Create your own Ceremony
A Guide to Creating a unique and personal Ceremony
Create your own Ceremony
‘It is your day so we do it your way’
Our focus is on making it possible for couples to have the day they are dreaming of. Getting in touch with the relevant registrar as early as possible helps to achieve this.
Only registrars can guide you through the whole marriage process, from helping to deal with the marriage paperwork to then creating a unique and personal ceremony. We also bring the marriage schedule with us and take it away to save you having to visit our offices before and after your wedding.
There are many ideas you can choose to include in your ceremony some ideas are included below:
A story of your life together so far Quaich Ceremony Hand-Fasting Ceremony Sand Ceremony Unity Candle Ceremony Oathing Stone Ceremony Unity Tree Ceremony Love Letter and Box Ceremony Remembering Absent Love Ones Rose Ceremony Ring Warming Readings Poems Personal Vows and Promises Exchange of Rings Music
More information on our website: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/marriage/ Or contact us [email protected]
Argyll and Bute Registrars @abregistrars #abplace2wed
Situated on the Scottish west coast, Argyll and Bute is one of the most stunning and diverse areas in the country. We have 3000 miles of coastline, six main towns and 23 inhabited islands, no matter where you go, you will receive the warmest of welcomes.
The Argyll and Bute Council area is divided into four distinct areas; Bute and Cowal; Helensburgh and Lomond; Mid Argyll Kintyre and the Islands; Oban Lorn and the Isles. Each area has its own unique character and culture and all offer a wealth of beautiful locations and venues for your perfect day. Whether you want something a little different in the great outdoors or are looking for a traditional ceremony in one of our lovely civic buildings.
Each of the registration areas in Argyll and Bute have their own ceremony rooms but you are also spoilt for choice in the variety of different venues within Argyll and Bute. In recent years our registrars have conducted ceremonies in a huge range of locations, on beaches, on the Waverley paddle steamer, in a forest and even up Ben More (Isle of Mull’s highest mountain and only Munro).
Your civil marriage ceremony is a very personal occasion and all Argyll and Bute Registration staff want to help you make your ceremony special and tailored to your requirements.
Music
Many couples wish to include music into their ceremony. You may wish to have a piper, musician, or singer. There are CD’s available that can be used or you can create your own playlist. For ceremonies in our marriage room we have a CD player. Most couples wish to choose a piece of music that is special to them for walking into. You should also think about having a selection for your guests while they are waiting for the wedding party to arrive and for the end of the ceremony when the schedule is being signed. Acknowledgements
The Registrar can include as part of your ceremony a thank you to those who have travelled from a distance for attending or someone who has helped with the all the arrangements. If some family members or friends are unable to attend the ceremony they may wish to write a letter or poem that can then be read out during the ceremony.
Including Children in a Ceremony
You may like to involve children in your ceremony in some of the following ways: Have them bring the rings forward Have them do a reading/poem/song Tie the knot for a hand-fasting ceremony Giving the child(ren) a ring or gift as a welcome to new family unit. Holding the stone in an Oathing Stone ceremony.
A Story of your life together so far
Include the story of your life together so far during the marriage ceremony this can include how you met, your the proposal story or what your plans for the future may be.
Example wording
Today marks a new beginning in your lives together and it means a lot to both [Party 1] and [Party 2] that everyone has travelled so far to be part of their special day. They would like to thank everyone for joining them to help celebrate their marriage. [Party 1] and [Party 2] feel so lucky to have such a great bunch of family and friends around them. I am quite sure that some of you here are wondering why [Party 1] and [Party 2] have picked such a special place to have their Marriage ceremony conducted, so for those reasons they thought it might be nice to share their story so far………. Well, it stared back in 2011 when they first met at a charity ball.
It was not your usual boy meets girl scenario as the first thing that [Party 2] actually noticed about [Party 1] was his fantastic swinging kilt skills on the dance floor! Impressed by his kilt, she said hello and set a chain of events in motion. As for [Party 1], he was just happy that a girl was actually talking to him! A few weeks passed and [Party 1] finally plucked up the courage to ask [Party 2] out. After much deliberation (precisely 5 days later, well you can’t rush these things can you!) [Party 2] agreed to a date. And that's how it all started..... Over the last 4 years, they have enjoyed building a future and a home together. Saddell has a very special place in [Party 1] and [Party 2] hearts. It was here last year that they got engaged with [Party 1] proposing in the castle. Just as [Party 1] was on one knee and about to propose, [Party 2] quite literally 'fell' into his arms. 'Fell' meaning tripped on the last step of the stairs! I am told that [Party 2] has a habit of tripping over thin air! After spending a few days here, there was no hesitation in deciding that they both wanted to come back and be married here on Saddell Beach.
Example 2 Today after 6 years 6 months and 14th days from when [Party 2] asked [Party 1] out we are here to mark the next step in their lives together. For [Party 1] and [Party 2] getting married today is about formally declaring their commitment to each other recognising their love for each other and becoming not just two people but one couple. Promising to be there for each other for the rest of your lives and becoming a family unit with a shared surname. This is one of the most important things that 2 people will ever do, and it is our privilege to be here with them today as they take these important steps together.
Example 3 From the first time [Party 1] saw [Party 2] he knew she was the girl he wanted to be with and over the last 4 years they have become each other’s best friends building a future together and looking after one another. They hope you their guests will enjoy today; the most memorable day in their lives and help them build new wonderful memories together. We would also like to think of those who can’t make it today or are sadly no longer with us, [Party 2] dad, nan and gramps. The Lodge is the first and only place that [Party 1] and [Party 2] visited as a wedding venue. As soon as they saw it they fell in love and knew it was the perfect place to be married.
Remembering Absent Loved Ones
There are many ways you may like to remember loved ones on your day, the most obvious of which being asking your Registrar to mention loved ones in your ceremony. However you may also wish to include one of the following acts of remembrance: The lighting of a memorial candle in memory of an individual or a group of individuals. A table of remembrance with a photograph of your loved one(s) – you can also include a memorial candle here. Have a friend or family member do a reading or small speech in memory of the person/people. Include a favourite song of your loved ones within your ceremony music.
Example 1 It is [Party 1] and [Party 2’s] wish that as we get started today you all join with them in a moment to remember those who, for whatever reason, could not be here physically, but who are here in spirit and wishing them a lifetime of happiness.
Example 2 It is a day for happiness but sadly there is always someone who cannot be with us to celebrate. [Party 1] and [Party 2] would like to light this candle to remember (loved one) who would have loved to have joined them on this their special day.
Example 3 On this special day we remember That loved ones are missing today, Ones our hearts hold on to As we travel along life’s way Loved ones who made life so special, For all those who gather here, Ones who won’t be forgotten, But cherished from year to year And now as we pause to remember, Let us all fondly recall, How dearly each of us loved them, And oh… how they loves us all!
Although we can’t see you We know that you are here. We feel the warmth of your smile And can sense that you are near And we want for you to know Your love is still our guide Memories carried in our hearts You are always at our side. It’s so sad you will not be here On the day [Party 1] and [Party 2] say ‘I Do’ And so they say their vows today In loving memory of you .
DIFFERENT STYLE CEREMONIES
A Quaich Ceremony
A Quaich ceremony can be conducted once the signing of the schedule have been completed to celebrate the first drink together as a married couple.
A Quaich is a traditional Scottish two handled cup. The Quaich is often referred to as the love cup as you each take a handle to take a drink showing you trust one another to share the cup. The Quaich can be filled with a drink of your choice, traditionally whisky or you can combine two drinks symbolising two becoming one. The couple being married each take a sip from the Quaich. The order in which it is then passed around the wedding party is purely a matter of choice
What you will need: A Quaich (sometimes the couple have this engraved with their names and date of marriage) Preferred drink to fill the Quaich
Example Wording
[Party 1] and [Party 2] would now like to take this time to toast their new life together. It is a tradition in Scotland to toast friendship and love with a Quaich. This small cup has 2 handles symbolizing love and partnership. (cup is handed to the couple). As you both hold on to this cup, reflect on how your love for each other, makes you stronger. Your marriage today, is a partnership, which prepares you for the challenges, and triumphs life will bring you. [Party 1] as you drink from this cup know that you have a husband/wife/partner to have and to hold please take a drink from the Quaich. [Party 2] as you drink from this cup know that you have a husband/wife/partner to love and to cherish, please take a drink from the Quaich. As you have shared from this cup you have promised to share all that the future may bring. And may the sweetness that life brings be all the sweeter because you have drunk from this Quaich together.
Example 2 To celebrate the marriage of [Party 1] and [Party 2] they are now going to share in the drinking from the Quaich. The Quaich, a two handled loving cup, is an ancient Scottish tradition that seals the bond of two people, and marks the blending of two families. It symbolizes the love and trust implied by the bond, as the new couple shares the first drink of their marriage together.
Example 3. The Quaich which I am holding is a traditional drinking cup which is unique to Scotland. Drinking from a Quaich was part of a long established tradition of hospitality. [Party 1] and [Party 2] would like to continue with this tradition today. As their first act together as a married couple, they are going to drink from this Quaich. In doing so they are symbolising their commitment to sharing everything in life and sealing the bond between them, whilst signifying the blending of their families."
Family member or a guest fills the Quaich with whisky, wine or other preferred drink and registrar will say: Strike hands with me, the glasses brim, The dew is on the heather. For love is good and life is long, And two are best together. Bless the union of these two, Eager for marriage, eager for love. May they begin life together, Live that life together And come to the end together. [Party 1] and [Party 2], it is now time to complete your bond. Registrar steps forward and presents Quaich to [Party 1] and [Party 2] then to the wedding party
Example 4. Registrar: The years of your life together are like a cup of Whisky poured out for you to drink. This Loving Cup contains within it a Whisky that is sweet - symbolic of happiness, joy, hope, peace, love and delight. This same Whisky also has some bitter properties that are symbolic of life's trials and tribulations. Together the sweet and the bitter represent "Love's Journey" and all of the experiences that are a natural part of it. As you share the Whisky from this Loving Cup, so will you share all things in your life.
