Wedding Reading

Following. Going to come back with some reading suggestions, ones that we are considering using in our ceremony.

Love this one!

It isn't humorous, but it has been a favorite poem of mine. It is called "I carry your heart with me" by e.e.cummings

We are incorporating the corpse bride vows into our vows. Other than that, no readings.

How about taking an excerpt from the marriage equality act? I was thinking of using it but in the end went with something else but it's really powerful.

"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.

The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach, a liberty that includes certain specific rights that allow persons, within a lawful realm, to define and express their identity.

The centrality of marriage to the human condition makes it unsurprising that the institution has existed for millennia and across civilizations. Since the dawn of history, marriage has transformed strangers into relatives, binding families and societies together. Confucius taught that marriage lies at the foundation of government.

The nature of marriage is that, through its enduring bond, two persons together can find other freedoms, such as expression, intimacy, and spirituality. This is true for all persons, whatever their sexual orientation.

[T]he right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person, and under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment couples of the same-sex may not be deprived of that right and that liberty. The Court now holds that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry. No longer may this liberty be denied to them."

I edited my post because I screwed up my copy/paste the first time

I'm going to come back to this when I have more time, but if you haven't heard The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson, check that out! It's fun and quirky but still really sweet.

I found this from Winnie the pooh!!

We used this by Carl Sagan:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/338332990740541854/

We also closed with Justice Kennedy's decision.

It may sound corny but childrens books often ring with powerful truths that are great for weddings. And adults may never admit it but being read to (especially childrens books) is endearing and a bonding experince for all involved. Perhaps you have a childhood book that you love or need to go to your local library and do some digging but it might just be a good way to set the mood your going for. (Obviously if you aren't a kid person this won't be as endearing but its just a thought)

Following...

I love the Winnie the Pooh one and the Marriage Equality Act.
Are you at all religious? Ever since Macklemore came out with “Same Love” with quotes from Corinthians 13:4 I’ve especially loved that verse and read it through a different lens. (Disclaimer I’ve never actually read the Bible but I do love those words for weddings)
Are you dog people? When I was asking a similar question on here a few weeks ago someone suggested “Falling in Love is Like Getting a Dog”. It’s everywhere on Google if you want to check it out. I really like it.
If you’re a theatre person, look up love passages from Les Mis. They’re kind of dramatic but quite pretty.
And finally, I just started hearing about using passages from Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Suess. I love the playful and lighter vibe.

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That is such a great poem! It would be a beautiful reading, although I think some people would be left scratching their heads. cummings poetry can be a bit abstract.

I love this passage from the The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman. I like that it has more of a natural and science perspective.

“I will love you forever, whatever happens. Till I die and after I die, and when I find my way out of the land of the dead, I’ll drift about forever, all my atoms, till I find you again …”

“I’ll be looking for you, every moment, every single moment. And when we do find each other again, we’ll cling together so tight that nothing and no one’ll ever tear us apart. Every atom of me and every atom of you … We’ll live in birds and flowers and dragonflies and pine trees and in clouds and in those little specks of light you see floating in sunbeams … And when they use our atoms to make new lives, they won’t just be able to take one, they’ll have to take two, one of you and one of me, we’ll be joined so tight …”

It's from a children's book by Sandra Boynton, Your Personal Penguin.

A pic from the book.

This is another reading I liked.

This is ours! We’re not religious, and super sappy things make me uncomfortable. This one really spoke to me.

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Thank you so much for sharing this one- It is Perfect!

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You're welcome!! I still get the chills every time I read it; I can't wait to actually hear it during our ceremony!