Wedding Readings

Zola.

Any suggestions for some nice wedding readings for a cival ceremony?

Misslayed

We had a church ceremony, but my son, who is not at all religious, read this, which we loved. (Both widowed and in our late 50s btw)

https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-vows-native-american-apache

lika_86

Just not the bloody dinosaur one.

paddyrg

From Khalil Gilbran's "The Prophet"

On Marriage
Kahlil Gibran

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 the heavens dance between you.


Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.


Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Kahlil Gibran on Love

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Couple of classic verses, some people hate them, but there's a certain poetry to them.

paddyrg

lika_86 wrote: »

Just not the bloody dinosaur one.

this one...?

“You're not allowed to call them dinosaurs any more," said Yo-less. "It's speciesist. You have to call them pre-petroleum persons.”
― Terry Pratchett, Johnny and the Bomb

*~Zephyr~*

paddyrg wrote: »

From Khalil Gilbran's "The Prophet"


Couple of classic verses, some people hate them, but there's a certain poetry to them.

They are lovely and all, but as I understand it, you're not allowed to mention the word 'God' or 'heaven' or anything else remotely religious in a civil ceremony.

This PDF from North Ayrshire council has some lovely ideas for civil ceremonies:
https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/Documents/CorporateServices/ITCustServices/Readings.pdf

As does this one from Surrey CC.
https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/15115/Suggested-Civil-Ceremony-Readings.pdf

Wonder if all the Councils have these booklets....?

johngrey37

Just not the bloody dinosaur one

lfcdream

My mum did the good wifes guide. it was very funny

suejb2

I read a Winnie the Pooh poem "Us Two"
It was my choice neither my brother nor his wife were expecting it. I chose it because of its content and also I felt comfortable reading childrens books as at that time I had a 4 and 2 year old.

skimper

at my sisters wedding someone did 'yes ill marry you my dear'

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 PMT 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!