I've linked these to Youtube versions of them in case you haven't heard them before!
We are Man and Wife - Michelle Featherstone
Making Memories of Us - Keith Urban
Amazed - Lonestar
Have I told you lately that I love you? - Van Morrison
Love and Marriage - Frank Sinatra
Let's Get Married - The Proclaimers
Life With You - The Proclaimers
We've All the Time in the World - Louis Armstrong
Love - John Lennon
All for Love - Bryan Adams, Sting, Rod Stewart
Perfect Day - Lou Reed
Everything - Michael Buble
Zoom - Fat Larry's Band
You're my First, my Last, my Everything - Barry White
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
And I Love you So - Don McLean
Come Away With Me - Norah Jones
You Do something to me - Paul Weller
And for the father of the bride dancing with his daughter
I Loved her First - Heartland
Friday, October 3, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Traditional and Alternative vows
Traditional Vows
I (Name)
do solemnly and sincerely declare
That I know, of no legal impediment
To my marrying (Name)
And that I accept her/him
as my lawful wedded wife/husband
To have and to hold
From this day forward,
For better and for worse
For richer for poorer
In Sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish
For as long as we both shall live.
Alternative Vows
(Name), all that I am, and all that I have,
I offer to you, in love and in joy.
From this day forward
I will love and comfort you,
hold you close,
prize you above all others,
and remain faithful to you all the days of our lives.
(Name) Today begins my walk with you
Where you go, I go
Where you stay, I stay
When you sleep, I will sleep
When you rise, I will rise
I will pass my days
Within the sound of your voice,
And my nights
Within the reach of your hand,
And none shall come between us.
This I vow
I love you, (Name).
You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you,
and to always hold you in highest regard.
These things I give to you today,
and all the days of our life.
I, (Name), take (you/thee), (Name),
to be my (husband/wife),
knowing in my heart
that you will be my constant friend,
my faithful partner in life,
and my one true love.
(Name), today I will marry you,
the one I will live with, dream with,
and love forever.
I take you to be my (husband/wife).
From this day forward I will cherish you.
I look with joy towards our tomorrows,
knowing we will walk together side by side,
hand in hand,
and heart to heart.
I take you, (Name), to be my partner.
To have and to hold from this day forward.
I give to you my unending love and devotion.
I promise to be true to you,
to share my thoughts, hopes, and dreams
to cherish you always.
I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you my best friend.
I will love you forever.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Section 5 ~ Romantic
73. A Marriage By Michael Blumenthal
You are holding up a ceiling
with both arms. It is very heavy,
but you must hold it up, or else
it will fall down on you. Your arms
are tired, terribly tired,
and, as the day goes on, it feels
as if either your arms or the ceiling
will soon collapse.
But then,
unexpectedly,
something wonderful happens:
Someone,
a man or a woman,
walks into the room
and holds their arms up
to the ceiling beside you.
So you finally get
to take down your arms.
You feel the relief of respite,
the blood flowing back
to your fingers and arms.
And when your partner's arms tire,
you hold up your own
to relieve him again.
And it can go on like this
for many years
without the house falling.
74. A Marriage is a Promise
A marriage is a promise
that two hearts gladly make.
A promise to be tender,
to help, to give and take.
A marriage is a promise
to be kind and understanding
To be thoughtful and considerate,
fair and undemanding.
A marriage is a promise
to share one life together….
A love-filled promise meant to be
kept lovingly for ever.
75. All I have to give by Cara G. Stanfield
You're the first thing I think of
Each morning when I rise.
You're the last thing I think of
Each night when I close my eyes.
You're in each thought I have
And every breath I take.
My feelings are growing stronger
With every move I make.
I want to prove I love you
But that's the hardest part.
So, I'm giving all I have to give
To you... I give my heart.
76. Always
This isn’t sometime
This is always
This isn’t maybe
This is always
The real beginning of forever
This isn’t just midsummer madness
A passing glow, a moment’s gladness
This is love.
I knew it on the night we met
You tied a string around my heart
So how could I forget you?
With every kiss I know that this
Is Always
77. Babylon 5 speech
The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice.
The language is not Narn or Human or Centauri or Gaim or Minbari.
It speaks in the language of hope. It speaks in the language of trust.
It speaks in the language of strength, and the language of compassion.
It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul.
But always it is the same voice.
It is the voice of our ancestors speaking through us.
And the voice of our inheritors waiting to be born.
It is the small, still voice that says we are One.
No matter the blood, no matter the skin,
No matter the world, no matter the star,
We are One.
No matter the pain, no matter the darkness,
No matter the loss, no matter the fear.
We are One.
Here, gathered together in common cause
We agree to recognize this singular truth and this singular rule:
That we must be kind to one another.