Family Member/Friend pours drink into the Loving Cup and holds it up
Registrar: This cup of Whisky is symbolic of the cup of life. As you all share the preferred drink from the Loving Cup, you undertake to share all that the future may bring. All the sweetness life may hold for each of you will be the sweeter because you drink it together. Whatever challenges it may contain will be less difficult because you share them. Drink now from this cup, and acknowledge to one another that your lives have now become one Family Member/Friend hands the Loving Cup to the couple and says……. May the best ye've ever seen Be the worst ye'll ever see May a moose ne'er leave yer girnal Wi' a tear drap in his e'e May ye aye keep hale an' he'rty Till ye're auld eneuch tae dee May ye aye be jist as happy As we wish ye aye tae be The couple sip from the Loving Cup and hand it back to the registrar. Registrar: As you have shared the Whisky from this Loving Cup, so may you share your lives. May you explore life’s mysteries together and find life's joys heightened, its bitterness sweetened, and all of life enriched by the love of family and friends.
Hand-fasting
Hand-fasting is an ancient Celtic custom, especially popular in Scotland, in which a couples hands were bound together to symbolize that they intended to marry and was often used while they were waiting for someone who could officiate the marriage. While facing each other, the couple will join hands while a cloth is tied around their hands in a knot. This is where the term "tie the knot" came from. This has been more recently made popular by the film Braveheart and the recent series of Outlander
What you will need: A cloth ribbon or material suitable for hand-fasting Family member or guest to complete the tying of the knot
Example Wording:
There is an ancient Celtic tradition of binding a couple in marriage by hand-fasting -- literally, tying their hands together with cord or ribbon as a symbol that they are bound together not just for a lifetime, but for eternity. [Party 1] and [Party 2] have decided to include a hand-fasting in their wedding ceremony to emphasize their eternal bond and reinforce the feeling that they never wish to be parted from one another. In Scotland, until the mid-1700’s, marriages were celebrated by a simple hand fasting ceremony in which the two partners joined hands. The couple would link hands to form an infinite circle, and then, their hands or wrists would be bound together, symbolizing the binding together of their two lives into one. It is from this practice that the expression "tying the knot" probably comes from. [Party 1] and [Party 2] have chosen this day to engage in a traditional hand fasting ceremony. This material now binds [Party 1] and [Party 2] to the vows they make to each other. (Family/guest member to come forward to perform hand tying) The binding is not formed by this material, but by your vows. You hold in your hands and hearts the making and breaking of this union. Just as your hands are now bound together, so too are your lives. May you be forever one, sharing in all things, in love and loyalty for all time to come. May your marriage be blessed with patience and dedication, forgiveness and respect, love and understanding.
Example 2 [Party 1] Please Take [Party 2] Left Hand In Your Left Hand. May this knot remain tied for as long as love shall last. May the vows you have spoken never grow bitter in your mouths. Hold tight to one another through good times and bad and watch as your strength grows. In the joining of hands and the fashion of a knot, so are your lives now bound, one to another.
Example 3 Ladies and Gentlemen, at this stage we are going to perform an old Celtic tradition called hand fasting. In the past, tradition said that while couples were waiting on an official to arrive who could bless their wedding, a local dignitary would perform a hand blessing ceremony on the couple, this meant that they were legally married for a year and a day, giving them a chance to have their Marriage officially blessed.
[Party 1] and [Party 2] have chosen to incorporate this ancient Celtic ritual into their wedding ceremony today.
Tie Hands Could member of bridal party please come forward to complete the tying of [Party 1] and [Party 2s] hands.
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 wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of These are the hand that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. 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.
As your hands are bound together now, so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust. The bond of marriage is not formed by these cords, but rather by the vows you have made.
Sand Ceremony
The sand ceremony can be a beautiful and colourful alternative to the unity candle ceremony. It includes the pouring of different coloured sands together and is used to symbolise the joining of the couple and their families. Sometimes just the couple participates, and sometimes the couple's children and/or parents join in with their own coloured sand adding to the layers of colours. Typically each person takes turns pouring their sand into one clear jar/vase or personalised box photo frame forming a layered effect. The combined sand can then be a wedding keepsake and reminder of the wedding ceremony.
What you will need: Containers of sand, a different colour in each. One large jar/vase or personalised photo box frame capable of holding the sand from all smaller containers.
Example Wording:
Today, [Party 1] and [Party 2] have sealed the marriage into which they have entered by the exchange of vows and the giving and receiving of the wedding rings. They have committed to share the rest of your lives with each other. This relationship is now going to be symbolised with a Unity Sand Ceremony, which may be new to many of you. Their relationship is symbolised through the pouring of these individual vases of sand into one. To symbolise the importance of the individuals within the marriage, and the joining of two lives into one entity
We combine the sands to symbolise two lives joined as one together, forever ([Party 1] and [Party 2] both pour remaining sand into large vase together so that they mix)
Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be, united as one for all your days.
Example 2 [Party 1] and [Party 2] you have just sealed your relationship by the giving and receiving of rings and this is a pledge between two people who agree that they will commit themselves to one another throughout their lives. Today, this relationship is also symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand. [Party 2] and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be. As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated, our prayer for you today is that your lives together would be blended like the seven seas and may your love swirl around each other like the changing tides
Example 3 We have all joined here on this day to witness [Party 1] and [Party 2] join their lives and become husband/wife/partners. What better way to symbolize this union than to share a gift that will continue to be a reminder of your vows made today, on this you’re wedding day. Your first gift to each other as Husband/wife/partner a beautiful box frame/vase, one that each of you will fill with sand and be a personal memory in your home.
As they pour the sand - While it’s important that you both maintain your individuality, it is our hope that you become as inseparable as these grains of sand. Letting your commitment be to one another never divided. Example 4 At this time I would like to invite (children) to come forward. [Party 1] and [Party 2] have bound their lives together as a couple, but it is also right and fitting to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of their children as they all come together to build a family. [Party 1] and [Party 2] individual containers of sand represent the essence of all they are and the gifts they bring to this family. I invite them to now pour some sand into the centre vase/box frame showing that their marriage is the foundation of this family. Their sands mix together and symbolize their bond of love and respect that can never be separated.
I now invite (children) to add their sand, representing them as unique and beloved children. These swirling colours remind us we are all different people and it is our different personalities that make up your family.
[Party 1] and [Party 2] ,would you now seal the vase box with the remainder of sand surrounding (children) in an environment of unconditional Love.
Unity Candle
This ceremony involves the couple or a representative from each family lighting individual candles which the couple will then use to light one unity candle. Family and friends can then be invited forward to light their own candles from the unity candle flame in a symbolic act of togetherness and the merging of both families.
What you will need: 1 large candle (this is the unity candle). 2 smaller candles (1 each for [Party 1] and [Party 2]) and tapers to light them. Enough tea-light candles for everyone you wish to light a candle from the flame of the unity candle. A suitable heat resisting container for the unity candle.
Example Wording [Party 1] and [Party 2] have chosen to affirm their love by the lighting of a unity candle. They have also asked their families to participate in the lighting ceremony. In so doing, they signal their desire to not only join as one in their union, but to unite two families together as one. [Party 1] and [Party 2] the brightness of the candles that your families have lit - and the brightness of the unity candle that you will together light - will shine throughout your lives, giving you courage and reassurance in the darkness. #May the candle's warmth give you shelter from the cold. May its energy fill your spirits with strength and joy. As you light the Unity Candle, I want to ask you - and all your friends and family that are present today - to see the brightness of the flame as a symbol of the brightness that your own life brings to this new family. As you lift your candles to light your family unity candle together, so may your love for each other light up your life as a family. Your mother's have each lit a candle for each of your families. [Party 1] and [Party 2], please use those candles to light the Unity Candle together.
Example 2 This candle you are about to light is a candle of Marriage. Its fire is magical because it represents the light of two people in love. This candle before you is a candle of Commitment because it takes two people working together to keep it aflame. This candle is also a candle of Unity because both must come together, giving a spark of themselves, to create the new light. As you light this candle today, may the brightness of the flame shine throughout your lives. May it give you courage and reassurance in darkness. Warmth and safety in the cold. And strength and joy in your bodies, minds, and spirits.
Example 3 To symbolise the union of the two family three candles will be lit, first by [Party 2s] mother, second [Party 1s] mother and lastly [Party 2] and [Party 1].
Example 4 [Party 1] and [Party 2] the two lighted candles symbolize your separate lives, your separate families and your separate sets of friends. I ask that you each take one candle and that together you light the centre candle.
The individual candies represent your individual lives before today. Lighting the centre candle
represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and represents the joining together of your two families and sets of friends to one.”
Oathing Stone
The Oathing Stone is an old Scottish tradition where the couple place their hands upon a stone while saying their wedding vows. Taken from the ancient Celtic custom of "setting an oath in stone", inclusion of the oathing stone ceremony in the vows can be deeply moving. During the declaration of wedding vows or civil partnership promises, the couple hold the Oathing Stone, together in their hands. It is believed that holding the stone during the vows in turn casts or sets them in stone. Any stone can be used for this purpose. One collected by the couple from a favourite place i.e. beach, local beauty spot etc. would be appropriate. The stone should then be washed and scrubbed and treated with almond oil then wiped dry in order to give it a satin sheen (if desired). The stone can also be engraved with a Celtic knot etching, the date of the ceremony and your initials if you wish, although it isn't necessary.
