea,
There will still be you and me.
Kind woman, I give you my all,
Kind woman, nothing more.
Little drops of rain whisper of the pain,
Tears of loves lost in the days gone by.
My love is strong, with you there is no wrong,
Together we shall go until we die.
My, my, my, An inspiration is what you are to me,
Inspiration, look see.
And so today, my world it smiles,
Your hand in mine, we walk the miles,
Thanks to you it will be done,
For you to me are the only one.
Happiness, no more be sad,
Happiness….I’m glad.
Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce
If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save every day
‘Til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you.
If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I’d save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you.
If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you.
And there never seems to be, enough time
To do all the things we want too
I hold your hand
And on this day
I want to go through time with you.
The Most Wonderful Of All Things in Life by Sir Hugh Walpole
The most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one’s relationship has a growing depth, beauty and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvellous thing; it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident, and the most wonderful of all things in life.
True Love by Unknown Author
Truelove is a sacred flame
That burns eternally,
And none can dim its special glow
Or change its destiny.
True love speaks in tender tones
And hears with gentle ear,
True love gives with open heart
And true love conquers fear.
True love makes no harsh demands
It neither rules nor binds,
And true love holds with gentle hands
The hearts that it entwines.
My Love by Linda Lee Elrod
When I met you, I had no idea how much my life was about to be changed … but then, how could I have known?
A love like ours happens once in a lifetime. You were a miracle to me, the one who was everything I had ever dreamed of, the one I thought existed only in my imagination.
And when you came into my life, I realized that what I had always thought was happiness couldn’t compare to the joy loving you brought me.
You are a part of everything I think and do and feel, and with you by my side, I believe that anything is possible.
(This day) gives me a chance to thank you for the miracle of you…you are, and always will be, the love of my life.
Maybe….. by Anon
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 where you can sit on a sofa together 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. When you do what you can, love will do what you can’t.
From Adam Bede by 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
at the moment of the last parting?
SONNET XVII by Pablo Neruda
I don’t love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
therefore, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom and carries
Hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don’t know another way of loving.
but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest in my hand:
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.
Two Happy Lovers Make One Bread by Pablo Neruda
Two happy lovers make one bread,
a single moon drop in the grass.
Walking, they cast two shadows that flow together;
waking, they leave one sun empty in their bed.
Of all the possible truths, they chose the day;
they held it, not with ropes but with an aroma.
They did not shred the peace; they did not shatter words;
their happiness is a transparent tower.
The air and wine accompany the lovers.
The night delights them with its joyous petals.
They have a right to all the carnations.
Two happy lovers, without an ending, with no death,
they are born, they die, many times while they live:
they have the eternal life of the Natural.
The Meaning by Kellie Spehn (Loving and sharing)
To love is to share life together
To build special plans just for two
To work side by side
And then smile with pride
As one by one, dreams all come true.
To love is to help and encourage
With smiles and sincere words of praise
To take time to share
To listen and care
In tender, affectionate ways.
To love is to have someone special
One who you can always depend
To be there through the years
Sharing laughter and tears
As a partner, a lover, a friend.
To love is to make special memories
Of moments you love to recall
Of all the good things
That sharing life brings
Love is the greatest of all.
I’ve learned the full meaning
Of sharing and caring
And having my dreams all come true;
I’ve learned the full meaning
Of being in love
By being and loving with you.
I Am Love
“I Am Love”
Some say I can fly on the wind, yet I haven’t any wings. Some have found me floating on the open sea, yet I cannot swim. Some have felt my warmth on cold nights, yet I have no flame.
And though you cannot see me, I lay between two lovers at the hearth of fireplaces. I am the twinkle in your child’s eyes. I am hidden in the lines of your mother’s face. I am your father’s shield as he guards your home.
And yet… Some say I am stronger than steel, yet I am as fragile as a tear. Some have never searched for me, yet I am around them always. Some say I die with loss, yet I am endless.
And though you cannot hear me, I dance on the laughter of children. I am woven into the whispers of passion. I am in the blessings of Grandmothers. I embrace the cries of newborn babies.
And yet… Some say I am a flower, yet I am also the seed. Some have little faith in me, yet I will always believe in them. Some say I cannot cure the ill, yet I nourish the soul. And though you cannot touch me, I am the gentle hand of the kind.,
I am the fingertips that caress your cheek at night. I am the hug of a child. I am love.
The Comb and the Watch Strap (Renewal of Vows)
One day, his wife, who had very long hair asked him to buy her a comb for her hair to grow well and to be well-groomed.
The man felt very sorry and said no. He explained that he did not even have enough money to fix the strap of his watch he had just broken. She did not insist on her request.
