READINGS & POEMS

You are the Bubbles by Rachel Bright

Together, you are the bubbles in one another’s champagne
The morning sun through a window
The breaking of a smile.

Together, you are the one doughnut in the bag with more jam than all the others.

That photo where everybody looks great.
The know-all-the-words, sing-out-of-tune chorus of your favourite song.

Together, you are the beginnings of a big idea.
The twinkly bits that hang in the sky after the firework goes bang.
The cold, thin air at the top of a mountain.
The only two people in a crowded room.

Together, you are that unforgettable day of the holiday.
An accidental adventure.
Chocolate chip.
The last two pages of your favourite book.
A BBQ with friends.
The spray of the sea.
The nose of the cheese.
A kiss.
A hug.
A hold-my-hand.
A decision which, looking back, will seem to be the most excellent one you’ve ever made.

Together you are bubbles.
The unburstable bubbles of the very best things in life.
The only things any of us ever really need.

Marry Your Best Friend by N’Tima

Marry your best friend. I do not say that lightly.
Really, truly find the strongest, happiest friendship in the person you fall in love with.
Someone who speaks highly of you.
Someone you can laugh with.
The kind of laughs that make your belly ache, and your nose snort.
The embarrassing, earnest, healing kind of laughs.
Wit is important. Life is too short not to love someone who lets you be a fool with them.
Make sure they are somebody who lets you cry, too. Despair will come.
Find someone that you want to be there with you through those times.
Most importantly, marry the one that makes passion, love, and madness combine and course through you.
A love that will never dilute - even when the waters get deep, and dark.

 From Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become 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 promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.”

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.”

From Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
“The future belongs to hearts even more than it does to minds. Love, that is the only thing that can occupy and fill eternity. In the infinite, the inexhaustible is requisite.
Love participates of the soul itself. It is of the same nature. Like it, it is the divine spark; like it, it is incorruptible, indivisible, imperishable. It is a point of fire that exists within us, which is immortal and infinite, which nothing can confine, and which nothing can extinguish. We feel it burning even to the very marrow of our bones, and we see it beaming in the very depths of heaven.”

From Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne
“Wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
‘Where are you going today?’ says Pooh:
‘Well, that’s very odd ‘cos I was too.
Let’s go together,’ says Pooh, says he.
‘Let’s go together,’ says Pooh…
‘Let’s look for dragons,’ I said to Pooh.
‘Yes, let’s,’ said Pooh to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few-
‘Yes, those are dragons all right,’ said Pooh.
‘As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.
That’s what they are,’ said Pooh, said he.
‘That’s what they are,’ said Pooh.
‘Let’s frighten the dragons,’ I said to Pooh.
‘That’s right,’ said Pooh to Me.
‘I’m not afraid,’ I said to Pooh,
And I held his paw and I shouted ‘Shoo!
Silly old dragons!’ – and off they flew.
‘I wasn’t afraid,’ said Pooh, said he,
‘I’m never afraid with you.’
So wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
‘What would I do?’ I said to Pooh,
‘If it wasn’t for you,’ and Pooh said: ‘True,
It isn’t much fun for One, but Two,
Can stick together,’ says Pooh, says he. ‘That’s how it is,’ says Pooh.”

From The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach
“A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.”

From The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
“I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who’s ever lived: I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.”

The Art of Marriage by Wilferd A Peterson
“Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things…
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
The courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude
of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding and a sense of humour.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.”

An Uncommon Love

By Terah Cox

May you have the love only two can know.

May you go where only two as one may go.

May the sun rise and set in your bonded hearts and the moon never find you too long apart.

May you cherish each other’s dreams as your own and turn stumbling blocks into steppingstones.

May you brave life’s mountains and miles together.

May there be no storm your love cannot weather.

May you be lovers and allies and friends.

May your souls’ conversation never end.

May you capture on earth what’s in heaven above.

May your hearts know the rapture of an uncommon love.

Bob Marley quote
“He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyse. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.”