What you will need to do: Collect a stone suitable for use as an oathing stone. Prepare the stone and have it engraved if desired.
Example Wording:
Family and friends, [Party 1] and [Party 2] will now make their own vows using the Scottish tradition of the oathing stone. Can I please ask [name] to come forward with the stone. For those of you not familiar with this Scottish tradition it is when the couple either hold or put their hands together on a stone as they repeat their wedding vows, as an oath given near a stone or water was considered to be more binding. Some believe that it is where the phrase 'set in stone' comes from
Unity Tree Ceremony
The ceremony is conducted in much the same way as other unity ceremonies. You set up a separate table, on which you will place a potted tree/sapling (something perhaps with special meaning to the couple). You would also have two small buckets of dirt, two gardening trowels and a small watering can on the table. If you choose to have the ceremony symbolize the joining together of both family’s then upon the entrance of the mothers, each mother goes to the table and scoops in a small amount of dirt. Then they take their seats. During a specific reading or song, the couple will each add the rest of dirt and water the plant together. After the ceremony, the couple should plant the tree in a special location to symbolize the putting down of roots, longevity and strengths in their marriage.
Example wording
The bringing together of this soil represents the union not only of you both but your friends and families. Within this young plant/tree if given the proper loving care, it will have the potential for becoming a beautiful tree/plant in your garden. And so it is the same with your marriage with care and much laughter we are sure your relationship will continue to go from strength to strength. Whether you choose to appreciate the leaves, the bark or the fruit of your plant/tree you will always have a memory in your garden of your ceremony here today with your friends and family round you.
Example 2 [Party 1] and [Party 2] will now take part in a Tree Planting Ceremony, to symbolize the roots of their relationship, and the continued growth of their love, as they become each other’s family today. Love is the essence of human experience and emotion. It is the root of all and everything we, as humans, do. Love enriches our experience, and fills our lives with meaning. It gives us a firm base from which to grow, to learn, and change. Let your relationship and your love for each other be like this tree you plant today. Let it grow tall and strong. Let it stand tall during the harsh winds and rains and storms, and come through unscathed. Like a tree, your marriage must be resilient. It must weather the challenges of daily life and the passage of time. And just like the tree you are planting, marriage requires constant nurturing and nourishment. After the ceremony, the couple plants the tree in at their home or a special location to symbolize the putting down of roots, longevity and strength in their marriage.
Example 3 [Party 1] and [Party 2], long before you two had the pleasure of knowing each other, your families provided you with a foundation of love and support which has made you the people we see before us. To honour your families and all they have given you, you each will start by adding dirt from your childhood homes’. Just as your families have been the foundation of who you have become, this dirt will be the foundation of your new family. Your family that starts today. [Add Dirt] The love of their families has allowed [Party 1] and [Party 2] to grow into the wonderful, and unique people they are. Love is the essence of human experience and emotion. Love gives us the firm base to grow. This tree will continue to grow just as [Party 1] and [Party 2] create their life together. With constant nurturing and nourishment this tree, and your marriage, will grow strong and resilient. It will weather the challenges of daily life and the passage of time. With your family supporting you today, you are starting with strong roots, and will continue to grow.
Love Letter and Box Ceremony
This ceremony involves the couple writing a love letter to each other in the weeks before the ceremony. They will also prepare a special box filled with romantic items such as a CD of their favourite songs, photographs, pieces of poetry and other mementoes. On the day of the ceremony the box is positioned at the front of the ceremony room. At a chosen part in the ceremony they will each be asked to place their love letters in the box which will then be sealed shut. Each of the couple keeps one of the two keys to ensure that one cannot open it without the other. This ceremony is suitable for both wedding and civil partnership ceremonies. It can also be adapted to make it suitable for Naming Ceremonies. The box will then be opened on the couple's first anniversary, or an anniversary of their choosing.
What you will need: A lockable box 2 padlocks with keys 2 love letters sealed in separate envelopes
Example Wording: Family and Friends, [Party 1] and [Party 2] have chosen as a couple to perform a Love Letter and Box ceremony. This box contains romantic items very special to both of them, and a love letter from each to the other. The letters describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their reasons for choosing to marry. The letters are sealed in individual envelopes and they have not seen what the other has written. You have created your very own "romantic" time capsule to be opened on your wedding anniversary. I recommend that you keep the box in a place of honor prominently displayed in your home as a constant reminder of your commitment to each other. [Party 1] and [Party 2] should you ever find your marriage enduring insurmountable adversities, you are to as a couple, open this box, sit down together, then separate and read the letters you wrote to one another when you were united as a couple in marriage. By reading these love letters you will reflect upon the reasons you fell in love and chose to marry each other here today. The hope is, however, that you will never have a reason to open this box. And if this is the case, you are to open this box to share and enjoy on your wedding anniversary! [Party 1] and [Party 2] you may now seal the box.
Ring Warming
A ring warming is when you give your loved ones the opportunity to hold the couple’s wedding bands with a wish, blessing or prayer for your marriage. By the time your rings make it on to the fingers of the couple they will be saturated with the love of their friends and family.
What you will need: Wedding ring/s Run a string or ribbon down the rows of seats, then as part of your ceremony you can have someone introduce the ring warming and start the rings on their voyage through your sea of guests Other options would be to simply tie the rings together or to use a little dish to pass the rings along the rows
Example Wording:
Later during the ceremony [Party 1] and [Party 2] will exchange rings as a physical symbol of the vows they are making to one another. As the ceremony proceeds, will the bridal party and immediate family please warm these rings and make a wish for the happy couple. These rings will not only be a gift from one to another, but will be given with the love, support and wisdom of their loved ones. These rings will not only be a gift from one to another, but will be given with the love, support and wisdom of their loved ones.
Example 2 Before [Party 1] and [Party 2] say their vows and exchange rings, they have asked that their bridal party and immediate family before them participate in the “warming of the rings.” If you are unfamiliar with this ceremony, take the opportunity to wish them health, happiness, and all that is noble and good in life when the rings pass to your care. Hold them for but a moment and warm them with your love, making a silent wish for the future this couple will share. When returned, these rings will contain in their precious metals that which is all the more precious–your love and pledge of support for their union.
The Rose Ceremony
For this ceremony the couple needs to give each other a rose. This can involve the best man/ witness or other person bringing the roses forward and doing a reading. A fitting example being Robert Burns' 'My Love is like a Red, Red Rose' before handing them to the couple who will then exchange them during this ceremony. Some couples prefer to opt for a straightforward exchange of the roses during the ceremony and others have even chosen to involve their children in the ceremony. The rose ceremony is particularly apt for Valentine's weddings but works equally well throughout the rest of the year. This ceremony is suitable for both weddings and civil partnership ceremonies.
Example Wording:
Your first gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings - which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect and a public showing of your commitment to each other. In addition, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage. Registrar hands each a red rose bud/or invites family member to present the roses The rose is considered a symbol of love and a single rose always means only one thing - it means, "I love you." So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as wife and husband - that gift would be a single rose bud. Please exchange the rose buds as your first gift to each other as wife and husband. Within these rose buds, if given proper loving care, is the potential for an even more beautiful expression of Life and Love in the form of the mature flower. And so it is with your marriage. At this point your marriage is like these rose buds - ready, with proper loving care - to unfold into a very beautiful expression of life. [Party 1] and [Party 2] if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure. Whatever the situation, love, understanding, acceptance and forgiveness can make everything right.
Pinning of the Tartan
Following the proclamation that they were now married, the pinning of the tartan would take place. Each family would customize this, depending on whether the Party 2 or the Party 1 was being accepted into the other’s clan.
For instance, if the Party 2 were marrying into the Party 1’s clan, any member of the Party 1’s family would present the Party 2 with clan tartan. This might have been a rosette or a sash fashioned from their tartan. It would be fastened with the clan badge to the Party 2’s dress symbolically accepting her into the Party 1’s clan. Many times the Party 1 himself would pin on the rosette or sash. It can be quite emotional when the Party 1’s mother does the pinning. Likewise, if the Party 1 is being accepted into the Party 2’s family, the roles are reversed. Whichever way you would choose, this is one of the wedding ceremony customs that’s easy to incorporate in your wedding plans.
Example Wording: The ancient Scottish Tradition of the Pinning of the Tartan will now be performed by [Family 1] to welcome [Party 1] or [Party 2] into the Clan of [clan name]
SELECTION OF READINGS AND POEMS
Movie Theme
Movie 1 From Captain Corelli’s Mandolin 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 root was so entwined together that is it 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 fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.
Movie 2 Extract from Les Miserables You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness. We pardon to the extent that we love. Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again. And great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. Loved for ourselves. Loved in spite of ourselves.
Movie 3 Speech made using Disney and Pixar references Lovely Day, isn’t it? He has a good soul. And he’s handsome, too! We’ll always be the best of friends. If you start crying, I’m gonna cry, and I’ll never get through this. I’d rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without you. Some people care too much, I think it’s called love. Like so many things, it is not what is outside, but what is inside that counts. Hakuna Matata…it means no worries for the rest of your days. Run the hidden pine trails of the forest, taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth, roll in all the riches all around you. Paint with all the colours of the wind. Love is a song that never ends. You have a very important thing to do today. She is the one. The girl we have been waiting for. You and I better have a little heart-to-heart…sit down, son. Always let your conscience be your guide. Givin’ up is for rookies. You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. You are my son…no matter how big you get, you’ll always be my son. Anytime you need me, just whistle.”
Movie 4 The Fault in Our Stars “I am in love with you. And I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed, and that one day all of our labours will be returned to dust. And I know that the sun will swallow the only Earth we will ever have. And I am in love with you.”
