Readings

If you go to a wedding, here’s what it means
No one wears trainers and no one wears jeans
Your best new clothes are all that you wear
Family and friends are proud to be there
So we all sit down in one big room
(except **** and ****, the bride and groom)
Then all of a sudden things quieten down
And music starts playing and people turn round
And really slowly, **** walks in
And she’s prettier now than she’s ever been.
She walks in and stands with her dad for a while
As **** (my uncle), awaits in the aisle
His hair is all combed and he’s wearing a tie
And then ****’s mum starts to sniffle and cry.
And now it comes time for the “get-married” part
The Registrar says that we’re ready to start
And **** and **** put on their rings
And they talk and they promise each other some things
And to be with each other the rest of their life
Then the Registrar says “Now you are husband and wife”.
Then everyone’s in such a big happy mood
And you go to a party with very much food
‘till **** and **** drive off in a car
And everyone’s thinking how happy they are
So we all yell goodbye as it starts to get late
Then the whole thing is over. Weddings are great!

Were having a movie theme, so all of ours will be quotes from them, including :

When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are 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 desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body. No... don't blush. I am telling you some truths. For 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. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But it is!

From Captain Corelli's Mandarin.

A selection....

A Marriage
A marriage is a promise
That two hearts gladly make.
A promise to be tender,
To help, to give and take
A marriage is a promise
To be kind and understanding
To be thoughtful and considerate,
Fair and understanding.
A marriage is a promise
To share one life together
A love-filled promise meant to be
Kept lovingly for ever.


A classic Civil Ceremony or Wedding Reading, the perfect dedication from a close friend or family member to the bride and groom.

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 time 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.

He Never Leaves the Toilet Seat up
Anonymous

He never leaves the seat up
Or wet towels upon the floor
The toothpaste has the lid on
And he always shuts the door!

She's very clean and tidy
Though she may sometimes delude
Leave your things out at your peril
In a second they'll have moved!

He’s a very active person

As are all his next of kin

Where as she likes lazy days

He’ll still drag her to the gym!

She romances him and dines him
Home cooked dinners and the like
She even knows his favourite food
And spoils him day and night!

He's thoughtful when he looks at her
A smile upon his face
Will he look that good in 50 years
When his dentures aren't in place?!

He says he loves her figure
And her mental prowess too
But when gravity takes her over
Will she charm with her IQ?

She says she loves his kindness
And his patience is a must
And of course she thinks he's handsome
Which in her eyes is a plus!

They're both not wholly perfect
But who are we to judge
He can be pig headed
Where as she won't even budge!

All that said and done
They love the time they spend together
And I hope as I'm sure you do
That this fine day will last forever.

He'll be more than just her husband
He'll also be her friend
And she'll be more than just his wife
She'll be his soul mate 'till the end.

Program/Thank You

Today we begin the rest of our life
Together forever as husband and wife.
Our dreams came true, with love and more—
Adventures to have and the world to explore.

We’ll share our joys, we’ll share our sorrows;
We can already see many bright tomorrows.
We’ll share our friends and family, too,
And you are part of that special crew.

Thank you for celebrating our wedding day.
As we share our vows, we just want to say:
These wedding memories will become a treasure,
And seeing you here is part of the pleasure.

By Joanna Fuchs

Getting Married Means You'll Have

Getting married means you'll have
Someone's hand to hold,
Even when you're feeling sick,
Even when you're old.

It means when you sit down to eat,
Someone will be there,
So you won't have to tell your day
To an empty chair.

It means that you can have some kids
Just like a mom and dad,
And play with them all afternoon,
Except when they are bad.

It means that when you need some help,
Someone will help out,
Someone always near to you
So you won't have to shout.

But best of all is when it's time
To turn out all the lights:
You won't have to be alone
Those long and scary nights.

So even though you don't have toys,
You don't have to care:
Once you're married you can be
Each other's teddy bear!

A beautiful Wedding or Civil Ceremony reading exploring the truth of finding one's soul mate.
by Richard Bach (1984)
A soul mate 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 soul mate 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 soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.

The Art Of A Good Marriage
by Wilferd Arlan Peterson

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
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 at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end
with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,
but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding and a sense of humour.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

This is what we are having my H2Bs Mum to read for us:

Union by Robert Fulghum

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with “When we’re married” and continued with “I will and you will and we will”- those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe”- and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “ You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For

after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife.

We got amrried in church so had one religous and one non religous.

The non-religous was A Lovely Love Story by Edward monkotn. IT went down really well and the vicar even used it as a basis for his talk during the ceremony.

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 Dionsaur, 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 thought 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 frends, 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.

Laura Boo - I love the dinosaur story, it always makes me sniffle! I wanted to use it in our service, but it's not going to happen, so I might put it into a card for OH instead. He's known as Mr Frosty among our friends, and I always tell him he's a dinosaur.

I also love, love, love this passage from Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Love is a temporary madness,

it erupts like volcanoes and then sudsides.

And when it subsides, you have to make a decision.

YOu have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together

that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.

Because that is what love is.

Love is not breathlessness,

it is not excitement,

it is not the promulgation 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 it 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 on tree and not two.

GOK what's going on with my font sizes, sorry?

There's loads here

http://www.weddingmagazine.co.uk/articles/receptions/310222/civil-wedding-readings.html

**Holds up a magnifying glass to read the screen!!**

NAh only joking...could just about see it!! Thats lovely extract MTM, really like that. Shame u cant have lovely love story but love the idea of the card instead. I've got a feelng dinosaurs will end up being what people remember our wedding for!! So may end up regretting that poem!

Oo! Do I spot a theme? Can I demand a flash??

Don't know what was going on with my font size there, I typed the whole thing out twice to try and get it back to normal......and that's no mean feat when you type as slowly as I do!?

Lol!! yes it did end up being a theme!! We had a dessert cake in the evening, my Grandma made it as well as my actual wedding cake, that way we didn't have to include pudding with our buffet. And when I went to look at the dessert cake this is what I found...........

That is soooo cute! Love it!!!