Fidelity by D.H. Lawrence
“Man and woman are like the earth, that brings forth flowers
in summer, and love, but underneath is rock.
Older than flowers, older than ferns, older than foraminiferae,
older than plasm altogether is the soul underneath.
And when, throughout all the wild chaos of love
slowly a gem forms, in the ancient, once-more-molten rocks
of two human hearts, two ancient rocks,
a man’s heart and a woman’s,
that is the crystal of peace, the slow hard jewel of trust,
the sapphire of fidelity.
The gem of mutual peace emerging from the wild chaos of love.”

From Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith
“People are like cities: We all have alleys and gardens and secret rooftops and places where daisies sprout between the sidewalk cracks, but most of the time all we let each other see is a postcard glimpse of a skyline or a polished square. Love lets you find those hidden places in another person, even the ones they didn’t know were there, even the ones they wouldn’t have thought to call beautiful themselves.”

From 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.”

From Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr Suess
“Congratulations! Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the couple who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “We don’t choose to go there.”
With your heads full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down, any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there in the wide open air,
Out there things can happen and frequently do
to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The places you’ll go!

You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to great heights!
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have all the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang, and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t. Because sometimes, you won’t.
You’ll get mixed up of course, as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up with so many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with great care and great tact
and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kids, you’ll move mountains!

So, be your name Buxbaum or Dowrie or Bass
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So … get on your way!”

From The Prophet by Kahil Gilbran
“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.”

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!”

From The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”
“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Cloths Of Heaven by Yeats
“Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”

From Letters To A Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
“The point of marriage is not to create a quick commonality by tearing down all boundaries; on the contrary, a good marriage is one in which each partner appoints the other to be the guardian of his solitude, and thus they show each other the greatest possible trust. A merging of two people is an impossibility, and where it seems to exist, it is a hemming-in, a mutual consent that robs one party or both parties of their fullest freedom and development. But once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvellous living side-by-side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as a whole and before an immense sky.”

An Irish 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 rain fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

 May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

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.

To Love Is Not to Possess, by James Kavanaugh
“To love is not to possess,
To own or imprison,
Nor to lose one’s self in another.
Love is to join and separate,
To walk alone and together,
To find a laughing freedom
That lonely isolation does not permit.
It is finally to be able
To be who we really are
No longer clinging in childish dependency
Nor docilely living separate lives in silence,
It is to be perfectly one’s self
And perfectly joined in permanent commitment
To another–and to one’s inner self.
Love only endures when it moves like waves,
Receding and returning gently or passionately,
Or moving lovingly like the tide
In the moon’s own predictable harmony,
Because finally, despite a child’s scars
Or an adult’s deepest wounds,
They are openly free to be
Who they really are – and always secretly were,
In the very core of their being
Where true and lasting love can alone abide.”

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

"No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater … The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that’s the key. It’s like a big pie chart, and the love in a relationship has to be the biggest piece. Love can make up for a lot."

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas

"I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together."

A poem by Dallas Clayton

"If you build the space ship

she’ll chart the course

and if you rob the stage coach

she’ll ride the horse

if you writes the words

she’ll find the muses

and if you set the dynamite

she’ll light the fuses

if you need a hand

or a plan, or a friend

she’ll give what she can

times a hundred and ten

and if you want more

than they have in the store

then you’ll set off together

and search shore to shore

you’ll set out and search

this great earth til it ends

you’ll set out together

just two perfect friends.”

A reading by Author Unknown

“Today you are agreeing to the ongoing process of shaping and reshaping your lives together. You are committing to always listen to each other, to each respect and value the other as your equal, to be honest with each other and to treat each other with kindness and thoughtfulness, not only when you feel like it or when it is easy, but when you want to be selfish, when you are tired, when you are full of fear and uncertainty. You must make this commitment with faith and trust in each other, knowing that sometimes, individually and together, you will fall short. But when frustration, difficulties and fear assail your relationship, as they sometimes threaten all relationships, remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong.”

It is not this ceremony or the state of being married that will truly join you and hold you together, but your ongoing commitment to your relationship and to the kind of life you wish to make together.