Movie 5 The Notebook “So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s going to be really hard; we’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, every day. You and me… every day.”
Movie 6 Meet Joe Black “Love is passion, obsession, someone you can’t live without. I say, fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back. How do you find him? Well, you forget your head, and you listen to your heart…Cause the truth is, honey, there’s no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven’t lived a life at all. But you have to try, cause if you haven’t tried, you haven’t lived.”
Movie 7 When Harry met Sally “I love that you get cold when it’s seventy-one degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour-and-a-half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it’s not because I’m lonely,
and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
Movie 8 The Vow “I vow to help you love life, to always hold you with tenderness, to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed, and to share the silence when they are not, to agree to disagree about red velvet cake, to live within the warmth of your heart, and always call it home.”
Movie 9 In her Shoes I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart) I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you. Here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart, I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)
Most Popular
Popular 1 Chapter One of One Thousand For two people this dawn brought on a magical day Now husband and wife they head on their way As a boat setting sail may their journey begin With calmest of waters, most helpful of wind And if they should stumble upon turbulent sea May it pass them un-harming, leaving them be. For here are two people whom love has well bitten Here opens their book which has yet to be written As the first page unfolds and their life inks its path May it write a true story where forever love lasts Let their journey be happy till death do they part Of one thousand chapters may this be the start.
Popular 2 Union 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, 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.
Popular 3 In Marriage Julia Escobar Cherish each other In big ways and in small ways, And never forget the magic of those Three little words: “I love you”. In Marriage remember that it’s the Little things that make the difference … Don’t forget the birthdays and the anniversaries An occasional note means a lot. Share each other’s life – even the small details – For too often we forget That day after day becomes year after year, And then it’s gone. Give each other room to grow… We all need our time alone. Keep strong your faith in each other; Time has a funny way of testing us, And it’s faith that gets us through. Respect one another ….
This world could always use more of that. Speak your mind honestly, openly, But with kindness – for angry words are Scars that may never heal. Trust each other; Let trust be your rock. Most of all, each day …. Be sure to hold each other And fall in love all over again.
Popular 4 From Captain Corelli’s Mandolin 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 root was so entwined together that is it 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 fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.
Popular 5 Yes, I’ll Marry You, My Dear by Pam Ayres
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 dog attack him, And if a drunkard fondles me, it’s you that has to whack him. Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear, you’re virile and you’re lean, My house is like a pigsty, you can help to keep it clean, That little sexy dinner which you served by candlelight, As I just do chipolatas, you can cook it every night! It’s you that has to work the drill and put up curtain track, And when I’ve got the 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!
Popular 6 The Art of a Good Marriage A Good marriage must be created. In 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 having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together and facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is not only marrying the right person, It is being the right partner.
Popular 7 I Will Be Here If in the morning when you wake, The sun does not appear, I will be here. If in the dark we lose sight of love, Hold my hand and have no fear, I will be here. I will be here, When you feel like being quiet, When you need to speak your mind I will listen, Through the winning, losing, and trying we’ll be together, And I will be here. If in the morning when you awake, The future is unclear, I will be here. As sure as seasons were made for change, Our lifetimes were made for years, I will be here. I will be here, And you can cry on my shoulder, When the mirror tells us we’re older. I will hold you, to watch you grow in beauty, And tell you all the things you are to me, We’ll be together and I will be here. I will be true to the promises I’ve made, To you and to the one who gave you to me, I will be here
Popular 8 Extract from Les Miserables You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness. We pardon to the extent that we love. Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again. And great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. Loved for ourselves. Loved in spite of ourselves.
Popular 9 Marriage is More Marriage is more than standing here side by side Exchanging looks full of love, full of pride, It’s more than the ceremony, which lasts just a while It’s a promise that’s shared, It’s an intimate smile It’s a personal bond that you know will not end The knowledge that someone your love will defend It’s a vow of commitment, special and true It’s a hope and a dream of love endless for you
Popular 10 Apache Blessing - 2 Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together. And may your days be good and long upon the earth. Treat yourselves and each other with respect, And remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship – as they threaten all
relationships at one time or another – Remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms When clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives - Remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, The sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, It will be marked by abundance and delight.
Popular 11 Here’s to Right Now You’re surrounded by your loved ones And all are wishing you well As you create a brand new chapter In the story that’s yours to tell We talk about the memories You have yet to make together And the moments you’ve already shared To be carried with you forever But take the time to live today As your marriage begins Look around and soak it up The moment we are in For this is where the magic starts When you both say your vows You pledge to spend your lives as one Because of the love you feel now. So yes here’s to a future that is bright and warm and clean But more than that here’s to right now and what it means to be here.
Popular 12 Dr Seuss 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.
Popular 13 I Carry You in My Heart I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart) I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you Here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart, I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)
Love
Love 1 The Day May this be the start of a happy new life that’s full of special moments to share...... May this be the first of your dreams coming true and of hope that will always be there...... May this be the start of a lifetime of trust and of caring that’s just now begun...... May today be a day that you’ll always remember the day when your hearts become one....
Love 2 Chapter One of One Thousand For two people this dawn brought on a magical day Now husband and wife they head on their way As a boat setting sail may their journey begin With calmest of waters, most helpful of wind And if they should stumble upon turbulent sea May it pass them un-harming, leaving them be. For here are two people whom love has well bitten Here opens their book which has yet to be written As the first page unfolds and their life inks its path May it write a true story where forever love lasts Let their journey be happy till death do they part Of one thousand chapters may this be the start.
Love 3 Union 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, 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.
Love 4 In Marriage Julia Escobar Cherish each other In big ways and in small ways, And never forget the magic of those Three little words: “I love you”. In Marriage remember that it’s the Little things that make the difference … Don’t forget the birthdays and the anniversaries An occasional note means a lot.
Share each other’s life – even the small details – For too often we forget That day after day becomes year after year, And then it’s gone. Give each other room to grow… We all need our time alone. Keep strong your faith in each other; Time has a funny way of testing us, And it’s faith that gets us through. Respect one another …. This world could always use more of that. Speak your mind honestly, openly, But with kindness – for angry words are Scars that may never heal. Trust each other; Let trust be your rock. Most of all, each day …. Be sure to hold each other And fall in love all over again.
Love 5 May you cherish these moments For all of your life As you step out together As husband and wife May the vows that you’ve taken Remain true and strong As you start on life’s highway And journey along May this special day you share Be filled with love and laughter May all your days ahead Be happy ever after
Love 6 From Captain Corelli’s Mandolin 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 root was so entwined together that is it inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is? Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, and it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.
Love 7 the Both of You A Marriage between two A joining of two hearts A joining of hope for the future A love that will never be apart As you stand before us on this special day We wish you all the love in the world We wish you happiness for you both to share May your dreams be fulfilled and life be without a care. I now ask everyone gathered here
To show their appreciation for the love they share I ask you to give a cheer, to share their joy of being a pair.
Love 8 Sooner or Later Sooner or later we begin to understand that Love is more than verses on valentines and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favourite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, A fortune that can never be spent, A seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, This mysterious and magical joy Is the greatest treasure of all – One known only by those who love.
Love 9 No Longer Alone You each have found the love of your life, The wonderful one you adore, The one who will share all your dreams and desires, Your plans, your adventures and more. Each of you now has a very best friend, A comforter when things go wrong. Someone who’ll encourage, cheer and support you, Help change all your ‘weak’ to your ‘strong’. Set out today, new partners in life, Hearts filled, overflowing with pride, Knowing that now as you face each new day, There’ll be someone you love by your side.
Love 10 A New Chapter Today is a very special day, for it is the day you start another chapter in your book of life. As parents we always know that one day our children will grow to need much more than we can offer. Now that day has finally arrived, and you have both found the special person with whom you want to share your love and your life. Someone who can make the sun shine in your heart - even on the cloudiest of days, and someone who will fill the next chapter in your life with happiness beyond your dreams. Live the life you believe in and you will have everything you need to reach those dreams. Just look into your hearts and you will find the strength in each other that will make each new challenge easier to face - TOGETHER. The close friends and family, sharing this day with you, all have memories very precious and personal to each of them, but would ask only this of both of you: Always give the best of yourselves to each other and ask no more than you can give. Accept one another for the way you are. You fell in love with the qualities and abilities and the outlook on life that you both have - don’t try to change them. Share your time, your close attention, and bring joy, strength and imagination into your relationship. Grow along with each other; be willing to face changes as you both change in order to keep your relationship alive and exciting. And, most importantly, love each other in good times and in bad in the only way you know how. Completely and forever.
Love 11 The Art of a Good Marriage A Good marriage must be created. In 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 having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together and facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is not only marrying the right person, It is being the right partner.
Love 12 May You …. 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 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 each of you. May you need one another, but not out of weakness. 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 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 - 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!
Love 13 I Will Be Here If in the morning when you wake, The sun does not appear, I will be here. If in the dark we lose sight of love, Hold my hand and have no fear, I will be here. I will be here, When you feel like being quiet, When you need to speak your mind I will listen, Through the winning, losing, and trying we’ll be together, And I will be here. If in the morning when you awake, The future is unclear, I will be here. As sure as seasons were made for change, Our lifetimes were made for years, I will be here. I will be here, And you can cry on my shoulder, When the mirror tells us we’re older. I will hold you, to watch you grow in beauty, And tell you all the things you are to me, We’ll be together and I will be here.
