Wedding Readings
Wedding Readings
Wedding Readings
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.
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 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.
What a small word we use for an idea so immense and powerful it has
altered the flow of history, calmed monsters, kindled works of art,
cheered the forlorn, turned tough guys to mush, consoled the enslaved,
driven strong women mad, glorified the humble, fuelled national
scandals, bankrupted robber barons, and made mincemeat of kings.
Never marry but for love; but see that thou lovest what is lovely.
He that minds a body and not a soul has not the better part of that
relation, and will consequently want the noblest comfort of a married life.
Between a man and his wife nothing ought to rule but love…
As love ought to bring them together, so it is the best way to keep them
well together…..
Nothing can be more entire and without reserve; nothing more zealous,
affectionate and sincere; nothing more contented and constant than such
a couple.
Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive, because your words become your behaviour
Keep your behaviour positive because your behaviour becomes your
habits
Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values
Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny
...and we are here today to see our bride and groom bring their
thoughts, words, behaviour, habits, and values together, to begin to find
their destiny, as they pledge themselves – each to the other, joining in
marriage before this gathering of their friends and family..
Victor Hugo
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 we love. Love is knowing that
even when you are alone you will never be lonely again, and the greatest
happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves
and even loved in spite of ourselves.
“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"
You build up all these defences, you build up a whole suit of armour, so
that nothing can hurt you,
then one stupid person,
no different from any other stupid person,
wanders into your stupid life… .
On ‘Love’ Poems
SILENT NOON Dante Gabriel Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882)
by Spike Milligan
What goes with what - “Appetite" by Nigel Slater (great for foodies!)
“Some flavours work together. Others don't. You can't really argue with
the theory that if you like something then it works, but to experiment
with marrying flavours, in a trial and error situation like a mad scientist,
will not only take forever but will probably lead to some really horrid
meals. The easy way is to respect a few basic principles about flavours
that work especially well together - what belongs with what - which will
at least give you the chance of a decent supper. You can then
experiment as and when you feel like it. To put it another way, someone
has done some of the work for you. Be thankful. You didn't really want
to be the one to find out that anchovies are disgusting with bacon, did
you?
Some flavours have a natural affinity for each other. In other words, they
flatter each other and make for better eating. Much of what is accepted
as being a sound partnership makes good sense but there is also a lot of
rubbish talked about what goes with what. I have never agreed, for
instance, with the well-known accompaniment for oysters, which some
foodies reckon is Tabasco sauce. To my taste buds this is an
abomination. The chilli sauce does nothing for the pure intense seawater
flavour of the shellfish. Yet I am convinced that lemon really brings out
the flavour of steak, with which many would just as fiercely disagree.
Likewise I put Dijon mustard on my lamb yet fail to be moved by the age-
old marriage of cherries with duck.
Yet there are certain combinations of ingredients that seem as if they
were made for one another. Think tomato and basil, think sausage and
mustard, think Parma ham and melon. There are logical explanations for
some of these natural pairings, such as the salt in the ham intensifying
the flavour of the melon, but others are beyond analysis. It is simply that
there is something intrinsically right about them, and there are some
flavours and textures that work together so naturally that they defy the
meddlings of any creative cook. There are flavours and textures that
work together in perfect harmony. A roll-call of all that is good about
eating: beef and mustard; lamb and garlic; liver and onions; toast and
Marmite; steak and bearnaise sauce; duck and five-spice; chicken and
tarragon; strawberries and cream. Then there are those successful
contrasts of textures that seem like gifts from God - gravy and mashed
potato; egg and chips; ripe Brie and crisp white bread; cold vanilla ice-
cream and hot chocolate sauce. Some things are simply meant to be.”
On the saucer-zombie-battling-gods
day the floodgates broke
And each of us was engulfed by genies and sprites
Offering us wishes and wonders and eternities
And charm and cleverness and true
brave hearts and pots of gold
While giants feefofummed across
the land and killer bees,
But you had no idea of any of this because
1 - Application
2 - Appointment
Maybe:
Maybe …. it is true that we don’t know what we have got until we lose it,
but it is also true that we don’t know what we have been missing until it
arrives
Maybe … the happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of
everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along
their way
Maybe …the best kind of love is the kind you can sit on the sofa together
and never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best
conversation you've ever had
Maybe … you shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive. Don’t go for
wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile,
because it only takes a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
Maybe … you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet,
enough trials to make you strong, enough sorry to keep you human, and
enough hope to make you happy
Maybe … Love is not about finding the perfect person, it’s about learning
to see an imperfect person perfectly.