Exist by Erin Hanson

“I made my life an arrow, The tip a deadly sharpened point,

So people never came so close, That I may disappoint,

I'd sit and watch in silence, As the world would pass me by,

Wondering how far I'd fall, If I ever tried to fly,

You watched me with such interest, Like it was me you'd tried to find,

As though you knew all of my secrets, And the thoughts within my mind,

You looked like all the others, But what I did not know;

Was while I'd made myself an arrow, You had made yourself a bow,

And apart we'd both been useless, But we'd finally worked out why;

Since you need someone to pull you back, If you ever want to fly,

So you aimed me with precision, And I flew straight from the start,

Until I landed with a solid thud, On the target of your heart.”

Blessing of the Hands by Rev. Daniel L. Harris

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief temporarily comes your way.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

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

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

“When he looked into her eyes, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke — the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love.

Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. What the boy felt at that moment was that he was in the presence of the only woman in his life, and that, with no need for words, she recognised the same thing. Because when you know the language, it’s easy to understand that someone in the world awaits you, whether it’s in the middle of the desert or in some great city.

And when two such people encounter each other, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.”

Union by Robert Fulghum

“You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world – This is my husband. This is my wife.”

I Wanna Be Yours by 70s punk poet John Cooper Clark 

“Let me be your vacuum cleaner
breathing in your dust
let me be your ford Cortina
I will never rust
if you like your coffee hot
let me be your coffee pot
you call the shots
I wanna be yours

Let me be your raincoat
for those frequent rainy days
let me be your dreamboat
when you wanna sail away
let me be your teddy bear
take me with you anywhere
I don’t care
I wanna be yours

Let me be your electric meter
I will not run out
let me be the electric heater
you get cold without
let me be your setting lotion
hold your hair with deep devotion
deep as the deep Atlantic ocean
that’s how deep is my emotion
deep deep deep deep deep deep
I don’t wanna be hers
I wanna be yours”

A Lovely Love Story By Edward Monkton

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 thought 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 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 makes 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 things and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not un keen on shopping either.”

Now the Dinosaur and the 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.

I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg

I like you and I know why
I like you because you are a good person to like
I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it’s special
And you remember it a long, long time
You say, “Remember when you told me something special?”
And both of us remember

When I think something is important
You think it’s important too
We have good ideas
When I say something funny, you laugh
I think I’m funny and you think I’m funny too

…I like you because when I am feeling sad
You don’t always cheer me up right away
Sometimes it is better to be sad…

I like you because if I am mad at you
Then you are mad at me too
It’s awful when the other person isn’t…

I can’t remember when I didn’t like you
It must have been lonesome then
Even if it was the 999th of July
Even if it was August
Even if it was way down at the bottom of November
I would go on choosing you
And you would go on choosing me
Over and over again
And that’s how it would happen every time

Getting Married Means You’ll Have by Nicholas Gordon (*a good one for children to read)

“Getting married means you’ll have
Someone’s hand to hold,
Even when you’re feeling sick,
Even when you’re old.

It means when you sit down to eat,
Someone will be there,
So you won’t have to tell your day
To an empty chair.

It means that you can have some kids
Just like a mom and dad,
And play with them all afternoon,
Except when they are bad.

It means that when you need some help,
Someone will help out,
Someone always near to you
So you won’t have to shout.

But best of all is when it’s time
To turn out all the lights:
You won’t have to be alone
Those long and scary nights.

So even though you don’t have toys,
You don’t have to care:
Once you’re married you can be
Each other’s teddy bear!”

PRE-WRITTEN VOWS

#1 My Lawfully Wedded...

_____, I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband/wife/spouse. Before these witnesses I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live.

I take you, with all your faults and strengths, as I offer myself to you with all my faults and strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.

#2 I Take You...

_____, I take you to be my husband/wife/spouse  from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be your faithful husband/wife, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond; a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new.

#3 You Are My Best Friend...

I love you,_____. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.

I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life. 

#4 I Promise...

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.

 #5 I Laugh, I Smile, I Dream...

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 for us, and I vow to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live.

I, ______, take you, ______, 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.

#6 With Deepest Joy...

