WEDDING CEREMONY READINGS AND QUOTES
A wedding ceremony is a beautiful occasion where two souls join together in love and commitment. One of the most heartfelt and memorable aspects of a wedding ceremony is the reading – a passage or poem that reflects the couple’s love, values, and aspirations. Whether you prefer poetic, humorous, or philosophical readings, there is something for every couple to inspire and uplift their special day. Below we’ve rounded up 25 wedding ceremony readings and quotes to help personalise your celebration of love:
“Love” by Roy Croft
“I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.”
“The Promise” by Daniel Beaty
“This is my promise to you: to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, and celebrate with you in times of joy.”
“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 promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks – all those sentences that began with “When we’re married” and continued with “I will and you will and we will” – 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 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, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this – is my husband, this – is my wife.
“The Bridge Across Forever” by Richard Bach
“A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks.”
“The Promise” by Eileen Rafter
“I promise to love you, to be your best friend, to respect and support you, to be patient, and to work together to create a beautiful life.”
Excerpt from “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” by Louis de Bernières
“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.”
“The Promise” by Heather Berry
“With this ring, I give you my promise that from this day forward, you shall not walk alone.”
Excerpt from “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë
“I have for the first time found what I can truly love—I have found you.”
“The Art of Marriage” by Wilferd Arlan 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 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.
“These Hands” by Unknown
“These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.”
“He’s Not Perfect” by Bob Marley
“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.”
“On Love” by Thomas à Kempis
“Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength.”
Excerpt from “He Never Leaves the Seat Up” by Anonymous
“He’ll be more than just her husband,
He’ll also be her friend
And she’ll be more than just his wife,
She’ll be his soul mate ‘til the end.”
“Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo
“You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.”
“How Do I Love Thee” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
“Blessing for a Marriage” by James Dillet Freeman
“May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring.”
“The Key to Love” by Anonymous
“The key to love is understanding. The ability to comprehend not only the spoken word but those unspoken gestures.”
“A Vow” by Wendy Cope
I cannot promise never to be angry;
I cannot promise always to be kind.
You know what you are taking on, my darling –
It’s only at the start that love is blind.
And yet I’m still the one you want to be with
And you’re the one for me – of that I’m sure.
You are my closest friend, my favourite person,
The lover and the home I’ve waited for.
I cannot promise that I will deserve you
From this day on. I hope to pass that test.
I love you and I want to make you happy.
I promise I will do my very best.
“The Gift of Love” by Hal David
“The greatest gift we can give to each other is the tenderness of our presence.”
“The Magic of Love” by Helen Steiner Rice
“Love is like magic, and it always will be, for love still remains life’s sweet mystery.”
“Love Sonnet XVII” by Pablo Neruda
“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 any other way of loving.”
“Marriage Joins Two People in the Circle of Its Love” by Edmund O’Neill
“Marriage is a commitment to life, to the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 from the Bible
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
“How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog” by Taylor Mali
“On cold winter nights, love is warm. It lies between you and lives and breathes and makes funny noises.”
“I carry your heart with me” by E.E. Cummings
“I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart).”
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