Wedding Reading and Ceremony Outline...

We just drafted ours!

Our outline is:

-Welcome message

-Remembrance for those passed

-Readings-- we have one from the Old Testament, and one contemporary-- more on that later

-People's blessing-- this is where our guests agree to help us in our marriage

-Intention/definition of marriage ("do you take this woman as your lawfully-wedded wife?" "I do")

-Vows ("repeat after me" part)

-Ring vows (i.e., with this ring, I thee wed)

-Signing of marriage certificate (we decided to include this as part of our ceremony, since we aren't having a wedding party, but its not necessary)

-Pronouncement ("by the powers vested in me. . . ")

For our contemporary reading, we decided to use an excerpt from The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman (i.e., one of the sequels to "The Golden Compass")-- I LOVE this reading!!

I will love you forever; whatever happens. Till I die and after I die, and when I find my way out of the land of the dead, I’ll drift about forever, all my atoms, till 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 will 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, we’ll be joined so tight…

Otherwise, I'd suggest looking at offbeatbride.com for readings suggestions. They have a ton of posts with several suggestions each, most of which I haven't seen elsewhere.

http://offbeatbride.com/tag/readings

The reader at our wedding picked her own, but with a 12yo you might not want to go that route. Pinterest actually has a large assortment to quotes/reading/etc. that you might like. Also, off beat bride has some nice, non-traditional ones as well.

Here was our ceremony timeline:

Seating of Parents

Wedding Party Processional

Bridal Processional

Welcome Message

Prayer

Exchange of Vows

Unity Box

Exchange of Rings

Reading

Declaration of Intent (I Do’s)

Announcement of Marriage

Presentation of the Bride and Groom

Recessional

Http://www.buzzfeed.com/jennaguillaume/beautiful-and-unique-wedding-readings-from-books

this has some really good ones

Seating of Parents

Wedding Party Processional

Bridal Processional

Reading-Louis de Bernières, Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Welcome by Officiant

Reading/Sharing of Peace and Welcome

6 year old friends daughter singing-I Choose You Lyrics

Officiant Speaks About: Community Modeling Love in Action

Reading- Massachusetts State Supreme Court definition of marriage

Bride and Groom share a few lines about why they love one another

Reading-Humanist Wedding Ceremony

Officiant/Wedding Guests Read Response

Ring Exchange/Reading-Ring Story

Declaration of Intent (I Do’s)

Wedding Party Reading-First Unitarian Church Wedding Ceremony

Kiss the Bride

Reading-First Unitarian Church Wedding Ceremony

Announcement of Marriage

Presentation of the Bride and Groom

Recessional

I really liked a lot of the readings from: http://www.firstunitarianottawa.ca/uploads/2/1/0/6/21068182/newest_wedding_booklet_130909.pdf but also used offbeat bride and all the other wedding advice sites (to see what else other people wrote) when I was writing it.

I also liked one from:

From The Irrational Season By Madeleine L'Engle

I also like the kids book I like you http://www.amazon.com/Like-You-Sandol-Stoddard-Warburg/dp/0395071763

For readings that are not entirely religious and come from a variety of other officiants, go to my pinterest page for vows and readings; http://pinterest.com/celiamilton

There are about 10 officiants who post there.

We have two things that are considered readings:

DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE

“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 standing together and facing the world.

It is speaking words of appreciation, and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is not only marrying the right person -- it is being the right partner.”

READING

Apache Blessing: "Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years, May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth."

Our ceremony order:

PROCESSIONAL

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE

READING

WEDDING VOWS

EXCHANGE OF RINGS

ROSE CEREMONY

DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE

INTRODUCTION OF NEWLYWEDS

RECESSIONAL