I, _____, take you, ______, to be my wedded husband/wife/spouse. With deepest joy I receive you into my life that together we may be one. I promise you my love, my fullest devotion, my tenderest care. I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful husband/wife/spouse. 

#7 On This Day...

On this day, month, day, year, I, _____, join myself to you _____, before this company. May our days be long, and may they be seasoned with love, understanding and respect. 

#8 Knowing In My Heart...

I, _____, take you, _____, to be my husband/wife/spouse, knowing in my heart that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. My commitment is made in love, kept in faith, lived in hope and eternally made anew. 

#9 From This Day Forward I Promise...

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.

#10 I Pledge...

_____, I pledge to you to be your loving friend and partner in marriage. To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate you; to respect and cherish your uniqueness; and to support, comfort, and strengthen you through life's joys and sorrows. I promise to share hopes, thoughts, and dreams as we build our lives together.

May our lives be ever intertwined, our love keep us together. May we build a home that is compassionate to all, full of respect and honour for others and each other. And may our home be forever filled with peace, happiness, and love. 

#11 I Join My Life With Yours...

I join my life with yours. Wherever you go, I will go; whatever you face, I will face. For good or ill, in happiness or sadness, come riches or poverty, I take you as my husband/wife/spouse, and will give myself to no other.

#12 In Sickness And In Health...

On this special day, I give to you in the presence of God and all these witnesses my promise to stay by your side, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, through good times and bad.

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.

#13 Live, Dream, Love...

_____, today I will marry you, my friend, the one I will live with, dream with, and love forever. I take you to be my husband/wife/spouse. From this day forward I will cherish you. I will look with joy down the path of our tomorrows, knowing we will walk it together side by side, hand in hand, and heart to heart. 

#14 To Love And To Value...

_____, I promise to love you and to value your friendship as a precious gift. I look forward to raising our family, and building our relationship, under the care and guidance of God. I promise to stand beside you in sickness or health, in times of prosperity and decline, in peace and in turmoil, as long as we both shall live. 

#15 Share Together...

I,_____, take you _____, to be my husband/wife/spouse, and friend. We shall bear together whatever of sorrow and adversity life may place upon us, and share together whatever of joy and fulfilment life may hold in store. I commit my life to you; a commitment made in love, kept in faith, lived in hope and eternally made anew.

I pledge to you a life of giving and of hoping, of growing and of loving. I shall be with you in your tears and in your laughter, just as I shall bring to you my own joys and my own sorrows. You will be my husband/wife/spouse, as long as love remains. My commitment is made in love, kept in faith, lived in hope and eternally made anew. 

#16 I Choose You...

I, _____, choose you _____, as my husband/wife/spouse, in friendship and in love, in strength and weakness, to share the good times and misfortune, in achievement and failure. I will cherish and respect you through all the changes of our lives, forever giving thanks that we found each other. 

#17 I Love You...

I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.

I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and respect you. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.

#18 You Have Brought Warmth...

Where there has been cold, you have brought warmth; where there was darkness, you have brought light. Our miracle lies in the path we have chosen together. I enter this marriage with you, knowing that the true magic of love is not to avoid changes, but to follow the path together, hand in hand. Let us commit to the miracle of making each day work, together.

Whatever lies ahead, good or bad, we will face together. Distance may test us for a time, and time may try us. But if we look to each other first, we will always see a friend. For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish, to be faithful to you alone.

#19 I Take My Place...

Today, I take my place as your husband/wife. May our days be long, and may they be seasoned with faith, love, understanding, and respect, forever and ever. Today is the beginning of the rest of our lives. I choose to spend today, and all of my tomorrows, with you.

#20 I Will Love And Honour You...

I take you,_____, to be my husband/wife/spouse. I promise to be true to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and I will love and honour you all the days of my life. 