I will be true to the promises I’ve made, To you and to the one who gave you to me, I will be here
Love 14 I Love You - Deanne Laura Gilbert: ‘I Love You’ means that I accept you for the person that you are, and that I don’t wish to change you into someone else. It means that I do not expect perfection from you, just as you don’t expect it from me. ‘I Love You’ means that I will love you and stand by you even through the worst of times. It means loving you when you are in a bad mood or too tired to do the things I want to do. It means loving you when you are down, not just when you’re fun to be with. ‘I Love You’ means that I know your deepest secrets and do not judge you for them, asking in return only that you do not judge me for mine. It means that I care enough not to let you go. It means thinking of you, dreaming of you, wanting and needing you constantly, and hoping you feel the same way for me. ‘I Love You’ means forever.
Love 15 Extract from Les Miserables You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness. We pardon to the extent that we love. Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again. And great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. Loved for ourselves. Loved in spite of ourselves.
Love 16 When You Met…. When you met you were not planning to fall in love; you were not planning to feel so attracted to someone. But when you met you awakened feelings inside yourselves that you had forgotten existed. On the day you met, you did not realise how much your love would grow; that the attraction which first brought you together would reach beyond passion, to the comfort of knowing that you each had someone very special. Someone who would be not only a lover, but also a close friend. When you met you had no idea where your relationship would lead you, or how beautiful you would make each other’s world; but today you know that without a doubt the luckiest day of your lives was the day that you met.
Love 17 Marriage is More Marriage is more than standing here side by side Exchanging looks full of love, full of pride, It’s more than the ceremony, which lasts just a while It’s a promise that’s shared, It’s an intimate smile It’s a personal bond that you know will not end The knowledge that someone your love will defend It’s a vow of commitment, special and true It’s a hope and a dream of love endless for you
Love 18 New Beginnings You stand here before us, soon husband and wife, Together you’re pledging the rest of your life. This is a brand new beginning for you, It’s what you have hoped for, a dream coming true. Together you’re facing both pleasure and pain, Good times and bad times, sunshine and rain. But with each day that passes much more you will know, And the bond that’s between you much stronger will grow. Be kind to each other, be faithful and true, Be thoughtful and patient in all that you do. Remember the reasons you stand here today, And you’ll still be happy, don’t throw it away.
May you know laughter, good fortune and wealth, Peace and contentment, good luck and good health. May all your tomorrows find love in your hearts, But today, here together, is the day that it starts.
Love 19 Into the Future Each Year you’ve been together Your love has grown and grown Undaunted by the trials you’ve faced Reassured by the joys you’ve known And now you stand before us Side by side and hand in hand To take this step together Towards the future you have planned The promises you’re making You make with love filled hearts Safe in the knowledge that today Is the day that future starts.
Love 20 Marriage is Someone to believe in And to put their trust in you Someone who appreciates The special things you do, Someone to be close to, In your heart and mind, Someone who’s the love You might have thought you’d never find, Someone who stands by you And whose faith can make you strong, Someone you will cherish Every day, your whole life long.
Love 21 Together Hand in hand we walk together Through the days ahead, Side by side we stand And face all problems head to head, All our love we pool In its sharing it grows stronger, Now that two are one, We are alone no longer. Let friends and family witness That our love has brought us here, And may you all be joyful As in our joy you share.
Love 22 Apache Blessing - 2 Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together. And may your days be good and long upon the earth. Treat yourselves and each other with respect,
And remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship – as they threaten all relationships at one time or another – Remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms When clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives - Remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, The sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, It will be marked by abundance and delight.
Love 23 A Realistic Wedding Poem Marriage is a journey, and not just a destination That goes far beyond this wedding, this public celebration. This is just the beginning of a path we’ll travel together With obstacles to overcome, and possible storms to weather. One day we’ll sit side by side, hands withered and bent Thinking back over the years, the good times we have spent. We’ll remember the laughs. We’ll recall special places And look far beyond the greyed and softly lined faces. So let’s take it all in and cherish each day. No matter what happens, no matter what’s thrown our way. We’re both realistic. Every day won’t be a dream But we’re in this together, because we make a cracking team.
Love 24 Here’s to Right Now You’re surrounded by your loved ones And all are wishing you well As you create a brand new chapter In the story that’s yours to tell We talk about the memories You have yet to make together And the moments you’ve already shared To be carried with you forever But take the time to live today As your marriage begins Look around and soak it up The moment we are in For this is where the magic starts When you both say your vows You pledge to spend your lives as one Because of the love you feel now. So yes here’s to a future that is bright and warm and clean But more than that here’s to right now and what it means to be here.
Love 25 I Do This is your love story, come true Your journey of marriage begins with I DO Cherish this bond, it belongs to only the two of you. Start each day with gratitude and compassion for each other, and unconditional love will follow. Believe in each other; support each other’s dreams. Remember to dream together too. Always give more than you think the other needs.
Say, I love you and thank you every day! Trust, respect and appreciate each other. Be spontaneous, be fun, be romantic! Stand together, but let there be space in your togetherness. Know when to listen, to talk, to let your heart feel. Apologise. Forgive, Forget – doing so will make you feel better! With each passing year, you will grow closer together, Drawing strength from one another… and two shall become one. You will be blessed with the greatest happiness in life To love and to be loved.
Love 26 Wedding Reading Love isn’t always perfect It isn’t a fairytale or a storybook. And it doesn’t always come easy. Love is overcoming obstacles, Facing challenges, fighting to be together, Holding on and never letting go. It is a short word, easy to spell, Difficult to define, And impossible to live without. Love is work But most of all, Love is realising that every hour Every minute and every second Was worth it because you did it together.
Love 27 Your wedding day Good Luck, Congratulations! Best Wishes! Cheers! Well Done! The futures full of promise and it’s only just begun You’re starting on a journey A New, exciting life Together, as a partnership As husband and as a wife Adventures, thrills and choices Are waiting just for you The road will have some turnings And perhaps a bump or two But you’ll be strong together You’ll come through every test Your love will deepen week by week Be Happy all the best.
Love 28 Never thought it possible I never thought it possible That I would be standing here with you. It was something I thought was a fairy tale A happy ending to a children’s book I never thought it possible For it to be so true and so real We were merely friends Or so we thought we were I never thought it could change so fast
It was chance I met you when you were in town. It was fate that brought us together Like a magnetic pull I was stuck quite happily And you were as well I loved you then and I still do But now I know I’m IN love with you I promise not to leave you I promise to stand by you and love you I never thought it possible That I’d be here you, But I’m glad I am and I will always love you.
Love 29 Realistic Love Poem Marriage is a journey And not just a destination That goes far beyond this wedding This public celebration This is just the beginning of a path we’ll travel together With obstacles to overcome and possible storms to weather One day we’ll sit side by side Hands withered and bent Thinking back over the years The good times we have spent We’ll remember the laughs, we’ll recall the special places And look far beyond the greyed hair and softly lined faces So let’s take it all in And cherish each day No matter what happens No matter what’s thrown our way We’re both realistic Every day won’t be a dream But we’re in this together Because we have a cracking team.
Love 30 Dr Seuss We are all a little weird and life's a little weird and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness, and call it love.
Love 31 Love is Friendship Set on Fire “Love is friendship caught fire; it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and does not brood over the past. It is the day-in and day-out chronicles of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you do not have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough.”
Literature
Literature 1 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." What a grand thing it is to be loved! What a far grander thing it is to love! The heart becomes heroic, by dint of passion. It is no longer composed of anything but what is pure; it no longer rests on anything that is not elevated and great. An unworthy thought can no more germinate in it, than a nettle on a glacier. The serene and lofty soul, inaccessible to vulgar passions and emotions, dominating the clouds and the shades of this world, its follies, its lies, its hatreds, its vanities, its miseries, inhabits the blue of heaven, and no longer feels anything but profound and subterranean shocks of destiny, as the crests of mountains feel the shocks of earthquake. If there did not exist someone who loved, the sun would become extinct.”
Literature 2 Adam Bede by George Eliot “What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life — to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting?”
Literature 3 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë "I have for the first time found what I can truly love — I have found you. You are my sympathy — my better self — my good angel — I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my center and spring of life, wraps my existence about you — and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one. It was because I felt and knew this that I resolved to marry you."
Literature 4 A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway "That night, there was a feeling that we had come home, feeling no longer alone, waking in the night to find the other one there, and not gone away; all other things were unreal. We slept when we were tired and if we woke the other one woke too so one was not alone. Often a man wishes to be alone and a girl wishes to be alone too and if they love each other they are jealous of that in each other, but I can truly say we never felt that. We could feel alone when we were together, alone against the others...But we were never lonely and never afraid when we were together."
Literature 5 Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke “For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation. Loving does not at first mean merging, surrendering, and uniting with another person — it is a high inducement for the individual to ripen, to become something in himself, to become world, to become world in himself for the sake of another person; it is a great, demanding claim on him, something that chooses him and calls him to vast distance… Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distance exists, a marvelous living side-by-side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of seeing each other as a whole before an immense sky.”
Literature6 Mark Twain's Letters, arranged with comment by Albert Bigelow Paine “This will be the mightiest day in the history of our lives, the holiest, & the most generous toward us both — for it makes of two fractional lives a whole; it gives to two purposeless lives a work, & doubles the strength of each whereby to perform it; it gives to two questioning natures a reason for living, & something to live for; it will give a new gladness to the sunshine, a new fragrance to the flowers, a new
beauty to the earth, a new mystery to life; & it will give a new revelation to love, a new depth to sorrow, a new impulse to worship. In that day, the scales will fall from our eyes & we shall look upon a new world."
Literature 7 Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery "But it was a happy and beautiful bride who came down the old, homespun-carpeted stairs that September noon — the first bride of Green Gables, slender and shining-eyed, in the mist of her maiden veil, with her arms full of roses. Gilbert, waiting for her in the hall below, looked up at her with adoring eyes. She was his at last, this evasive, long-sought Anne, won after years of patient waiting. It was to him she was coming in the sweet surrender of the bride. Was he worthy of her? Could he make her as happy as he hoped? If he failed her — if he could not measure up to her standard of manhood — then, as she held out her hand, their eyes met and all doubt was swept away in a glad certainty. They belonged to each other; and, no matter what life might hold for them, it could never alter that. Their happiness was in each other's keeping and both were unafraid."
