help with readings

[fallbride]

We met with the Pastor this week. He told me that I can pick out any reading I wanted, and if I had someone to read it, we could have them read it. Well, I have been looking and I like a ton of them. Do you have a favorite reading? Can anybody help me find a nice one for my ceremony?

[Indigo]

I have been wondering the same thing.

[labeadel]

Here is one of the two readings we had at our wedding.

The Promise
by Eileen Rafter

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".

[labeadel]

And here is the other one. I think I got this one from Margie...

"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.

[555Ann555]

Are you looking for bible passages or poems, or just a load of possiblities?

Are there any restrictions on what you may have read out?

(our's was a Catholic Mass, so we had to have 1 old testament, one new testament, 1 psalm & 1 Gospel reading Not much room to personalise that!)

[breezy]

I love, love, love this one... it just moves me. We're going to include it in our programs

WHY MARRIAGE?

Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person, With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body... Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me, Who wont hold them against me, Who loves me when Im unlikable, Who sees the small child in me, and Who looks for the divine potential of me... Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night With someone who thanks God for me, With someone I feel blessed to hold... Because marriage means opportunity To grow in love in friendship... Because marriage is a discipline To be added to a list of achievements... Because marriages do not fail, people fail When they enter into marriage Expecting another to make them whole... Because, knowing this, I promise myself to take full responsibility For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness I create me, I take half of the responsibility for my marriage Together we create our marriage... Because with this understanding The possibilities are limitless. Author Unknown

[breezy]

This is the prayer we selected:

PRAYERS

A Marriage Prayer - by Bud Henry Bowen (adapted)

Bless their marriage, O God, as they begin their journey down the road of life together. We don't know what lies ahead for the road turns and bends. But help them to make the best of whatever comes their way.
Help them to continue to enjoy each other as they did when they first met. Help them to realize that nothing nor no one is perfect and to look for the good in all things and all people including themselves.
Help them to respect each other's likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs, hopes and dreams and fears even though they may not always understand them.
Help them to learn from each other and to help each other to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Help them to realize that no matter what happens to them they will hold on to each other and know that things have a way of working out for the good.
Help them to create for their children a peaceful, stable home of love as a foundation on which they can build their lives.
But most of all, dear God, help them to keep lit the torch of love' that they now share so that by their loving example they may pass on the light of love to their children and to their children's children forever. Amen

[breezy]

These are a few of the blessings we looked at (we are using the 2nd one)

BLESSINGS / BENEDICTIONS

Old Apache Blessing (Author unknown)
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there is no loneliness. You are two bodies, but there is one life before you, and one home. You will take each others hand and you’ll turn together to look at the road you traveled to reach this---the hour of your happiness. It stretches behind you and the future lies ahead. A long and winding road, whose every turn means discovery, old hopes, new laughter and shared tears. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years, May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth. The adventure has just begun!

Blessing
May you never take each other for granted but always experience the wonders of your union. May your love consist not only in gazing into each other’s eyes, but also in looking outward in the same direction. May your life together be a source of strength and inspiration to yourselves, your families and your friends. May you never forget the beginning of your love for one another, take care of it, nurture it, and allow it to grow strong and firm in the years that are to come. May you always concentrate on making each other happy and secure in your commitment to one another and always rely on your ability to keep the promises you have made to one another today throughout the thick and thin of life’s experiences. And may you always be in love. May your love be as beautiful each day you share as it is on this day of Your Wedding and may all of your wishes come true.

[breezy]

These are some of the readings I have collected

May the blessing that rests upon all who love, rest also upon you, and fill you with all spiritual grace. May the bond that unites you ever be strengthened. May you so love and work together in the days that are to come, that your lives will be enriched and ennobled by a true and deepening union of mind and heart.