Because each voice enriches us and ennobles us,
And each voice lost diminishes us.
We are the voice of the universe, the soul of creation,
The fire that will light the way to a better future.
We are One.
78. Brown Eyes (Lyrics from Destiny’s Child song)
Remember the first day when I saw your face
Remember the first day when you smiled at me
You stepped to me and then you said to me
I was the woman you dreamed about
Remember the first day when you called my house
Remember the first day when you took me out
we had butterflies although we tried to hide
and we both had a beautiful night
The way we held each others hand,
the way we talked, the way we laughed
it felt so good to find true love
I knew right then and there you were the one.
79. Come with me, Go with me
Come with me, go with me
Burn with me, glow with me
Write me a sonnet or two
Sleep with me, wake with me
Give with me, take with me
Love me the way I love you.
Let me get high with you
Laugh with you, cry with you
Be without you when I am blue
Rest with you, fight with you
Day with you, night with you
Love me whatever I do.
Work with me, play with me
Run with me, stay with me
Make me your partner in crime
Handle me, Grow with me
Cradle me tenderly
Say I’m your reason and rhyme.
Pray with me, sin with me
Love with me, win with me
Love me with all of my scars.
Rise with me, fall with me
Hide from it all with me
Nothing is mine now – its ours.
80. Dance Me to the End of Love Leonard Cohen
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I’m gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We’re both of us beneath our love we’re both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I’m gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
81. For You Both
Scattered from hands of love like bread for wild birds
Flung like rainbows of confetti from hands of joy
Released like drops of warm and living rain
We shower you with blessings
May companionship sustain you
Love be your walking guide
Joy the bricks that build your house
Laughter the cement that makes you strong
Compassion the roof that shelters you
In its strong and caring arms
May the path you walk together be the quiet path of harmony
Respecting each other’s differences
May friends and children gather at your table
May life be long and, at its human end
May the gaze that falls each upon the other
Be still alive with love
And twinkle yet with laughter
Health, gladness and love always
Dear……. and Dear………
With hearts filled with joy we celebrate
Your wedding day
82. Marriage Poem
You have become mine forever.
Yes, we have become partners.
I have become yours.
Hereafter, I cannot live without you.
Do not live without me.
Let us share the joys.
We are word and meaning, unite.
You are thought and I am sound.
May the nights be honey-sweet for us.
May the mornings be honey-sweet for us.
May the plants be honey-sweet for us.
May the earth be honey-sweet for us.
83. How Do I Love Thee? ~ By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, -- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! -- and, if Providence choose,
I shall but love thee better after death
84. I belong in your arms
Finally
I have found a place
into which I fit perfectly,
Safely and securely
with no doubts, no fears,
no sadness, no tears.
This place is filled
with happiness and laughter,
Yet it is spacious enough
to allow me
The freedom to move around,
To live my life and to be myself.
This wonderful place
which I never believed really existed
I have found
Finally
Inside your arms,
Inside your heart,
Inside your love.
85. I Ching
When two people are at one
in their inmost hearts,
they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze.
And when two people understand each other
in their inmost hearts,
their words are sweet and strong,
like the fragrance of orchids.
86. If I can make you cry
If I can fill your eyes with pleasure
just by holding you
In the early hours of the morning
when the day that lies ahead’s
not quite begun
If I can make you smile
If I can move you close
to laughter with a word or two
when your day’s been filled with strangers
and the castles that you build
all tumble down
Oh well, that’s enough for me
that’s all the hero I need to be
I smile to think of you and me
You and I
and how our pleasures make you cry.
87. If Thou Must Love Me ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
If thou must love me, let it be for naught
Except for love's sake only. Do not say,
'I love her for her smile - her look - her way
Of speaking gently,- for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day' -
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee - and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry:
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.
88. If you have found a smile
If you have found a smile
That is the sweetest one you’ve ever known
If you have heard, within a voice
The echoes of your own,
If you have ever felt a touch
That stirs the longings of your heart
And still can feel that closeness
In the moments you’re apart
If you are filled with wonder
At the way two lives can blend
To weave a perfect pattern
That is seamless, end to end
If you believe some things in life
Are simply meant to be
Then you have found your soulmate
Your heart’s own destiny
89. Looking For Your Face ~ by Rumi
From the beginning of my life I have been looking for your face, but today I have seen it. Today I have seen the charm, the beauty, the unfathomable grace of the face that I was looking for. Today I have found you, and those who laughed and scorned me yesterday are sorry that they were not looking as I did. I am bewildered by the magnificence of your beauty, and wish to see you with a hundred eyes. My heart has burned with passion and has searched forever for this wondrous beauty that I now behold. I am ashamed to call this love human, and afraid to call it divine. Your fragrant breath, like the morning breeze, has come to the stillness of the garden. You have breathed new life into me. I have become your sunshine, and also your shadow. My soul is screaming in ecstasy. Every fiber of my being is in love with you. Your burning light has lit a fire in my heart, and you have made radiant for me the earth and sky. My arrow of love has arrived at the target. I am in the house of mercy, and my heart is a place of prayer.
