Struggling to find a suitable reading!!

Aww i love this its so perfect for a wedding.

I love that reading, it's one of our top three! The others we like are 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.

and i carry your heart by e.e.cummings:

xx

Oooh! I love Union! Thats so sweet!!

Thank you!!

Yeah, a lovely love story is so cool! So glad we found it, not sure what some of the older members of the families will think (though I know my Grandad likes it). But we think its great!!

Hi - I was looking through some really old posts on the subject of readings for civil ceremonies and found this poem which I think we are going to have as one of our three readings just to add a touch of fun -

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!

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

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

She'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.

I love that dinosaur story was thining about having the same one, with my daughters reading it, either that or an extract from the velveteen rabbit, or both?

My mum is reading A Lovely Love Story for us too :-) If she can get the hang of reading it without crying anyway!!

If we decide to have a second reading, I rather like this:

From "the Prophet" by Khalil Gibran

Love one another
But make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea
Between the shores of your souls
Fill each other’s cup
But drink not from the same cup
Sing and dance together and be joyous,
But let each one of you be alone
Even as the strings of the lute are alone
Though they quiver with the same music
Give your hearts
But not into each other’s keeping
For only the hand of life
Can contain your hearts
And stand together
Yet not too near together
For the pillars of the temple stand apart
And the oak tree and the cypress
Grow not in each other’s shadow.

We had this:

excerpt from captain corelli's mandolin:

"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 blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."

and

Commitment reading of the Pueblo Indian, author unknown

Before we met, you and I were halves unjoined except in the wide
rivers of our minds. We were each other's distant shore, the
opposite wings of a bird, the other half of a seashell. We did not
know the other then, did not know our determination to keep alive
the cry of one riverbank to the other. We were apart, yet connected
in our ignorance of each other, like two apples sharing a common
tree. Remember?

I knew you existed long before you understood my desire to join my
freedom to yours. Our paths collided long enough for our indecision
to be swallowed up by the greater need of love. When you came to me,
the sun surged towards the earth and moon escaped from darkness to
bless the union of two spirits, so alike that the creator had designed them
for life's endless circle. Beloved partner, keeper of my heart's odd secrets,
clothed in summer blossoms so the icy hand of winter never touches us.
I thank your patience. Our joining is like a tree to earth,
a cloud to sky and even more. We are the reason the world can laugh
on its battlefields and rise from the ashes of its selfishness to hear me say,
in this time, this place, this way - I loved you best of all.

I love the e e cummings one - i wanted that at our ceremony but H didn't 'get it'. harumph.

we had the lyrics from the bob dylan song 'to be alone with you' as my H's choice (he is a bob dylan nut):

To be alone with you
Just you and me
Now won’t you tell me true
Ain’t that the way it oughta be?
To hold each other tight
The whole night through
Ev’rything is always right
When I’m alone with you

To be alone with you
At the close of the day
With only you in view
While evening slips away
It only goes to show
That while life’s pleasures be few
The only one I know
Is when I’m alone with you

They say that nighttime is the right time
To be with the one you love
Too many thoughts get in the way in the day
But you’re always what I’m thinkin’ of
I wish the night were here
Bringin’ me all of your charms
When only you are near
To hold me in your arms

I’ll always by thankful
When my working day’s through
I get my sweet reward
To be alone with you

we also had symptoms by sophie hannah as my choice: