Non-Religious Wedding Readings

We're not doing a reading either

The plan with our readings is that our officiant will be the one reading them, rather than someone else. I've never much liked having someone get up and read them because it feels like it cuts the ceremony up and makes it last longer. I'm compromising a bit in that we are including one, but changing it up a bit and having our officiant do it as part of his "sermon".

I know it's so lame but we had a part of "Missing Piece" by Shel Silverstein in our wedding.

We also had a quote from Carl Sagan that I can't seem to find rn.

I hate readings

We did carl sagan. no mention of god or religion made it into our ceremony and multiple people told us how lovely it was.

The one Arwen says or about Faramir?

We had a Bob Marley reading! I can't find it right now though

FH and I struggled with what to use for our reading. But then he sent me this:

No one could ever know me

No one could ever see me

Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me

Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with

Someone I'll always laugh with

Even at my worst, I'm best with you

I'll be there for you

(When the rain starts to pour)

I'll be there for you

(Like I've been there before)

I'll be there for you

('Cause you're there for me too)

We thought it was perfect! At first you don't realize what it is, and then by the end you know it's the Friends theme song. Everything was too mushy for us, so we liked it because it's funny :-)

We used "union" by Robert Fulghum and this quote from Carl Sagan.

It wasn't the Arwen quote, “I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone.”, I know that much for sure. While I love that one it's too short for what we need and will instead be used on a decorative sign by our guest book. I'm looking more into the Faramir/Eowyn ones now but am not having luck. For some reason I feel as if the quote wasn't necessarily about love itself, it was more about adventure?

We using a couple of quotes from Bob Marley as our readings.

We ended up not doing a reading, but I always loved this passage from Louis de Bernières' book 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 roots have 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, it is not the desire to mate every second minute of the day, it is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every cranny of your body. No, don't blush, I am telling you some truths. 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.”

DH and I have been together for 12 years, which in the big scheme of things isn't a long time, but it's long enough that the "temporary madness" has gone away, and we've realized that our roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that we should ever part.

We did an excerpt from The Little Prince and also a love letter written by Abigail Adams.

@Blonde: Oh, I love that! That's perfect. I thought about the tree-planting ceremony, but I'm SO terrible at taking care of plants, I was afraid our plant would die, and our marriage would be doomed

I have friends who did a John Donne's The Cannonization

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44097/the-canonization

I really love his Of Aire and Angels.

We're going with the hand blessing (not religious, ignore the title) :

"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 countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

And lastly, 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."

Most of our weddings have readings woven into the text, which is idea instead of "here is a reading" Plonk.

There are about 800 of them here, and a vast majority are non religious; there are a few officiants who contribute.

https://www.pinterest.com/Celiamilton/wedding-vows-and-readings/

Here are a few of my faves;

Never, ever, try to impress somebody. Be exactly the person you would be if you were alone or with somebody it was safe to burp around. Be that person. Be the person you are right now alone, reading this book. And then meet people. Then until you meet somebody who is utterly impressed. Because then? You will not have impressed them. They will have been impressed by you.

The difference may seem just a matter of semantics. But it’s not. The difference is finding a person who’s right for you. Not one you think is correct. The other ways won’t work. Even if they work for a while…they will fail. You will always slide back into being who you actually are. And the person you are with will want a refund. But. If you meet somebody and they love you when you are your true, awful, not-ready-yet, boring, not cool enough, not handsome enough, not pretty enough, too fat, too poor self? And if you love them back so much it makes you calm? And they have flaws and you do not mind a single one of them? If you can say yes, you have found…..IT. From author Augusten Burroughs

OR

“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 roots have 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 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.” ~Louis de Bernieres”

? Louis de Bernières, Corelli's Mandolin

OR

Our union is like this:

You feel cold so I reach for a blanket to cover?our shivering feet.

A hunger comes into your body?so I run to my garden and start digging potatoes.

You asked for a few words of comfort and solace and?I quickly kneel by your side offering you?a whole book as a?gift.

You ache with loneliness one night so much?you weep, and I say

here is a rope, tie it around me,?I will be your?companion?for life.

Our Union, by Hafiz

OR

"Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet. That would mean that security is out of the question. The words "make" and "stay" become inappropriate. My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free.” Still life with Woodpecker Darren Robbins.

OR

"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take,?but by the number of moments that take our breath away.

Whether married, partnered or single you can live what you love. You just have to get over the jitters and let the dreams show you the way. Tie your kite to reality… Check your gut when ever it says, “hey, wait”… Take action when the time is right… Remember and treasure what life shows you… But don’t ever Stan in the way of what you really love.

As far as we can tell, dreams are nothing more than love trying to take wing and soar. Imagine for just a moment thrilling distracting wonderful odd unusual sensation of new love. You immediately begin dreaming of life together of where you will go of what life will mean for the two of you. Live in that moment every day. Fall in love with new ideas new opportunities and new places all the time trust it, live it, don’t say no to love or crush a dream that wants to live. It isn’t that hard to give yourself over to it. You just have to say yes to life and love. Love will never lead you astray.

Will you live an unusual life together? Will you live the life you love? We all hope so. Anyone with a heart filled by dreams is already halfway there. So breathe deep. Jump in. Swim, or just float on the lands of life of laughter and love.” From Bob and Melinda Blanchard authors and entrepreneurs.

OR

“I will love you forever; whatever happens. When my days on earth are done, I’ll drift about forever until I find you again… I’ll be looking for you, every moment, every single moment. And when we do find each other again, we’ll cling together so tight that nothing and no one’ll ever tear us apart. Every atom of me and every atom of you… 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.” Phillip Pullman

OR

“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 roots have 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 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.” ~from Corelli’s Mandolin