90. Love ~ By Roy Croft
I love you, Not only for what you are,
But for what I am When I am with you.
I love you, Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what You are making of me.
I love you For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over All the foolish, weak things
That you can't help Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.
I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern But a temple;
Out of the works Of my every day
Not a reproach But a song.
I love you Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done To make me good,
And more than any fate
To make me happy.
You have done it Without a touch,
Without a word, Without a sign.
You have done it By being yourself.
91. Love is
Love is more than passing pleasures
Love is happiness
Found in home and homely treasures
That the years will bless
Love is caring – Love is bearing one
Another’s crosses
Love is sharing everything,
The profits and the Losses
Love is more than bells and laughter on a
Wedding day
Love is facing what comes after
Sunny skies or grey
Love is giving
Love is living just for one another
Working out the daily problems of your lives…Together
92. Marriage ~ By Mary Weston Fordham
The die is cast, come weal, come woe,
Two lives are joined together,
For better or for worse, the link
Which naught but death can sever.
The die is cast, come grief, come joy
Come richer, or come poorer,
If love but binds the mystic tie,
Blest is the bridal hour.
93. My Love ~ by Linda Lee Elrod
When I met you, I had no idea
how much my life
was about to be changed...
but then, how could I have known?
A love like ours happens
once in a lifetime.
You were a miracle to me,
the one who was everything
I had ever dreamed of,
the one I thought existed
only in my imagination.
And when you came into my life,
I realized that what I
had always thought
was happiness
couldn't compare to the joy
loving you brought me.
You are a part of everything
I think and do and feel,
and with you by my side,
I believe that anything is possible.
(this day) gives me a chance
to thank you for the miracle of you...
you are, and always will be,
the love of my life.
94. My Luve’s Like a Red, Red Rose - Robert Burns
My luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O, my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun!
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!
95. Partners by Patience Strong
The first dance of all when they danced heart to heart
They knew, they both knew, it was only the start
Of something more wonderful than a mere dance
More than a thrill of a passing romance.
They knew without saying that love, the real thing,
Had touched them that night with its shimmering wing.
No word had been spoken and yet they both knew
That suddenly all sorts of dreams had come true.
It’s many a year since the night that they met
But that first dance they will never forget
Then a boy and a girl and now husband and wife
Still happy, still dancing and partners for life.
96. Somewhere ~ by Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904)
Somewhere there waiteth in this world of ours
for one lone soul, another lonely soul -
Each chasing each through all the weary hours,
And meeting strangely at one sudden goal;
Then blend they - like green leaves with golden flowers,
Into one beautiful and perfect whole -
And life's long night is ended, and the way
Lies open onward to eternal day.
97. Sonnet 116 - by William Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments, love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no! it is an ever fixèd mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come,
Love alters not within his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom:
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
98. The Beauty of Love
The question is asked: “Is there anything more beautiful in
life than a young couple clasping hands and pure hearts in
the path of marriage? Can there be anything more beautiful
than young love?” And the answer is given: “Yes, there is a
more beautiful thing. It is the spectacle of an old man and
an old woman finishing their journey together on that path.
Their hands are gnarled but still clasped; their faces are
seamed but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed
and tired but still strong with love and devotion. Yes, there
is a more beautiful thing than young love. Old love.”
99. The Book of Love (lyrics by Peter Gabriel)
The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It's full of charts and facts and figures and instructions for dancing
But I,
I love it when you read to me
And you.
You can read me anything
The book of love has music in it
In fact that's where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb
But I
I love it when you sing to me
And you
You can sing me anything
The book of love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes
And things we're all too young to know
But I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
100. The Colour of My Love by David Foster, Arthur Janov
I'll paint a sun to warm your heart
Knowing that we'll never part.
I'll draw the years all passing by
So much to learn, so much to try.
I'll paint my mood in a shadow blue,
Paint my soul to be with you.
I'll sketch your lips in shaded tones,
Draw your mouth to my own.
I'll trace a hand to wipe your tears
And trace a look to calm your fears.
A silhouette of dark and light
To hold each other oh so tight.
I'll paint the stars in the evening sky,
Draw the light into your eyes,
A touch of love, a touch of grace,
To softly fall on your moonlit face.
And with this ring our lives will start,
Let nothing keep our love apart.
