Ideas for a reading @ a wedding?

[emerzmom]

One of my dearest friends is getting married in November. Her first wedding was in her parents living room and her dress was from Palais Royal bought with her mom's store discount. Post divorce and fast forward many years she has met the "man of her dreams" and has decided to have the "real" wedding of her dreams. I am very happy for her. She has asked me to do a reading at the ceremony and I am at a loss for ideas. Even Googling some ideas hasn't inspired much for me.
I know there are so many creative thinkers on this site so I thought I would see if anyone had any ideas.
Song lyrics? Poems?
Thanks for any inspiration!

Julie

[HollyB]

I really like this Twain quote on marriage. I've read it at a couple of weddings now and it is always well received:

On Marriage

A marriage . . . makes of two fractional lives a whole;
it gives to two purposeless lives
a work, and doubles the strength
of each to perform it;
it gives to two
questioning natures
a reason for living,
and 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,
and a new mystery to life.

~Mark Twain

[BuddyL4]

This is one of my favorites, it's from Saint Paul to the Corinthians I think paragraph 18?

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.

[PirateLover]

We used the passage BuddyL4 quoted at our wedding. It is also my favorite. There is a little bit before the part he posted that is also great:

"If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing."

Then it continues on to the love is patient, love is kind part...

[BuddyL4]

Thanks PirateLover for adding in the frist part, My wife and i used it as well for our wedding. Thank You Emerzmom for this topic I am in the planning stages for next years big 25th anniversary and this got me thinking back to our wedding. You asked about song lyrics and another of my favorites was the Wedding Song (There is Love) from Peter Paul and Mary, I guess I'm that old.

He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts
Rest assured this troubador is acting on His part.
The union of your spirits, here, has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love. There is Love.

A man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home
And they shall travel on to where the two shall be as one.
As it was in the beginning is now and til the end
Woman draws her life from man and gives it back again.
And there is Love. There is Love.

Well then what's to be the reason for becoming man and wife?
Is it Love that brings you here or Love that brings you life?
And if loving is the answer, then who's the giving for?
Do you believe in something that you've never seen before?
Oh there's Love, there is Love.

Oh the marriage of your spirits here has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love. There is Love.

[dobby2010]

We had this one at our wedding. I love it.

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.

[Belle of the Ball 051411]

"The Art of Marriage" by Wilferd A. Peterson.

[cer]

This is one of my favorites, it's from Saint Paul to the Corinthians I think paragraph 18?

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.

We used the passage BuddyL4 quoted at our wedding. It is also my favorite. There is a little bit before the part he posted that is also great:

"If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing."

Then it continues on to the love is patient, love is kind part...

The scripture that is being quoted here is know as the love chapter in the Bible. It is found in the New Testament. 1st Corinthians , Chapter 13 (the whole chapter). If you are to look it up on the internet, you could search "The Love Chapter" or 1 Corinthians 13.

The pastor read it at our wedding as well.

This is a very popular piece of scripture for weddings, you may want to make sure with the bride that the pastor or officiant is not already using it.

[Dulcee]

We chose two secular readings for our wedding. The first was the poem I carry your heart by e.e. Cummings.

The second was an excerpt from the children's book the velveteen rabbit. It's often called the what is real quote. A quick Google search would find it but basically it's about loving one another for who they are, accepting imperfections and that love isn't always easy or quick.

"It doesn't happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen to people people who break easily or have sharp edges or 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.

[emerzmom]

So many wonderful ideas!!!!

Julie