DIY!
One of my Couple’s wanted fresh material for a definition of love...so
they asked all their guests (20) to send them a line with their
thoughts...this was the result!
A great way of making everyone feel part of the ceremony I thought.
We’ll start today with a reading from Zoe and Emily compiled from
comments received from you all. See if you can spot your own...
(AA Milnes) “How do you spell ‘love’?” “You don’t spell it, you feel it.”
Love is the hardest word to define!
Is love like a box of chocolates, or is that life?
Is it “a four letter word”, “priceless” or “blind”?
Love is caring, sharing and being there for each other.
It is unassuming, unconditional & forever after,
Made from compromise and consideration,
Love is a bond between two people that is only for them.
It is putting other’s interests before your own.
And it is being stupid together,
Be happy, have fun.
Be kind to each other, put each other first and don’t sweat the small
stuff!
But remember, whatever the debate or argument Groom, Bride will
always be right.
Make time for each other and for your friends. Beyond that, I’m still
clueless.
Always live in the moment. Life is what you make of it. Each morning we
are born again, what happens that day is the most important. Enjoy your
lives together.
And be happy
As Homer Simpson said “[AHHH,] Space aliens! Don’t eat me! I have a
wife and kids – EAT THEM instead”
Enjoy love
You are worth it
Fall down deep
Don't try to surf it
Swim in the happiness
It's all for you
Soak long and leisurely
Get drenched, wet through
One Cigarette
No smoke without you, my fire.
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.
I rely on you,
Like a Skoda needs suspension
Like the aged need a pension
Like a trampoline needs tension
like a bungee jump needs apprehension.
I rely on you,
Like a camera needs a shutter
Like a gambler needs a flutter
Like a golfer needs a putter
Like a buttered scone involves some butter.
I rely on you,
Like an acrobat needs ice cool nerve
Like a hairpin needs a drastic curve
Like an HGV needs derv
Like an outside left needs a body swerve.
I rely on you,
Like a water vole needs water
Like a brick outhouse needs mortar
Like a lemming to the slaughter
Ryan's just Ryan without his daughter,
I rely on you.
I love you
For the kindness in your eyes
And the warmth in your voice,
For the honesty of your words
And the silence of your smile;
For the ways in which we’re similar,
And those in which we’re worlds apart.
For the openness of your understanding
And the acceptance of your heart;
For the tenderness of your touch
And the strength of your commitment,
For your sense of humour
And your seriousness of purpose;
For a thousand small reasons,
And one most important of all:
Simply because you are you.
In all of creation you are the one whom I cherish most,
The one with whom I hope to share my life –
Its joys, its sorrows, its accomplishments, its challenges –
While building our dreams together and growing everyday
In the love that makes us one.
We'll live in birds and flowers and dragonflies and pine trees and in
clouds and in those little specks of light you see floating in sunbeams.
And when they use our atoms to make new lives, they won't just be able
to take one, they'll have to take two, one of you and one of me, we'll be
joined so tight.
To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take. If
we commit ourselves to one person for life, this is not, as many people
think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into
all the risks of freedom and the risk of love which is permanent; into that
love which is not possession but participation. It takes a lifetime to learn
another person.
When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-
creation which is our human calling.
You know,
It’s not what you think it is.
You won’t own him
He won’t own you
You’ll hold hands and the waves will push you very close sometimes, so
you’re pretty much one person. Thinking and feeling the same way.
And sometimes the waves will pull you apart until you have to crane
your necks to see each other. Just let one drop of forgiveness or good
humour change the tide and you’ll be even closer than before.
Einstein said “Women marry men hoping they will change and men
marry women hoping they will not. So each is inevitably disappointed”
Well I hope you revel in the changes you bring about in each other.
I hope you treasure each others eccentricities and embrace all the
weirdness and wonder of each others humanity.
I hope you fight, I am sure you will, it shows great passion to hold a point
of view even when you start to doubt it.
I hope you argue, it’s almost inevitable, but make up and do it before
you turn out the lights, then breakfast will taste better.
I hope you dream and that often your dreams collide and they take you
to far away and wonderful places.
And I hope you love and that the love you have for each other pushes
out into the world around you. To your friends and to your foes and to
your families.
From the sky the sun benignant looked upon them through the branches,
Saying to them, “oh, my children life is chequered shade and sunshine.”