I'll take your hand to hold in mine,
And be together through all time.
101. The First Day ~ by Christina Rossetti
I wish I could remember the first day, first hour,
first moment of your meeting me;
If dim or bright the season,
It might be Summer or Winter for aught I can say.
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see & to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May
If only I could recollect it!
Such a day of days!
I let it come & go
As traceless as a thaw of bygone snow.
It seemed to mean so little, meant so much!
If only now I could recall that touch,
First touch of hand in hand!
Did one but know!
102. The Magic of Love Helen Steiner Rice
Love is like magic, and it always will be, For love still remains life's sweet mystery. Love works in ways that are wondrous and strange, And there's nothing in life that love cannot change! Love can transform the most commonplace Into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace. Love is unselfish, understanding and kind, For it sees with its heart, and not with its mind. Love is the answer that everyone seeks; Love is the language that every heart speaks. Love can't be bought, it is priceless and free. Love, like pure magic, is life's sweet mystery!!
103. Touched By An Angel ~by Maya Angelou
We, unaccustomed to courage exiles from delight live coiled in shells of loneliness until love leaves its high holy temple and comes into our sight to liberate us into life. Love arrives and in its train come ecstasies old memories of pleasure ancient histories of pain. Yet if we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear from our souls. We are weaned from our timidity In the flush of love's light we dare be brave And suddenly we see that love costs all we are and will ever be. Yet it is only love which sets us free.
104. True Love by Sir Philip Sydney
My true love hath my heart & I have his,
By just exchange one for another given;
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss,
There never was a better bargain driven.
My true love hath my heart & I have his.
His heart in me keeps him & me in one,
My heart in him his thoughts & senses guides;
He loves my heart, for once it was his own,
I cherish his, because in me it bides.
My true love hath my heart & I have his.
105. Two Doves
Two doves meeting in the sky
Two loves hand in hand eye to eye
Two parts of a loving whole
Two hearts and a single soul
Two stars shining big and bright
Two fires bringing warmth and light
Two songs played in perfect tune
Two flowers growing into bloom
Two Doves gliding in the air
Two loves free without a care
Two parts of a loving whole
Two hearts and a single soul
106. Vows
Today begins my walk with you
Where you go, I go
Where you stay, I stay
When you sleep, I will sleep
When you rise, I will rise
I will pass my days
Within the sound of your voice,
And my nights
Within the reach of your hand,
And none shall come between us.
This I vow.
You are holding up a ceiling
with both arms. It is very heavy,
but you must hold it up, or else
it will fall down on you. Your arms
are tired, terribly tired,
and, as the day goes on, it feels
as if either your arms or the ceiling
will soon collapse.
But then,
unexpectedly,
something wonderful happens:
Someone,
a man or a woman,
walks into the room
and holds their arms up
to the ceiling beside you.
So you finally get
to take down your arms.
You feel the relief of respite,
the blood flowing back
to your fingers and arms.
And when your partner's arms tire,
you hold up your own
to relieve him again.
And it can go on like this
for many years
without the house falling.
74. A Marriage is a Promise
A marriage is a promise
that two hearts gladly make.
A promise to be tender,
to help, to give and take.
A marriage is a promise
to be kind and understanding
To be thoughtful and considerate,
fair and undemanding.
A marriage is a promise
to share one life together….
A love-filled promise meant to be
kept lovingly for ever.
75. All I have to give by Cara G. Stanfield
You're the first thing I think of
Each morning when I rise.
You're the last thing I think of
Each night when I close my eyes.
You're in each thought I have
And every breath I take.
My feelings are growing stronger
With every move I make.
I want to prove I love you
But that's the hardest part.
So, I'm giving all I have to give
To you... I give my heart.
76. Always
This isn’t sometime
This is always
This isn’t maybe
This is always
The real beginning of forever
This isn’t just midsummer madness
A passing glow, a moment’s gladness
This is love.
I knew it on the night we met
You tied a string around my heart
So how could I forget you?
With every kiss I know that this
Is Always
77. Babylon 5 speech
The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice.
The language is not Narn or Human or Centauri or Gaim or Minbari.
It speaks in the language of hope. It speaks in the language of trust.
It speaks in the language of strength, and the language of compassion.
It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul.
But always it is the same voice.
It is the voice of our ancestors speaking through us.
And the voice of our inheritors waiting to be born.
It is the small, still voice that says we are One.
No matter the blood, no matter the skin,
No matter the world, no matter the star,
We are One.
No matter the pain, no matter the darkness,
No matter the loss, no matter the fear.
We are One.
Here, gathered together in common cause
We agree to recognize this singular truth and this singular rule:
That we must be kind to one another.