Literature 8 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."
Literature 9 The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach "A soulmate 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 soulmate 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 soulmate is the one who makes life come to life."
Literature 10 The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo “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 recognized 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.”
Literature 11 A History of Love by Nicole Krauss "Once upon a time, there was a boy. He lived in a village that no longer exists, in a house that no longer exists, on the edge of a field that no longer exists, where everything was discovered, and everything was possible. A stick could be a sword, a pebble could be a diamond, a tree, a castle. Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived in a house across the field, from a girl who no longer exists. They made up a thousand games. She was queen and he was king. In the autumn light her hair shone like a crown. They collected the world in small handfuls, and when the sky grew dark, and they parted with leaves in their hair. Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."
Literature12 Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom “'Still,' Morrie said, 'there are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can’t talk openly about what goes on between you, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don’t have a common set of values in life, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike. 'And the biggest one of those values, Mitch?' Yes? 'Your belief in the importance of your marriage.' He sniffed, then closed his eyes for a moment. 'Personally,' he sighed, his eyes still closed, 'I think marriage is a very important thing to do, and you’re missing a lot if you don’t try it.' He ended the subject by quoting a poem he believed in like a prayer: 'Love each other or perish.'”
Literature 13 The Princess Bride by William Goldman "Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches...I have stayed these years in my hovel because of you. I have taught myself languages because of you. I have made my body strong because I thought you might be pleased by a strong body. I have lived my life with only the prayer that some sudden dawn you might glance in my direction. I have not known a moment in years when the sight of you did not send my heart careening against my rib cage. I have not known a night when your visage did not accompany me to sleep. There has not been a morning when you did not flutter behind my waking eyelids... I love you. Okay? Want it louder? I love you. Spell it out, should I? I ell-oh-vee-ee why-oh-you. Want it backward? You love I."
Literature 14 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières "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 blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two. Love is important and you should love each other the most."
Literature 15 The Promise by Heather Berry "Within this blessed union of souls, where two hearts intertwine to become one, there lies a promise. Perfectly born, divinely created, and intimately shared, it is a place where the hope and majesty of beginnings reside. Where all things are made possible by the astounding love shared by two spirits. As you hold each other’s hands in this promise, and eagerly look into the future in each other’s eyes, may your unconditional love and devotion take you to places where you’ve both only dreamed. Where you’ll dwell for a lifetime of happiness, sheltered in the warmth of each other’s arms."
Literature 16 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.”
Literature 17 Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare "Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests, and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved."
Children
Children 1 Once upon a time you two met You've shared much love and laughter May your marriage be a fairy tale Happy ever after I'm glad I'm in the fairy tale And you are too I guess Congratulations, King and Queen From your fairy tale Princess
Children 2 Today you’re getting married; some say you’re getting wed There’s crowds of people in our house, and strangers in my bed! We had to get up early, take breakfast all together Allowed to have the TV on to listen to the weather Shower time was hectic, should have seen the queue Girls were taking twice as long and air was turning blue Hair was being straightened, perfume being sprayed Nails were being painted, the boys of course delayed Lots of make-up lots of shoes, sparkles in the hair Pretty cards and parcels, flowers everywhere Everyone had new clothes, Dad even wore a suit Mum is looking stunning, and I look kinda cute Posh car turned up at the door, took my Mum away Left me with the other kids but told I couldn’t play Lots of photos lots of fuss, what’s it all about? Parties are for having fun, there’s no need to shout! Mummy looks real pretty, Daddy’s not too bad Someone here is crying but doesn’t look real sad Lots of people laughing, sometimes very loud. Then it goes all quiet, lady talking to the crowd Daddy holds Mum closely, putting on a ring Says some words and makes a speech and makes them cry again Mummy takes another ring and puts it on his finger Says some words and makes a speech and then we hear a singer Someone says a poem, lots of people clap. Waking up the funny man who’s taking a quick nap Now we are all standing, watching them both kiss They look so very happy, think they call it bliss! Time to do some writing in a great big book And with all those cameras, which way shall we look Is it nearly over, can I go and play? Let’s come back tomorrow, we can do it all again.
Children 3 The Giraffe and The Monkey Wherever we go Whatever we do Whenever there’s me I hope that there’s you. Now Money is Funny, it can make people odd. You forget to be happy, and you live for your job And fashion, is a passion, beset with a flaw
You can dress to excess, but you’ll always need more And a muscle toned body, may sound like a dream But nobody is better, than chocolate ice cream What I’m trying to say, is that happiness grows Not through your wages, or body or clothes But in laughter and love, and in sharing your life. In the arms of another as husband and wife. So when you find someone who’s weird just like you Who laughs when you’re stupid and who makes you laugh too. When you sit on the sofa, not hiding you’re flaws. As imperfectly perfect, as the hand that holds yours. When the fortune of kings, or purse of a beggar. Won’t change how it feels, just being together. When a cuddle and cuppa is all that you need…. Well then… you’ve found something quite special indeed. Wherever we go Whatever we do Whenever there’s me I hope that there’s you.
Children 4 Mum and Dad get married today I’d like to help them on their way. So here’s some special advice from me, To help them with our family. Keep the drawer filled with sweets And give us children lots of treats Make sure you spend time together To keep your happiness forever Make sure you spend lots on us And then us kids won’t make a fuss. But the most important thing for you, Is to show your love in all you do. A caring word, a kiss, a touch, And those family cuddles that mean so much
Children 5 Dr Seuss 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.
Children 6 All I Ever Really Needed to Know I learned in Kindergarten - Robert Fulgham All of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school. These are the things I learned… Share everything. Play fair.
Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Give them to someone who feels sad. Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day. Take a nap every afternoon. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
Children 7 Dr Seuss We are all a little weird and life's a little weird and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness, and call it love.
Children 8 How Children See Your Day by Sandra Cook Today you’re getting married; some say you’re getting wed There’s crowds of people in our house, and strangers in my bed! We had to get up early, take breakfast all together Allowed to have the TV on to listen to the weather Shower time was hectic, should have seen the queue Girls were taking twice as long and air was turning blue Hair was being straightened, perfume being sprayed Nails were being painted, the boys of course delayed Lots of make-up lots of shoes, sparkles in the hair Pretty cards and parcels, flowers everywhere Everyone had new clothes, Dad even wore a suit Mum is looking stunning, and I look kinda cute Posh car turned up at the door, took my Mum away Left me with the other kids but told I couldn’t play Lots of photos lots of fuss, what’s it all about? Parties are for having fun, there’s no need to shout! Mummy looks real pretty, Daddy’s not too bad Someone here is crying but doesn’t look real sad Lots of people laughing, sometimes very loud Then it goes all quiet, lady talking to the crowd Daddy holds Mum closely, putting on a ring Says some words and makes a speech and makes them cry again Mummy takes another ring and puts it on his finger Says some words and makes a speech and then we hear a singer
Someone says a poem, lots of people clap Waking up the funny man who’s taking a quick nap Now we are all standing, watching them both kiss They look so very happy, think they call it bliss! Time to do some writing in a great big book And with all those cameras, which way shall we look? Is it nearly over, can I go and play? Let's come back tomorrow, we can do it all again?
Children 9 Some Things Go Together by Charlotte Zolotow Pairs of things that go together. Pigeons with park Stars with dark Sand with sea and you with me. … Hats with heads Pillows with beds Sky with blue and me with you.
Children 10 My advice Mum and Dad Get married Today, I’d Like to help them on their way. So here’s some special advice from me, To help them with our family. Keep our house filled with laughter Let’s have fun forever after. Keep the drawer filled up with sweets, And give us children lots of treats. Make sure you spend time together, To keep your happiness forever. Make sure you spend lots on us, And then us kids won’t make a fuss. But the most important thing for you, Is to show your love in all you do. A caring word, a kiss, a touch, And those family cuddles that mean so much.
Children 11 Winnie the Pooh by A.A Milne “'If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.' Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. 'Pooh?' he whispered. 'Yes, Piglet?' 'Nothing,' said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand. 'I just wanted to be sure of you.' 'We’ll be Friends forever, won’t we, Pooh?' asked Piglet. 'Even longer,' Pooh answered. 'If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together...there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you.'"
Children 12 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 though 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 so 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 thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen 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."
Children 13 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.' 'I suppose you are real?' said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse only smiled. 'Someone made me real,' he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.'
The Couple
Couple 1 I Promise I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask no more than you can give. I promise to respect you as your own person and to realise that your interests, desires and needs are no less important than my own. I promise to share with you my time and my attention and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship. I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how. Completely and forever
Couple 2 Yes, I’ll Marry You, My Dear by Pam Ayres
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 dog attack him, And if a drunkard fondles me, it’s you that has to whack him. Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear, you’re virile and you’re lean, My house is like a pigsty, you can help to keep it clean, That little sexy dinner which you served by candlelight, As I just do chipolatas, you can cook it every night! It’s you that has to work the drill and put up curtain track, And when I’ve got the 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!
Couple 3 I Will Be Here If in the morning when you wake, The sun does not appear, I will be here. If in the dark we lose sight of love, Hold my hand and have no fear, I will be here. I will be here, When you feel like being quiet, When you need to speak your mind I will listen, Through the winning, losing, and trying we’ll be together, And I will be here. If in the morning when you awake, The future is unclear, I will be here. As sure as seasons were made for change, Our lifetimes were made for years, I will be here.