The man went to work and passed by a watch shop, sold his damaged watch at a low price and went to buy a comb for his wife.
He came home in the evening with the comb in his hand ready to give to his wife.
He was surprised when he saw his wife with a very short haircut.
he had sold her hair and was holding a new watch band.
Tears flowed simultaneously from their eyes, not for the futility of their actions, but for the reciprocity of their love.
MORAL: To love is nothing, to be loved is something but to love and to be loved by the one you love, that is EVERYTHING. Never take love for granted.
Passage taken from John Livingston Seagull 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.
Relativity 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.
Travel is Like Love by Pico Iyer
“Travel is like love, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity, and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.”
Friendship by Judy Bielicki
It is often said that it is love that makes the world go round.
However, without doubt, it is friendship which keeps our spinning existence on an even keel.
True friendship provides so many of the essentials for a happy life – it is the foundation on which to build an enduring relationship, it is the mortar which bonds us together in harmony, and it is the calm, warm protection we sometimes need when the world outside seems cold and chaotic.
True friendship holds a mirror to our foibles and failings, without destroying our sense of worthiness.
True friendship nurtures our hopes, supports us in our disappointments, and encourages us to grow to our best potential.
Humour
Yes I’ll Marry You by Pam Ayres
Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear,
and here’s the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
when the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
and it’s creepy and it’s late,
I hand you the torch you see,
and you investigate.
Yes I’ll marry you, my dear,
you may not apprehend it,
but when the tumble-drier goes,
it’s you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
should our Labrador attack him,
and if a drunkard fondles me
it’s you that has to whack him.
Yes, I’ll marry you,
You’re virile and you’re lean,
my house is like a pigsty
you can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
which you served by candlelight,
as I do chipolatas,
you can cook it every night!
It’s you who has to work the drill,
and put up curtain track,
and when I’ve got PMS it’s you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
but none of them for you,
and so before you see the light,
I do, I do, I do!
A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton (Funny)
The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice. Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.
Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur. The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with kind words and loving thoughts.
I like this Dinosaur, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny. He is also quite clever although I will not tell him this for now.
I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur, thought the Dinosaur. She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice. She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a Dinosaur.
But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. He is also overly fond of things. Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?
But her mind skips from here to there so quickly, thought the Dinosaur. She is also uncommonly keen on shopping. Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?
I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. For they are part of what make him a richly charactered individual.
I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping, thought the Dinosaur. For she fills our life with beautiful thought and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.
Now the Dinosaur and Lovely Other Dinosaur are old. Look at them. Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.
And that, my friends, is how it is with love. Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together. For the sun is warm. And the world is a beautiful place.
Love Monkey by Edward Monkton (Funny)
It was once custom that every monkey would carve for himself a wooden heart. And the heart that love monkey carved was the most beautiful of all.
Its contours were soft and rounded, like an ancient pebble sculpted by the oceans. Its surface was smooth and shiny like liquid silk, and it shone as bright as a ruby in the desert sun.
“Take your hearts with you wherever you go,” said their teacher.
“Nurture them as a mother nurtures her new-born baby.
For when you want to give of yourself fully, your heart is the only true gift you will have.”
That night, Love Monkey had a dream.
He dreamt of a monkey whose smile lit up his sole like sunshine.
He held out his hear to her, so radiant, so splendid and so new.
She took him in her arms and he felt truly, perfectly, at peace.
When Love Monkey awoke he resolved that, from that day forward, he would search for his Dream Monkey until he could stand before her and give to her his perfect heart.
He travelled through deserts…and climbed over mountains.
He trekked across forests…and sailed many oceans.
Love Monkey looked after his heart as best he could, but the storms that he endured on his travels chipped away at its surface and each new adventure reshaped it.
By the time he arrived on the last distant shore, his heart was so changed by the patina of time that it barely resembled his old heart at all.
And then, he saw her.
Standing before him, as radiant and as beautiful as the sunshine, was his Dream Monkey.
At first he could not speak.
But then, from somewhere deep inside himself, he found a voice.
“I have travelled the world over to find you, and to give you my heart,” he said. “But now that I am finally with you, I see how foolish I have been. You are so beautiful, so perfect. And my heart that was once smooth, so bright and so new is now not something that I could even bring myself to show you,” .. and he turned to go.
“Let me see it,” said Dream Monkey. She took his heart and held it up to the light. “Nothing to me is more beautiful. Every fissure tells a story. Every blemish makes you more real. All my life I have been waiting for a heart like this; a heart that speaks the truth.”
“Come here,” she said. “I have something for you too.”
In her hand was a tiny golden heart.
It was as worn and as scratched as Love Monkey’s own
…and it was the most precious thing that he had ever seen.