Because each voice enriches us and ennobles us,
And each voice lost diminishes us.
We are the voice of the universe, the soul of creation,
The fire that will light the way to a better future.
We are One.
78. Brown Eyes (Lyrics from Destiny’s Child song)
Remember the first day when I saw your face
Remember the first day when you smiled at me
You stepped to me and then you said to me
I was the woman you dreamed about
Remember the first day when you called my house
Remember the first day when you took me out
we had butterflies although we tried to hide
and we both had a beautiful night
The way we held each others hand,
the way we talked, the way we laughed
it felt so good to find true love
I knew right then and there you were the one.
79. Come with me, Go with me
Come with me, go with me
Burn with me, glow with me
Write me a sonnet or two
Sleep with me, wake with me
Give with me, take with me
Love me the way I love you.
Let me get high with you
Laugh with you, cry with you
Be without you when I am blue
Rest with you, fight with you
Day with you, night with you
Love me whatever I do.
Work with me, play with me
Run with me, stay with me
Make me your partner in crime
Handle me, Grow with me
Cradle me tenderly
Say I’m your reason and rhyme.
Pray with me, sin with me
Love with me, win with me
Love me with all of my scars.
Rise with me, fall with me
Hide from it all with me
Nothing is mine now – its ours.
80. Dance Me to the End of Love Leonard Cohen
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I’m gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We’re both of us beneath our love we’re both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I’m gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
81. For You Both
Scattered from hands of love like bread for wild birds
Flung like rainbows of confetti from hands of joy
Released like drops of warm and living rain
We shower you with blessings
May companionship sustain you
Love be your walking guide
Joy the bricks that build your house
Laughter the cement that makes you strong
Compassion the roof that shelters you
In its strong and caring arms
May the path you walk together be the quiet path of harmony
Respecting each other’s differences
May friends and children gather at your table
May life be long and, at its human end
May the gaze that falls each upon the other
Be still alive with love
And twinkle yet with laughter
Health, gladness and love always
Dear……. and Dear………
With hearts filled with joy we celebrate
Your wedding day
82. Marriage Poem
You have become mine forever.
Yes, we have become partners.
I have become yours.
Hereafter, I cannot live without you.
Do not live without me.
Let us share the joys.
We are word and meaning, unite.
You are thought and I am sound.
May the nights be honey-sweet for us.
May the mornings be honey-sweet for us.
May the plants be honey-sweet for us.
May the earth be honey-sweet for us.
83. How Do I Love Thee? ~ By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, -- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! -- and, if Providence choose,
I shall but love thee better after death
84. I belong in your arms
Finally
I have found a place
into which I fit perfectly,
Safely and securely
with no doubts, no fears,
no sadness, no tears.
This place is filled
with happiness and laughter,
Yet it is spacious enough
to allow me
The freedom to move around,
To live my life and to be myself.
This wonderful place
which I never believed really existed
I have found
Finally
Inside your arms,
Inside your heart,
Inside your love.
85. I Ching
When two people are at one
in their inmost hearts,
they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze.
And when two people understand each other
in their inmost hearts,
their words are sweet and strong,
like the fragrance of orchids.
86. If I can make you cry
If I can fill your eyes with pleasure
just by holding you
In the early hours of the morning
when the day that lies ahead’s
not quite begun
If I can make you smile
If I can move you close
to laughter with a word or two
when your day’s been filled with strangers
and the castles that you build
all tumble down
Oh well, that’s enough for me
that’s all the hero I need to be
I smile to think of you and me
You and I
and how our pleasures make you cry.
87. If Thou Must Love Me ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
If thou must love me, let it be for naught
Except for love's sake only. Do not say,
'I love her for her smile - her look - her way
Of speaking gently,- for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day' -
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee - and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry:
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.
88. If you have found a smile
If you have found a smile
That is the sweetest one you’ve ever known
If you have heard, within a voice
The echoes of your own,
If you have ever felt a touch
That stirs the longings of your heart
And still can feel that closeness
In the moments you’re apart
If you are filled with wonder
At the way two lives can blend
To weave a perfect pattern
That is seamless, end to end
If you believe some things in life
Are simply meant to be
Then you have found your soulmate
Your heart’s own destiny
89. Looking For Your Face ~ by Rumi
From the beginning of my life I have been looking for your face, but today I have seen it. Today I have seen the charm, the beauty, the unfathomable grace of the face that I was looking for. Today I have found you, and those who laughed and scorned me yesterday are sorry that they were not looking as I did. I am bewildered by the magnificence of your beauty, and wish to see you with a hundred eyes. My heart has burned with passion and has searched forever for this wondrous beauty that I now behold. I am ashamed to call this love human, and afraid to call it divine. Your fragrant breath, like the morning breeze, has come to the stillness of the garden. You have breathed new life into me. I have become your sunshine, and also your shadow. My soul is screaming in ecstasy. Every fiber of my being is in love with you. Your burning light has lit a fire in my heart, and you have made radiant for me the earth and sky. My arrow of love has arrived at the target. I am in the house of mercy, and my heart is a place of prayer.