You are not the air that I breathe,
you are the sweet scent that drifts upon it

You are not the sounds that I hear,
you are the music of my life

You are not the food that I need,
you are the nourishment of my soul

You are not my will to survive,
you are my reason for living

It is with you that I experience
the wonders of the world

It is with you that I triumph
over the challenges in my path

It is your partnership that will lead me
to the fulfillment of my dreams

It is your friendship that guides me
as I grow and learn

It is your patience and wisdom
that calms my restless nature

It is through you that I know my true self

I do not take you for granted,
I cherish you

I do not need you
I choose you

I choose you today in witness
of all the people who love us

I choose you tomorrow
in the privacy of our hearts

I choose you in strength and weakness

I choose you in health and sickness

I choose you in joy and sorrow

I will choose you, over all others, every day
for all the days of my life




The Art Of A Good Marriage - Wilferd Arlan 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 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 never 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.


The Key to Love
The key to love is understanding ... The ability to comprehend not only the spoken word. but those unspoken gestures, the little things that say so much by themselves.
The key to love is forgiveness... To accept each others faults and pardon mistakes, without forgetting, but with remembering what you learn from them.
The key to love is sharing... Facing your good fortunes as well as the bad, together; both conquering problems, forever searching for ways to intensify your happiness.
The key to love is giving... Without thought of return, but with hope of just a simple smile, and by giving in but never giving up.
The key to love is respect... Realizing that you are two separate people, with different ideas; that you don't belong to each other, that you belong with each other, and share a mutual bond.
The key to love is inside us all... It takes time and patience to unlock all the ingredients that will take you to its threshold; it is the continual learning process that demands a lot of work... but the rewards are more than worth the effort... and that is the key to love.

[breezy]

These are the rest of the readings I've collected


Marriage Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love - Edmund O'Neill
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 fulfill.




True Love (Author Unknown)
True love 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,
True love holds with gentle hands the hearts that it entwines.

When a Man and a Woman Are in Love - Stephen T.Fader
His life lies within hers and her life lies within his. Each lives as an individual, yet they also live for one another. Each strives for independent goals, but they also work together to achieve their dreams. They will give to one another what they need to survive and help fulfill each other’s wants. They will turn one another’s disappointment into satisfaction. They will turn one another’s frustration into contentment. They will work as a mirror, reflecting to each other their strengths and weaknesses. They will work together to alleviate the emotional walls that may separate them. They will work together to build a better understanding of one another. They will learn to lean on each other, but not so much as to be a burden on the other. They will learn to reach out to one another, but not so much as to suffocate the other. They will learn when it is time to speak and when it is time to listen. They will be there to comfort each other in times of sorrow. They will be there to celebrate together in times of happiness. They will be one another’s friend, guiding each other to the happiness that life holds. They will be one another’s companion, facing together the challenges that life may present. When a man and a woman are in love, his life lies within hers and her life lies within his. Together they will love one another for the rest of their lives and forever.


Irrational Season by Madeleine L’Engle - A Selection
But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take…It is indeed a fearful gamble… Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature. 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, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.

[fallbride]

wow Thanks Breezy!!!

Ann, there is no recrictions. I am looking for a reading or a poem.

[breezy]

I'd love to here how it's going and what selections you've made/make!!!

[ladedah]

Originally Posted by labeadel

Here is one of the two readings we had at our wedding.

The Promise
by Eileen Rafter

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".

OMG, labeadel....I LOVE this....it brought tears to my eyes!!!!

[Robyn Lynn]

I love the blessings, Breezy!!!!

[555Ann555]

This reading is called "Blessing Of The Hands"

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 fills your mind.

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 help you to hold your family as one.

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

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.


It is from this site:http://www.myweddingvows.com/romantic-readings
The site also has lots of personalised vows and things that you can pinch inspiration from.

[fallbride]

Thanks Ann, I love that one.

[Kim&Bob2004]

Let us know what you decide on! We had two Bible readings and one poem. We had the Lord's prayer read and then the friend that introduced us read from Proverbs and a dear friend wrote a poem for us which she read.

[fallbride]

Well I will be asking my neice to do teh reading. I will not see her till my bridal shower (july 30). I will ask her if she would like to pick it, or us. I will let you ladies know.

[labeadel]

Originally Posted by ladedah

OMG, labeadel....I LOVE this....it brought tears to my eyes!!!!

It made me cry everytime too. Especially on the wedding day.