I’ll Be There by Louise Cuddon (Funny)
I’ll be there my darling, through thick and through thin
When your mind’s in a mess and your head’s in a spin
When your plane’s been delayed, and you’ve missed the last train.
When life is just threatening to drive you insane
When your thrilling whodunit has lost its last page
When somebody tells you, you’re looking your age
When your coffee’s too cool, and your wine is too warm
When the forecast said “Fine”, but you’re out in a storm
When your quick break hotel, turns into a slum
And your holiday photos show only your thumb
When you park for five minutes in a resident’s bay
And return to discover you’ve been towed away
When the jeans that you bought in hope or in haste
Just stick on your hips and don’t reach round your waist
When the food you most like brings you out in red rashes
When as soon as you boot up the bloody thing crashes
So my darling, my sweetheart, my dear…
When you break a rule, when you act the fool
When you’ve got the flu, when you’re in a stew
When you’re last in the queue, don’t feel blue
’cause I’m telling you, I’ll be there
I’ll be there for you.
He Never Leaves the Seat Up (Funny)
He never leaves the seat up
Or wet towels upon the floor
The toothpaste has the lid on
And he always shuts the door!
She says she loves his kindness
And his loyalty is a must
And of course she thinks he’s funny
Which in her eyes is a plus!
He’s a very active person
Exercise is just the ticket
Where as she likes lazy days
He’ll drag her to the cricket…
or the rugby..or the football… anything really..
She’s thoughtful when he looks at her
A smile upon his face
Will he look that good in 50 years
When his dentures aren’t in place?!
He says he loves her figure
And her mental prowess too
But when gravity takes her over
Will she charm with her IQ?
All that said and done
They love the time they spend together
And I hope as I’m sure you do
That their happiness will last forever.
He’ll be more than just her husband
He is also her best friend
And she’ll be more than just his wife
She’s his soul mate ‘till the end.
I’ll Be There For You by Louise Cuddon (Funny)
I’ll be there, my darling, through thick and through thin
When your mind’s in a mess and your head’s in a spin
When your plane’s been delayed, and you’ve missed the last train.
When life is just threatening to drive you insane
When your thrilling whodunit has lost its last page
When somebody tells you, you’re looking your age
When your coffee’s too cool, and your wine is too warm
When the forecast said, “Fine,” but you’re out in a storm
When your quick break hotel, turns into a slum
And your holiday photos show only your thumb
When you park for five minutes in a resident’s bay
And return to discover you’ve been towed away
When the jeans that you bought in hope or in haste
Just stick on your hips and don’t reach round your waist
When the food you most like brings you out in red rashes
When as soon as you boot up the bloody thing crashes
So my darling, my sweetheart, my dear…
When you break a rule, when you act the fool
When you’ve got the flu, when you’re in a stew
When you’re last in the queue, don’t feel blue
’cause I’m telling you, I’ll be there.
Marriage Anon (Amusing)
Marriage is about giving and taking
And forging and forsaking
Kissing and loving and pushing and shoving
Caring and Sharing and screaming and swearing
About being together whatever the weather
About being driven to the end of your tether
About Sweetness and kindness
And wisdom and blindness
It’s about being strong when you’re feeling quite weak
It’s about saying nothing when you’re dying to speak
It’s about being wrong when you know you are right
It’s about giving in, before there’s a fight
It’s about you two living as cheaply as one
(you can give us a call if you know how that’s done!)
Never heeding advice that was always well meant
Never counting the cost until it’s all spent
And for you two today it’s about to begin
And for all that the two of you had to put in
Some days filled with joy, and some days with sadness
Too late you’ll discover that marriage is madness
How Falling In Love Is Like Owning a Dog by Taylor Mali (Funny)
First of all, it’s a big responsibility
especially in a city like New York.
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 for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise.
It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
It pulls you in several different directions at once,
or winds around and around you
until you’re all wound up and can’t 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.
We’re All A Little Weird by Dr Seuss
“We’re all a little weird. And life’s 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.”
The Jar of Life
“The Jar of Life”
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.” The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions–and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else–the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first–the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a glass of wine with a friend.”
An excerpt from Winnie-the-pooh
“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh?” he whispered.
“Yes, Piglet?”
“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand. “I just wanted to be sure of you.”
“We’ll be Friends Forever, won’t we, Pooh?’ asked Piglet.
Even longer,’ Pooh answered.”
“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you.”