90. Love ~ By Roy Croft
I love you, Not only for what you are,
But for what I am When I am with you.
I love you, Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what You are making of me.
I love you For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over All the foolish, weak things
That you can't help Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.
I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern But a temple;
Out of the works Of my every day
Not a reproach But a song.
I love you Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done To make me good,
And more than any fate
To make me happy.
You have done it Without a touch,
Without a word, Without a sign.
You have done it By being yourself.
91. Love is
Love is more than passing pleasures
Love is happiness
Found in home and homely treasures
That the years will bless
Love is caring – Love is bearing one
Another’s crosses
Love is sharing everything,
The profits and the Losses
Love is more than bells and laughter on a
Wedding day
Love is facing what comes after
Sunny skies or grey
Love is giving
Love is living just for one another
Working out the daily problems of your lives…Together
92. Marriage ~ By Mary Weston Fordham
The die is cast, come weal, come woe,
Two lives are joined together,
For better or for worse, the link
Which naught but death can sever.
The die is cast, come grief, come joy
Come richer, or come poorer,
If love but binds the mystic tie,
Blest is the bridal hour.
93. My Love ~ by Linda Lee Elrod
When I met you, I had no idea
how much my life
was about to be changed...
but then, how could I have known?
A love like ours happens
once in a lifetime.
You were a miracle to me,
the one who was everything
I had ever dreamed of,
the one I thought existed
only in my imagination.
And when you came into my life,
I realized that what I
had always thought
was happiness
couldn't compare to the joy
loving you brought me.
You are a part of everything
I think and do and feel,
and with you by my side,
I believe that anything is possible.
(this day) gives me a chance
to thank you for the miracle of you...
you are, and always will be,
the love of my life.
94. My Luve’s Like a Red, Red Rose - Robert Burns
My luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O, my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun!
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!
95. Partners by Patience Strong
The first dance of all when they danced heart to heart
They knew, they both knew, it was only the start
Of something more wonderful than a mere dance
More than a thrill of a passing romance.
They knew without saying that love, the real thing,
Had touched them that night with its shimmering wing.
No word had been spoken and yet they both knew
That suddenly all sorts of dreams had come true.
It’s many a year since the night that they met
But that first dance they will never forget
Then a boy and a girl and now husband and wife
Still happy, still dancing and partners for life.
96. Somewhere ~ by Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904)
Somewhere there waiteth in this world of ours
for one lone soul, another lonely soul -
Each chasing each through all the weary hours,
And meeting strangely at one sudden goal;
Then blend they - like green leaves with golden flowers,
Into one beautiful and perfect whole -
And life's long night is ended, and the way
Lies open onward to eternal day.
97. Sonnet 116 - by William Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments, love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no! it is an ever fixèd mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come,
Love alters not within his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom:
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
98. The Beauty of Love
The question is asked: “Is there anything more beautiful in
life than a young couple clasping hands and pure hearts in
the path of marriage? Can there be anything more beautiful
than young love?” And the answer is given: “Yes, there is a
more beautiful thing. It is the spectacle of an old man and
an old woman finishing their journey together on that path.
Their hands are gnarled but still clasped; their faces are
seamed but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed
and tired but still strong with love and devotion. Yes, there
is a more beautiful thing than young love. Old love.”
99. The Book of Love (lyrics by Peter Gabriel)
The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It's full of charts and facts and figures and instructions for dancing
But I,
I love it when you read to me
And you.
You can read me anything
The book of love has music in it
In fact that's where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb
But I
I love it when you sing to me
And you
You can sing me anything
The book of love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes
And things we're all too young to know
But I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
100. The Colour of My Love by David Foster, Arthur Janov
I'll paint a sun to warm your heart
Knowing that we'll never part.
I'll draw the years all passing by
So much to learn, so much to try.
I'll paint my mood in a shadow blue,
Paint my soul to be with you.
I'll sketch your lips in shaded tones,
Draw your mouth to my own.
I'll trace a hand to wipe your tears
And trace a look to calm your fears.
A silhouette of dark and light
To hold each other oh so tight.
I'll paint the stars in the evening sky,
Draw the light into your eyes,
A touch of love, a touch of grace,
To softly fall on your moonlit face.
And with this ring our lives will start,
Let nothing keep our love apart.
I'll take your hand to hold in mine,
And be together through all time.