I will be here, And you can cry on my shoulder, When the mirror tells us we’re older. I will hold you, to watch you grow in beauty, And tell you all the things you are to me, We’ll be together and I will be here. I will be true to the promises I’ve made, To you and to the one who gave you to me, I will be here
Couple 4 I Love You - Deanne Laura Gilbert: ‘I Love You’ means that I accept you for the person that you are, and that I don’t wish to change you into someone else. It means that I do not expect perfection from you, just as you don’t expect it from me. ‘I Love You’ means that I will love you and stand by you even through the worst of times. It means loving you when you are in a bad mood or too tired to do the things I want to do. It means loving you when you are down, not just when you’re fun to be with. ‘I Love You’ means that I know your deepest secrets and do not judge you for them, asking in return only that you do not judge me for mine. It means that I care enough not to let you go. It means thinking of you, dreaming of you, wanting and needing you constantly, and hoping you feel the same way for me. ‘I Love You’ means forever.
Couple 5 Together Hand in hand we walk together Through the days ahead, Side by side we stand And face all problems head to head, All our love we pool In its sharing it grows stronger, Now that two are one, We are alone no longer. Let friends and family witness That our love has brought us here, And may you all be joyful As in our joy you share.
Couple 6 All I want is you If I was a flower growing wild and free All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee And if I was a tree growing tall and green All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves All I want is you, will you be my bride Take me by the hand and stand by my side All I want is you, will you stay with me? Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea If you were a river in the mountains tall The rumble of your water would be my call If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow If you were a wink, I'd be a nod If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod If you were the floor, I'd want to be the rug And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug If you were the wood, I'd be the fire If you were the love, I'd be the desire
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float All I want is you, will you be my bride Take me by the hand and stand by my side All I want is you, will you stay with me? Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea
Couple 7 Your Personal Penguin I like you a lot You’re funny and kind So let me explain What I have in mind. I want to be your personal penguin I want to walk right by your side I want to be your personal penguin I want to travel with you far and wide Wherever you go, I’ll go there too Here and there and everywhere And always with you I want to be your personal penguin From now on Now lots of other penguins seem to do fine In a universe of nothing but ice But if could be yours and you could be mine A cosy little world would be twice as nice I want to be your personal penguin I want to talk to you night and day I want to be your personal penguin I want to listen to whatever you say Look at these wings, so perfect to hold you I’d like to say again What I have already told you Let me be your personal penguin From now on
Couple 8 The Giraffe and The Monkey Wherever we go Whatever we do Whenever there’s me I hope that there’s you. Now Money is Funny, it can make people odd. You forget to be happy, and you live for your job And fashion, is a passion, beset with a flaw You can dress to excess, but you’ll always need more And a muscle toned body, may sound like a dream But nobody is better, than chocolate ice cream What I’m trying to say, is that happiness grows Not through your wages, or body or clothes But in laughter and love, and in sharing your life. In the arms of another as husband and wife. So when you find someone who’s weird just like you Who laughs when you’re stupid and who makes you laugh too. When you sit on the sofa, not hiding you’re flaws. As imperfectly perfect, as the hand that holds yours.
When the fortune of kings, or purse of a beggar. Won’t change how it feels, just being together. When a cuddle and cuppa is all that you need…. Well then… you’ve found something quite special indeed. Wherever we go Whatever we do Whenever there’s me I hope that there’s you.
Couple 9 Never thought it possible I never thought it possible That I would be standing here with you. It was something I thought was a fairy tale A happy ending to a children’s book I never thought it possible For it to be so true and so real We were merely friends Or so we thought we were I never thought it could change so fast It was chance I met you when you were in town. It was fate that brought us together Like a magnetic pull I was stuck quite happily And you were as well I loved you then and I still do But now I know I’m IN love with you I promise not to leave you I promise to stand by you and love you I never thought it possible That I’d be here you, But I’m glad I am and I will always love you.
Couple 10 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 Hah-hah! I like you because you know where I’m ticklish And you don’t tickle me there except just a little tiny bit sometimes But if you do, then I know where to tickle you too You know how to be silly — that’s why I like you If I am getting ready to pop a paper bag, then you are getting ready to jump HOORAY! 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 You can’t stand the others being so googly and gaggly every single minute
You want to think about things It takes time 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 They are so nice and oooh you could just about punch them on the nose 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."
Wedding
Wedding 1. Today’s the Day Today is a day you will always remember It’s a brand new beginning, the start of a journey The dawn of a new life for you You stand at the threshold, filled with hope and excitement This, the day you’ll become husband and wife We, who love you, wish all your hopes and dreams can be real Although we cannot promise you a life of sunshine We cannot promise you riches and wealth We cannot promise you an easy pathway One that leads away from pain or misfortune But, if you can let your love be stronger than your pride or anger If you can learn the wisdom of compromise That it is better to bend a little than to break If you can come to know true friendship between you Which is the basis for any lasting relationship Then, we promise, tomorrow will bring you times of great joy Shared moments of happiness, new experiences and much laughter Love will be your anchor throughout life Laughter will be the cement that makes you strong Companionship will sustain you And when times are dark and the way ahead seems bleak The hand of a friend will always be near Another will share your pain And a smile will stem tears of sorrow And when you grow old The gaze that falls each upon the other Will still be alive with love And twinkle yet with laughter Tomorrow will bring you a lifetime of memories to reassure and cherish And we, your friends and family, will join you at times along the way But today is the day it all starts We wish you health, gladness, friendship and love As, with joy, we celebrate your wedding day
Wedding 2. The Day May this be the start of a happy new life that’s full of special moments to share...... May this be the first of your dreams coming true and of hope that will always be there...... May this be the start of a lifetime of trust and of caring that’s just now begun...... May today be a day that you’ll always remember the day when your hearts become one....
Wedding 3. On Your Wedding Day Today is a day you will always remember – the greatest in anyone’s life, You’ll start off the day just two people in love And end it as husband and wife.
It’s a brand new beginning, the start of a journey With moments to cherish and treasure. And although there’ll be times when you both disagree, These will surely be outweighed by pleasure. You’ll have heard many words of advice in the past When the secrets of marriage were spoken, But you know that the answers lie hidden inside Where the bond of true love lies unbroken. So live happy forever as lovers and friends, It’s the dawn of a new life for you As you stand there together with love in your eyes From the moment you whisper “I do”. And with luck, all your hopes, and your dreams can be real, May success find its way to your hearts. Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys But today is the day it all starts.
Wedding 4. Chapter One of One Thousand For two people this dawn brought on a magical day Now husband and wife they head on their way As a boat setting sail may their journey begin With calmest of waters, most helpful of wind And if they should stumble upon turbulent sea May it pass them un-harming, leaving them be. For here are two people whom love has well bitten Here opens their book which has yet to be written As the first page unfolds and their life inks its path May it write a true story where forever love lasts Let their journey be happy till death do they part Of one thousand chapters may this be the start.
Wedding 5. Union 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, 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.
Wedding 6 A New Chapter Today is a very special day, for it is the day you start another chapter in your book of life. As parents we always know that one day our children will grow to need much more than we can offer. Now that day has finally arrived, and you have both found the special person with whom you want to share your love and
your life. Someone who can make the sun shine in your heart - even on the cloudiest of days, and someone who will fill the next chapter in your life with happiness beyond your dreams. Live the life you believe in and you will have everything you need to reach those dreams. Just look into your hearts and you will find the strength in each other that will make each new challenge easier to face - TOGETHER. The close friends and family, sharing this day with you, all have memories very precious and personal to each of them, but would ask only this of both of you: Always give the best of yourselves to each other and ask no more than you can give. Accept one another for the way you are. You fell in love with the qualities and abilities and the outlook on life that you both have - don’t try to change them. Share your time, your close attention, and bring joy, strength and imagination into your relationship. Grow along with each other; be willing to face changes as you both change in order to keep your relationship alive and exciting. And, most importantly, love each other in good times and in bad in the only way you know how. Completely and forever.
Wedding 7 New Beginnings You stand here before us, soon husband and wife, Together you’re pledging the rest of your life. This is a brand new beginning for you, It’s what you have hoped for, a dream coming true. Together you’re facing both pleasure and pain, Good times and bad times, sunshine and rain. But with each day that passes much more you will know, And the bond that’s between you much stronger will grow. Be kind to each other, be faithful and true, Be thoughtful and patient in all that you do. Remember the reasons you stand here today, And you’ll still be happy, don’t throw it away. May you know laughter, good fortune and wealth, Peace and contentment, good luck and good health. May all your tomorrows find love in your hearts, But today, here together, is the day that it starts.
Wedding 8 Into the Future Each Year you’ve been together Your love has grown and grown Undaunted by the trials you’ve faced Reassured by the joys you’ve known And now you stand before us Side by side and hand in hand To take this step together Towards the future you have planned The promises you’re making You make with love filled hearts Safe in the knowledge that today Is the day that future starts.
Wedding 9 Here’s to Right Now You’re surrounded by your loved ones And all are wishing you well As you create a brand new chapter In the story that’s yours to tell We talk about the memories
You have yet to make together And the moments you’ve already shared To be carried with you forever But take the time to live today As your marriage begins Look around and soak it up The moment we are in For this is where the magic starts When you both say your vows You pledge to spend your lives as one Because of the love you feel now. So yes here’s to a future that is bright and warm and clean But more than that here’s to right now and what it means to be here.
Wedding 10 Your wedding day Good Luck, Congratulations! Best Wishes! Cheers! Well Done! The futures full of promise and it’s only just begun You’re starting on a journey A New, exciting life Together, as a partnership As husband and as a wife Adventures, thrills and choices Are waiting just for you The road will have some turnings And perhaps a bump or two But you’ll be strong together You’ll come through every test Your love will deepen week by week Be Happy all the best.