Passage taken from The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway
I need bruschetta (that’s ‘broo-SKET-uh,’ not ‘brushetter,’ a slender piece of ciabatta toasted and brushed with garlic and oil and covered in fresh tomato and basil– the chunks inevitably fall off the bread and the olive oil runs over your lips and down your chin. The whole thing is delicious, deeply physical and delightfully undignified, and a woman who can eat a real bruschetta is a woman you can love and who can love you. Someone who pushes the thing away because it’s messy is never going to cackle at you toothlessly across the living room of your retirement cottage or drag you back from your sixth heart attack by sheer furious affection. Never happen. You need a woman who isn’t afraid of a faceful of olive oil for that)
The relationship Promise by Luke Wright
I promise, my darling, to be your best friend
To settle the quarrels before the day ends
To teach you new things and learn in return
Halve debts, colds and baths, and share laughs and concerns.
I promise, my love, to be silly with you
To giggle in restaurants and cinema queues
The romance and hum-drum all blended to bliss
A life battle-plan that’s sealed with a kiss.
From school runs and house work to sweet pillow talk
From mortgage repayments to long country walks
A cuppa in bed when the morning begins
And then, when it’s over, I’ll pour you a gin.
I promise I’ll seek to avoid nasty schisms
I know that at times we’ll need two televisions
I love you so much that whenever we fight
I’ll learn to repeat : I was wrong, you were right.
I’ll cook for you darling, that’s what love’s about
A meal made from scratch is worth on hundred out
I’ll shield you from worries that swing overhead
I promise I’ll try to be awesome in bed.
I promise, my darling, I’ll give you your space
When you’re on the loo, dear, I’ll spare you my face
But know that I’ll be there when your spirit sinks
To match you for messiness, cuddles and drinks.
I love you, my darling, so let’s live together
Stack days into decades to make our forever.
Non Religious Blessings
From a Native American marriage ceremony (Blessing)
May the sun bring you new energies by day;
May the moon softly restore you by night.
May the rain wash away any worries you may have
And the breeze blow new strength into your being.
And, all the days of your life,
May you walk gently through the world
And know its beauty.
Apache Marriage Blessing (Blessing)
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other.
Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together.
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.
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.
An Irish Wedding Blessing (Blessing)
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 your 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.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.
A Celtic Benediction (Blessing)
The peace of the running water to you,
The peace of the flowing air to you,
The peace of the quiet earth to you,
The peace of the shining star to you,
And the love and the care of all of us to you.
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 out 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 which 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.
Blessing For A Marriage by James Dillet Freeman (Blessing)
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 out 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 which 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.
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 have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another!
Blessing by Anon
And now, may the confidence, trust, and affection you have for each other on this day, sustain you as you go forth upon your journey of life together with its joy, its laughter, its sorrow, and its pain. May you fulfill your personal goals with each others help and guidance. May you live together in peace, love, and joy.
Blessing by Anon
Out of this tangled world, two souls have come together, drawn by mutual love and respect. May their days and years yet unborn deepen the joy of their choice and make it abidingly true.
Religious
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Blessing – Read by guests not the celebrant)
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
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. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain 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, and always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in-part, and we prophesy in-part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in-part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (Blessing – Read by guests not the celebrant)
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
You Were Born Together by Kahil Gilbran philosopher and poet
“You Were Born Together”
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of 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.
With You In My Heart by Mick Jennings
“With You In My Heart”
With you in my heart, my life is complete,
You’re the air that I breathe and the food that I eat.
You are my soul mate, the beat in my heart,
It feels like a year each second we’re apart.
With you in my heart I’m walking on air,
I can imagine your perfume and the touch of your hair.
Your beautiful eyes, so kind and so green,
The loveliest sight I ever have seen.
With you in my heart, I am brim full of pride,
It’s as though i can achieve anything with you by my side.
You’re my rock, you?re my angel, my one true love,
You’re my present from heaven, my gift from above.
With you in my heart, I love you so much,
How caring you are, my soul you do touch.
You’re a beautiful princess, a pleasure to know,
My love for you just continues to grow.
With you in my heart, I’m the happiest man on earth,
I feel God has planned this since the day of my birth.
I could never love anyone the way I love you,
I hope and I pray that you feel the same way too.
With you in my heart, through the good and the bad,
I’ll be there when you need me, when you’re hurting or sad.
In fact I’ll be there for you any night, any day,
Whenever you need me, you just have to say.
With you in my heart, it really makes my day,
With the things that you do and the things that you say.
You and Eva deserve happiness and I will ensure,
From now, only good times come knocking at your door.
With you in my heart, I hope it feels good,
And that I am caring for you the way that I should.
I will always be happy, just by the love that you give,
I will protect you and love you for as long as I live.
Wedding Prayer by Robert Lewis Stevenson
Behold our family here assembled.
We give thanks:
for the love that unites us,
for the family that joins us,
for the peace accorded us,
for the hope with which we expect tomorrow,
for the health, the work, the food,
and the bright skies that make our lives delightful;
for our friends in all parts of the earth.