CWPR 2015 Fall/Winter

G E N E R A L I N F O R M A T I O N

C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E

W W W . C H I C A G O W E D D I N G R E S O U R C E . C O M

The Words of Love

Poems, books, movies, songs! Here are some

helpful hints for picking the perfect readings

for your wedding celebration

By Anna Sachse, CTW Features

Be it scripture or a poem or verses from your favorite literature, the readings you select

for your ceremony will reflect you and your new spouse as a couple and add some of your

personality to the ceremony

The best readings are meaningful to

you personally, contemporary (not

over-used), comprise a half-page of

double-spaced text, and, of course,

well-read Ask loved ones who

are comfortable in emotional

moments Two or three people

can even do a single reading

for extra pizzazz

ODERN

AKES

In recent years, couples

have been gravitating toward

non-denominational selections:

•

“Falling In Love Is Like Owning a Dog” by Taylor Mali

•

“Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” by Dr Seuss

•

“The Art of Marriage” by Wilferd A Peterson

•

“Wedding Prayer” by Robert Louis Stevenson

•

Verses from “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran

•

“An Apache Blessing”:

“…And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life togeth-

er, it will be marked by abundance and delight”

•

And, of course, there is the tried-and-true 1 Corinthians 13:4-13:

“Love is patient, love is kind ”

•

Lyrics from Cheryl Wheeler’s “Gandhi Buddha”

•

“The Invitation” (“…It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came

to be here I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me

and not shrink back…”) by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

•

For ceremonies with children, verses from “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Mar-

gery Williams

•

E E Cummings’ poem “I carry your heart with me I carry it in,”

•

Quotation from Bob Marley (“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you

find someone who can completely turn your world around…”)

•

Quotation from former Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Mar-

garet Marshall’s opinion which legalized same-sex marriage in the state: “…

Because it fulfills yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that

express our common humanity, civil marriage is an esteemed institution,

and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous

acts of self-definition”