101. The First Day ~ by Christina Rossetti
I wish I could remember the first day, first hour,
first moment of your meeting me;
If dim or bright the season,
It might be Summer or Winter for aught I can say.
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see & to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May
If only I could recollect it!
Such a day of days!
I let it come & go
As traceless as a thaw of bygone snow.
It seemed to mean so little, meant so much!
If only now I could recall that touch,
First touch of hand in hand!
Did one but know!
102. The Magic of Love Helen Steiner Rice
Love is like magic, and it always will be, For love still remains life's sweet mystery. Love works in ways that are wondrous and strange, And there's nothing in life that love cannot change! Love can transform the most commonplace Into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace. Love is unselfish, understanding and kind, For it sees with its heart, and not with its mind. Love is the answer that everyone seeks; Love is the language that every heart speaks. Love can't be bought, it is priceless and free. Love, like pure magic, is life's sweet mystery!!
103. Touched By An Angel ~by Maya Angelou
We, unaccustomed to courage exiles from delight live coiled in shells of loneliness until love leaves its high holy temple and comes into our sight to liberate us into life. Love arrives and in its train come ecstasies old memories of pleasure ancient histories of pain. Yet if we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear from our souls. We are weaned from our timidity In the flush of love's light we dare be brave And suddenly we see that love costs all we are and will ever be. Yet it is only love which sets us free.
104. True Love by Sir Philip Sydney
My true love hath my heart & I have his,
By just exchange one for another given;
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss,
There never was a better bargain driven.
My true love hath my heart & I have his.
His heart in me keeps him & me in one,
My heart in him his thoughts & senses guides;
He loves my heart, for once it was his own,
I cherish his, because in me it bides.
My true love hath my heart & I have his.
105. Two Doves
Two doves meeting in the sky
Two loves hand in hand eye to eye
Two parts of a loving whole
Two hearts and a single soul
Two stars shining big and bright
Two fires bringing warmth and light
Two songs played in perfect tune
Two flowers growing into bloom
Two Doves gliding in the air
Two loves free without a care
Two parts of a loving whole
Two hearts and a single soul
106. Vows
Today begins my walk with you
Where you go, I go
Where you stay, I stay
When you sleep, I will sleep
When you rise, I will rise
I will pass my days
Within the sound of your voice,
And my nights
Within the reach of your hand,
And none shall come between us.
This I vow.
Section 4 ~ Loving
38. A Dance
A good relationship is something like a dance – built on the same rules. Partners in a dance do not need to hold on tightly, because they move in the same patterns, confident in each other. To touch heavily would be to arrest the pattern and freeze the movement – to check if not to stop the beauty of its unfolding. There is no place here for the possessive clutch, the clinging arm, the heavy hand. Only the barest touch in passing is sufficient to carry the deepest wealth of meaning.
Now arm in arm, now face to face, now back to back – it doesn’t matter which. As dancers, they know they are partners responding to the same rhythm, creating a pattern together and being invisibly nourished by it. The joy of such a dance is not only the joy of creating; it is also the joy of living in, and for, the moment. The joy of knowing that lightness of touch and life itself are inter-twined.
39. At My Daughter's Side by Linda Jo
Tomorrow was a lifetime away, now suddenly it's here.
How did it happen so quickly? This wedding drawing near.
How can I act so happy? How can I act so gay?
When in such a very short time, I'll give my daughter away.
I wish I could grasp a moment, and make the clock stand still
So I could let my heart catch up, but I know it never will.
All the worries of being a parent, all the battles won,
No one ever warned me about the day the job is done.
Yet, there is another side, where my heart is not as sad.
When I look in my daughter's eyes, I can't help but be joyful and glad.
This day she has dreamt about, for just about all her life.
She's going to be such a beautiful bride and a loving, caring wife.
I'll stand with the congregation as my daughter walks down the aisle
And even though there are tears in my eyes, my face wll bear a smile.
For I know that I was very blessed when God lent this child to me.
To love and care for and nurture, so she would grow up to be
This lovely, bright young woman, who tomorrow will be a bride
And as always I'll be there, with love at my daughter's side
40. Eskimo Lovesong
You are my husband/wife,
My feet shall run because of you
My feet dance because of you
My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
My mind thinks because of you
And I shall love because of you
41. I want to be your friend
I want to be your friend for ever and ever
When the hills are all flat and the rivers are all dry,
when the trees blossom in winter
and the snow falls in summer
when heaven and earth mix –
not till then will I part from you
42. From this day forward
From this day forward,
You shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter,
And my arms will be your home
43. Have you ever
Have you ever met a person
Who made you turn your head.
Have you ever met a person
Who made your heart burn
Have you ever met a person
That let you be you.