Wedding 11 Dr Seuss 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.
Parents
Parents 1 A Parent's Tribute Today seemed a lifetime away, now suddenly it’s here How did it happen so quickly, this wedding drawing near? How can I sound so happy on this very special day, When in such a very short time I’ll give my daughter away. I wish I could grasp a moment and make the clock stand still So I could let my heart catch up, but I know I never will All the worries of being a parent, most of the battles won But no-one ever warned me about the day the job is done. Yet there is another side, where my heart is not so sad When I look into my daughter’s eyes, I feel joyful and glad For I know that I was privileged when this child was lent to me To love and care for and nurture, so she would grow to be This lovely, bright young woman, today – a beautiful bride And as always I and there, with love, at my daughter’s side.
Parents 2 Speech made using Disney and Pixar references Lovely Day, isn’t it? He has a good soul. And he’s handsome, too! We’ll always be the best of friends. If you start crying, I’m gonna cry, and I’ll never get through this. I’d rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without you. Some people care too much, I think it’s called love. Like so many things, it is not what is outside, but what is inside that counts. Hakuna Matata…it means no worries for the rest of your days. Run the hidden pine trails of the forest, taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth, roll in all the riches all around you. Paint with all the colours of the wind. Love is a song that never ends. You have a very important thing to do today. She is the one. The girl we have been waiting for. You and I better have a little heart-to-heart…sit down, son. Always let your conscience be your guide. Givin’ up is for rookies. You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. You are my son…no matter how big you get, you’ll always be my son. Anytime you need me, just whistle.”
Parents 3 The day you were born was so special We held you in our arms We vowed we would always protect you and never let you come to harm You have become a wonderful person We are so proud of who you are An even though you will be married today, We will protect you from afar. Our happiest memories include you, We love you in every way. It’s time to make your own memories Starting with your Wedding Day. We knew one day our son would find A woman to share his life. Someone to stand beside him. And someday become his wife. We could not ask for anymore Than the love you send his way We’ll be proud to have you as family When you marry our Son today. We are so thankful he has you in his life The person to share his dreams. Today our son married the women he loves And we’re proud of the daughter this brings.
Parents 4 My heart is filled with memories Of times when you were small, Days filled with joy and sorrow I’ve loved you through them all. It seems like only yesterday I was watching you run and play. Now you’ve grown up fallen in love And are starting a brand new life. I wish joy love and many blessing For you and your lovely new wife
PERSONAL VOWS AND PROMISES
Vows Vows are a requirement for your ceremony some wording has to be legally included in your ceremony but you can add to them or write your own if you wish. It is essential both parties should declare they are accepting the other.
Examples of Vows
Vows 1 I (full name of Party) do solemnly and sincerely declare That I know of no legal impediment To my marrying this woman/man (full name of Party) And accept her/him as my lawful wedded wife/husband/partner for life
Vows 2 I solemnly and sincerely declare that I (full name of Party) accept you (full name of Party) as my lawful wedded wife/husband/partner for life to the exclusion of all others
Vows 3 I call upon those present to witness that I (full name of Party) do solemnly and sincerely declare That I know of no legal impediment To my marrying this woman/man (full name of Party) From this day forward For better for worse, for richer for poorer In sickness and in health ‘til death us do part And there I pledge myself to you.
Vows 4 (full name of Party) I love you You are my best friend And I solemnly and sincerely declare That today in front of our family and friends that I (full name of Party) accept you (full name of Party) as my lawful Whose hand I hold as my lawful wedded husband/wife/partner for life
Vows 5 I (full name of Party) solemnly and sincerely declare that I accept you (full name of Party) To be my lawful wife/husband/partner for life To have and to hold From this day forward For better for worse For richer for poorer In sickness and in health ‘til death us do part
Vows 6
I call upon those present to witness That I (name of Party) accept you (name of Party) As my lawful wife/husband/partner for life To be by your side as your best friend, soul mate and lover I will be faithful and support you in your dreams I will be there for you always Everything I am and everything I have is yours From this moment forth and for eternity
Vows 7 (Full name of party) I love you You are my best friend and today I accept you in marriage I promise to encourage and inspire you to laugh with you and comfort you when times are a struggle. I promise to cherish you and to always be there. These things I promise you for all the days of my life.
Vows 8 I (full name party 1) affirm my love to you (full name of party 2) I invite you to share my life As I accept you in marriage as my wife/husband/partner You are a beautiful, smart and generous person I promise to always to respect you. With kindness, unselfishness and trust. I will work by your side To create a wonderful life together
Vows 9 I (full name of party 1) promise loyalty and friendship, and to love you (Full name of party 2) with all that I am and all that I have to give I freely make these promises to you, for today and all of our tomorrows, from the depths of my heart and soul for all of our lives together
Promises
You may wish to make a promise to one another; you can write your own making the meaning more personal to one another.
Examples of Promises
Promises 1
Party 1 (Name), I promise to trust you and honour you I will laugh with you and cry with you I will love you faithfully Through the best and worst Through the difficult and the easy What may come I promise that I will always be there As I give you my hand to hold So I give you my life to keep
Party 1 (Name) I promise to trust you and honour you I promise to laugh with you and cry with you I promise to love you in good times and bad When life seems easy and when it seems hard When our love is simple or when it needs a bit of effort This is my promise to you today and for the rest of my life.
Promises 2
Today (1st party name) I ask you to be my partner. To be loving, loyal, and support me in life. I ask that you vow to do your best for our relationship, for the children and for our lives together. Will you promise me this?
2nd party – I will
And I ask you (2nd party name) to be my partner. To be devoted and faithful, loving and supporting me and working for the good of our relationship (and our family) - optional) Will you promises me this?
1st Party – I will
Promises 3
Party 1 (Name of 2nd Partner), I will cherish our friendship, I will love you today, tomorrow and forever, I will laugh with you and cry with you, I will love you through the best and the worst, Through the difficult and the easy, Come what may, I will always be there.
Party 2 (Name of 1st partner), I will trust you and honour you, I will love you faithfully, I will help you when you need help, I will turn to you when I need help, As we face the future together, I promise to stand by your side, I choose you as the person with whom I will spend the rest of my life.
Promises 4
Party 1
I (name of 1st Party) ask you (name of 2nd party) To be my partner in life And to be my one true love I will trust and honour you I will laugh and cry with you And love you today, tomorrow and forever I pledge that I will be a loving a devoted partner to you And also a devoted parent to (name of children) This is my promise to you.
Party 2
I (name of 2nd party) ask you (name of 1st party) To be my partner in life And to be my one true love I pledge that from this day forward I will trust, cherish and honour you I will always be there for you To bring you happiness and laughter to our marriage To share the good and the bad parts of our life together This is my promises to you.
Promises 5
Each partner to say:
In front of these witnesses present I (name) promise to love, honour and respect you (name)
I promise to be a faithful, honest and devoted partner to you In good times and bad As long as we both shall live
Promise 6 I love you more than roses And anything money can buy I love you more than life itself We’ll be together till we die I’ll love you when you’re healthy I’ll love you when you’re sick I’ll love you when you’re wealthy I’ll love you when you’re rich I’ll love you when we are together I’ll love you when we are apart I’ll love you each and every day From the bottom of my heart (Party) I ask today to be my partner And I be yours So this can the happiest day of our life
Promise 7 Let’s grow old together Hand in hand you and me Sharing life’s great memories Keeping each other company Living loving laughing Smelling roses as we go Even when our eye sight dims And the steps we take are slow No matter where life leads us Remember this is true Today Tomorrow forever I always will love you
Promise 8 My promise to you is simple I’ll endure until the end I’ll be your one and only Your lover and your friend I’ll listen and I’ll nurture I’ll fight and I’ll be true I’ll do my equal share and I Will never give up on you I’ll try to do my very best I’ll walk beside you hand in hand I’ll help you to succeed I’ll be your constant equal I’ll give you room to grow I’ll tend to you when you are sick Build you up when you are low
I stand before these witnesses, And I say unto you No matter what hard times we face Our love will make it through
EXAMPLES OF EXCHANGE OF RINGS/GIFTS
Exchange of Rings/Gifts The exchange of rings is a tradition that has been practiced for many years but it is not a compulsory part of the ceremony. Couples can also exchange gifts if they prefer or they do not need to exchange anything. Example 1 With this ring I thee wed
Example 2 I give you this ring as a sign of my love…. and the commitment we have made to each other…
Example 3 I give you this ring as a sign of my love and the commitment we have made to each other As you wear it, may it be a reminder of how much I love you, every single day of our lives.
Example 4 I give you this ring to remind you how much I love you and that I am with you always Think of me each time you look upon it.
Example 5 I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my deepest love, my everlasting devotion and my eternal faith for all the days of my life.
Example 6 I give to you this ring, as a symbol of my commitment to love, honour, and respect you.
Example 7 I give you this ring as a sign of my devotion and love and with all my heart I promise to you all that I am. With this ring I marry you and join my life to yours.
Example 8 With this ring, I wed you for today, for tomorrow, and for all the years to come. Please wear it as a sign of my love and a notice to all the world that you have chosen me to be your husband/wife.
Example 9 I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today
Example 10 I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my (wife/husband/partner) from this day and forevermore.
Example 11 I give this ring as my gift to you so wear it and think of me while you wear it and always know that I love you.
Example 12
I give you this ring as a visible and constant symbol of my promise to be with you as long as I live.
Example 13. Just as this ring I give you today is a circle without end, my love for you is eternal.
Example 14. I give you this ring, as a symbol of our marriage, for today and tomorrow, and for the days to come, wear it as a sign of what we have promised each other today.
Example 15. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that i am always by your side and that i will always be a faithful partner to you.