CEREMONY INCLUSIONS + RITUAL IDEAS

Joint Processional: The couple enter the ceremony together as a united couple/family

Adult Flower Girls: All the guests put their names into a bowl and one of the parents draws out two names. The “Flower Girls” are then presented with their flower petals and positioned to surprise the couple/bride as they enter the ceremony.Wishing stones: A bowl of stones is placed at the entrance, guests each take a stone and hold it throughout the ceremony filling it with love for the couple. The stones are then placed in a second bowl on the signing table as the couple sign the documents

Exchanging of gifts: An Eastern tradition. Gifts are exchanged prior to or instead of the rings, the gifts usually have some personal or cultural significance.

Token Bowl: Each guest brings with them a token, with a note. The tokens are placed into a bowl as the guests arrive at the ceremony. During the ceremony a couple of tokens are randomly removed from the bowl and described to the guests. Further tokens may be removed and described during the reception. All the tokens are kept by the couple.

Bridal Party Intro: After being primed by the couple, the Celebrant introduces each member of the wedding party - can play it straight or add a line about each. You could theme it up……. A Talent Contest, A Game Show, A Beauty Pageant etc

Parents’ Blessing: The parents are asked to give their personal blessings, whether together or separately 

The Red String of Fate: The Red String of Fate can involve just the couple or everyone at the ceremony. The couple enter the ceremony together, holding hands. One end of the Red String of Fate is tied to the finger of one person, the string is then looped around their hand and wrist, then looped around the hand and wrist of their partner and the other end is tied to the second partners finger. The couple stand facing each other and slowly untangle the string, to show it is one long single string. It is then slowly removed from one finger, looped around itself and removed from the other finger. It is then set aside for safekeeping.

Burning the Past Away: Each party writes a note about their past, everything that they are letting go of. The notes are placed into a bowl and burnt during the ceremony, signifying releasing their old emotions to the sky.

Ring Warming: A Celtic tradition. The rings are placed in a bowl. The bowl is then passed around the friends and family, who each make a wish across the rings as they hold the bowl, before passing it on to the next person. Flower petals or rice can be placed in the bottom of the bowl as it carries the rings, it is then used at the end of the ceremony as confetti.

Guests Pledge: The guests repeat a pledge, to have fun, share the love and have a good time, as well as being supportive and loving to the couple.

Guests Vows: Guests are asked to repeat a set of vows written by the couple, vows which convey the love that the guests have for the couple, how they will assist them to stay on track with their promises and not lead them astray!

Circle Ceremony: A Celtic/Pagan tradition. A circle is created around the couple to symbolise their unification into a married couple. Inside the circle they are strong and unified as one.

Magic Wands: Magic wands are presented to the children and they are asked to cast spells over the rings that their parents will exchange and over their parents, so they will all live together happily ever after

Blanket Wrapping: A North American Indian, Inuit or Mongolian tradition. The blanket symbolises the love of their friends and family and their new life together. The couple are wrapped in a blanket by their wedding party, prior to the recessional.

Rope Braid: An intricately braided rope or Rope Knot is passed through the guests, so they can hold it and pass their wishes for the happy couple over it. It is handed to the celebrant at the appropriate time for the couple to hold as they make their vows.

Wedding Crowns: The couple are presented with crowns (Metal, Floral, Ivy, Wheat) to wear, symbolising that they are royalty for the day.

Flower Garlands: Flower garlands are placed around the necks of the couple, to bring good luck for their future. This could be extended to the Bridal Party or all the guests. This is popular in many cultures including India and Hawaii

Breaking Bread: Bread or other food is shared during the ceremony, to symbolise the many meals yet to come. Traditionally this was done with bread, but could be done within food. Modern versions include foods from home countries or foods that one partner likes but the other does not care for!

The Wedding Cup: The sharing of water or wine from the wedding cup is a traditional part of the Pagan ritual of the Celtic Trinity. Couples share a cup to symbolise how much they will share in the years to come.

Ceremony of Light: A Hindu tradition. A fire or light is placed in the centre of the ceremony. The couple then circle the light four times. Each time they stop to touch a stone, which is placed in their path, with their toe. This symbolises obstacles in life that they will overcome together. Three times the groom leads and the fourth, the bride goes first. These four rounds stand for the four basic human goals: family, wealth and duty and salvation. The groom will lead the bride through the first four and in the last he will follow her.