The two figures man and woman Standing hand in hand together, with
their hands so clasped together that they seem in one united. And the
words thus represented are, “I see your heart within you.”
Sing them songs of love and longing
Now, let's feast and be more joyous."
Albert Schweitzer
We are each a secret to the other.
To know one another cannot mean to know everything about each other,
it means to feel mutual affection and confidence and to believe in one
another.
We must not try to force our way into the personality of another.
To analyse others is a rude commencement, for there is a modesty of the
soul which we must recognise just as we do that of the body.
No-one has a right to say to another:
“Because we belong to each as we do, I have a right to know all your
thoughts”.
Not even a mother may treat her child in that way.
All demands of this sort are foolish and unwholesome.
In this matter giving is the only valuable process; it is only giving that
stimulates.
Impart as much as you can of your kindness and spiritual being to those
who are on the road with you & accept as something precious what
comes back to you from them.
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours
in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him.
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls..
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
(Mary Williams)
In other times
On parchment fragments,
Incised in stones,
Illuminated in the margins,
Celebrations were performed,
In poetry and song.
In vast halls to the sounds of trumpets,
On plains in the open,
In tiny rooms, promises were made.
It is a thread that joins us.
Now on this day, in this place these two take their turn in
This long tradition and unite us here in this memorable moment.
(Author unknown)
Let the rebuke be preceded by a kiss.
Do not require a request to be repeated.
Never should both be angry at the same time.
Never neglect the other, for all the world beside.
Let the angry word be answered only with a kiss.
Bestow your warmest sympathies in each other’s trials.
Never make a remark calculated to bring ridicule upon the other.
Make your criticism in the most loving manner possible.
Make no display of the sacrifices you make for each other.
Never reproach the other for an error which was done with a good
motive and with the best judgement at the time.
Always leave home with a tender good-bye and loving words.
IF (Author unknown)
If you treat each other kindly with compassion and with trust
And always let your feelings show,
If you laugh together often and enjoy the time you share,
But give each other space to learn and grow,
If you understand your differences, respecting who you are,
And put each other first in all you do-
Your marriage will be wonderful, a reason to feel proud,
And a special source of love, your whole lives through.
Madness of Marriage
Blessings Poems
…….. I leave you with a quote from ‘Walden” written by one of Bride and
Groom's favourites writers and fellow lover of the outdoors Henry David
Thoreau …..
Now you will feel not the rain, for each will shelter the other.
Now you will feel not cold, for each will warm the other.
Now you will feel not solitude, for each will company the other.
Now you are two persons, but both will lead one life.
Go now to your dwelling to enter into the days of your life,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.
(Author unknown)
Now we feel no rain,
for each of us will be shelter for each other.
Now we feel no cold.
for each of us will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of us will be companion to the other.
We are two bodies, but there are three lives before us;
My life, your life and our lives together.
Rumi.
May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
(Author unknown)
May your home be a place of happiness for all who enter it;
a place where the old and young are renewed in each other’s company,
a place for growing and a place for sharing,
a place for music, a place for laughter and a place for love.
May those who are nearest to you be constantly enriched by the beauty
and the bounty of your love for one another.
And may your days be good and long upon the Earth.
“It has made me better loving you… it has made me wiser, and easier,
and - I won’t pretend to deny - brighter and nicer and even stronger. I
used to want a great many things before, and to be angry that I didn’t
have them. Theoretically I was satisfied, as I once told you. I flattered
myself I had limited my wants. But I was subject to irritation; I used to
have morbid, sterile, hateful fits of hunger, of desire. Now I really am
satisfied, because I can’t think of anything better.”
“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.”
“What I’m feeling, I think, is joy. And it’s been some time since I’ve felt
that blinkered rush of happiness. This might be one of those rare events
that lasts, one that’ll be remembered and recalled as months and years
wind and ravel. One of those sweet, significant moments that leaves a
footprint in your mind. A photograph couldn’t ever tell its story. It’s like
something you have to live to understand. One of those freak collisions
of fizzing meteors and looming celestial bodies and floating debris and
one single beautiful red ball that bursts into your life and through your
body like an enormous firework. Where things shift into focus for a
moment, and everything makes sense. And it becomes one of those
things inside you, a pearl among sludge, one of those big exaggerated
memories you can invoke at any moment to peel away a little layer of
how you felt, like a lick of ice cream. The flavour of grace.”