Sand Ceremony: Separate vessels of sand are combined into a larger vessel, signifying the combining of two lives into a marriage.

Tying the Knot: A Scottish tradition. The bride and groom tie strips of their wedding tartan (or ribbon) together in a knot, symbolically uniting the two clans. A variation of this custom involves the groom pinning a piece of his tartan to the bride's dress, thus confirming her bond to his clan. Handfasting is when the strips of tartan or a ribbon is used to tie the bride's and groom's hands together - hence the phrase "tying the knot".

Touching of Hearts: A Pagan tradition. The bride and bridegroom touch each other's heart reciting promises to each other. This ceremony binds the couple together with oaths taken in the presence of their friends and relatives.

Seven Steps: An Indian tradition. The celebrant states the seven oaths and the couple repeats them. Whilst taking seven steps together.

Wine Box Ceremony: A Dutch tradition. A bottle of wine is sealed inside a box with love letters written by the couple, to be opened on the couples on a significant wedding anniversary. The wine can be accompanied by notes written by the guests.

Time Capsule: Each of the guests are asked to bring a token or note for the capsule. They are collected prior to the ceremony and the capsule is sealed during the ceremony. To be opened on a significant wedding anniversary

Mixing Colours: Each party choose a colour which represents them. During the ceremony, the liquid colours are poured out onto plates. Each party places their palm onto their colour. They then place their palms together, mixing the colours into a new hue, which represents them as a couple. The couple then place their palms onto a small canvas as a memory to keep. The guests could add to this after the ceremony as a final piece of art.

Create a piece of Art: A small canvas is set up to one side of the ceremony. During the ceremony the couple begin the piece of art as a symbol of their unity. Members of the wedding party and other guests are asked to contribute to the piece.

Freehand Blind Sketch: Each of the parties is blindfolded and stood in front of an easel. They are given a pencil and asked to place the pencil on the paper and without removing peeking or removing the pencil from the paper, they try to draw a picture of their beloveds face. The other party is also asked to do the same thing, either on the same piece of paper, so the images are merged, or on a separate easel at the same time.

Celtic Trinity: The Celtic belief in all things being connected, the trinity is the connection of the Candle Ceremony, Handfasting and the Wedding Cup into one ritual.

Candle Ceremony: A Zen tradition. A candle is lit at the beginning of the ceremony by the celebrant, this symbolises the universal energy found in all things the bride and groom both bring their own lighted candles to the ceremony and place them next to the first candle. The joining of these candles in one place symbolises the combining of the couple’s energy with the energy of the universe.

“I do” questions from guests: Guests are asked to pose questions to the couple in the hope that the answer is “I Do” The questions can be written down beforehand, or thrown out during the ceremony.

Ninja Vows: Each party writes some additional vows for their partner to read, but neither one has seen the others vows beforehand

Duelling Vows: Each party writes a short list of vows/promises and the celebrant reorders them, so they are read out alternately as a Vow duel

Mystery Vows: Individual vows are placed into a bowl and each party, takes an individual vow in turn and reads them out.

Ring Exchange Done by Friend: Invite a trusted friend to perform the ring exchange

Draw Names for Witnesses: Names of all the guests over the age of 18 are put into a draw and two guests are randomly chosen to sign as witnesses

Shots: The couple share shots of their favourite drink to celebrate the moment, before or after the kiss and before the recessional

Pronouncement done by friend: Invite a trusted friend to announce the happy couple

Jumping the broom: A European wedding tradition. The bride and groom jump (or skip) over a broom. This signifies the leap into a new life together.

Colour Power: A “Holi” tradition in India, but it’s not for the fainthearted or couples who want to maintain a white wedding look! The guests all step forward and dowse the couple with coloured powders and it turns into a kaleidoscope cloud of crazy colour.... Everyone ‘s involved and they will all get covered in colour

Hide The Rings: Before the guests arrive the rings are hidden under two random seats. No one knows where the rings are..... when asked, everyone checks under their seats and two lucky ‘winners’ stand up and come forward as ring bearers.