Have you ever met a person
That made you feel love true
Have you ever met a person
Who touched you so deep
Have you ever met a person
Without whom you couldn’t sleep.
Have you ever met a person
Who brightened your life
Have you ever met a person
That made you want to be a wife
Have you ever met a person
Whose eyes promise you’ll never be blue
I know I have
Because that person is you.
44. I am Love
Some say I can fly on the wind yet I haven’t any wings.
Some have found me floating on the open sea, yet I cannot swim.
Some have felt my warmth on cold nights, yet I have no flame.
And though you cannot see me, I lay between two lovers at the hearth of fireplaces.
I am the twinkle in your child’s eyes. I am hidden in the lines of your mother’s face.
I am your father’s shield as he guards your home.
And yet…some say I am stronger than steel, yet I am as fragile as a tear.
Some have never searched for me, yet I am around them always.
Some say I die with loss, yet I am endless.
And though you cannot hear me, I dance on the laughter of children.
I am woven in to the whispers of passion.
I am in the blessing of Grandmothers.
And yet…
Some say I am a flower, yet I am also the seed.
Some have little faith in me, and yet I will always believe in them.
Some say I cannot cure ill, yet I nourish the soul.
And though you cannot touch me, I am the gentle hand of the kind.
I am the fingertips caress your cheek at night.
I am the hug of a child.
I am love.”
45. I Promise
I promise to give you the best of myself
and to ask of you no more than you can give.
I promise to respect you as your own person
and to realise that your interests, desires and needs
are no less important than my own.
I promise to share with you my time and my attention
and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship.
I promise to keep myself open to you,
to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost fears
and feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you,
to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how.
Completely and forever.
46. I Think by Archibald MacLeish
I think we have come out
On the other side
Meaning that we love each other
More than we ever did
When we loved each other
47. I Will Be Here
If in the morning when you wake,
If the sun does not appear,
I will be here.
If in the dark we lose sight of love,
Hold my hand and have no fear,
I will be here.
I will be here,
When you feel like being quiet,
When you need to speak your mind I will listen.
Through the winning, losing, and trying we’ll be together,
And I will be here.
If in the morning when you wake,
If the future is unclear,
I will be here.
As sure as seasons were made for change,
Our lifetimes were made for years,
I will be here.
I will be here,
And you can cry on my shoulder,
When the mirror tells us we’re older.
I will hold you, to watch you grow in beauty,
And tell you all the things you are to me.
We’ll be together and I will be here.
I will be true to the promises I’ve made,
48. Love is born
Love is born with the pleasure of looking at each other
It is fed with the necessity of seeing each other
It is concluded with the impossibility of separation
49. Love is Giving
Love is giving, not taking
mending, not breaking,
trusting, believing,
never deceiving,
patiently bearing,
and faithfully sharing
each joy, every sorrow,
today and tomorrow.
Love is kind, understanding,
but never demanding.
Love is constant, prevailing,
its strength never failing.
A promise once spoken
for all time unbroken,
love's time is for ever
50. Marriage is love
Marriage is love,
walking hand in hand together
It is laughing with each other
about silly little things,
and learning to discuss big things
with care and tenderness.
In marriage, love is trusting each other
when you're apart
It's getting over disappointments and hurts
knowing that these are present
in all relationships.
It is the realisation that
there is no one else in this world
that you'd rather be with
than the one you're married to.
It's thinking of new things to do together.
It's growing old together.
Marriage is being in love for the rest of your life
51. Marriage is …
Marriage is a dynamic process of discovery.
Marriage is a journey, not an arrival.
In marriage, being the right person is as
important as finding the right person.
Marriage is starting to love,
over and over again.
Marriage is a life's work.
Marriage is an art … and like any creative
process,
it requires active thought and effort.
We have to learn how to share on many
different levels.
We need to practice talking from the heart,
and understanding attitudes as well as words.
Giving generously and receiving graciously
are talents that are available to anyone.
But all these skills need to be developed,
if the marriage picture that we paint is to be anything
Approaching the masterpiece intended
52. Marriage joins two people in the circle of its love - By Edmund O'Neill
Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal. It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.
Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life's most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic. And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child.
Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.
Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life.
When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfil.
53. Oh, the comfort
Oh, the comfort
The inexpressible comfort
Of feeling safe with a person
Having neither to weigh thoughts
Nor measure words
But pour them all out, just as they are
Chaff and grain together
Knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them
Keep what is worth keeping and then –
With the breath of kindness –
Blow the rest away.
54. On Love ~by Thomas a Kempis
Love is a mighty power, a great and complete good. Love alone lightens every burden, and makes rough places smooth. It bears every hardship as though it were nothing, and renders all bitterness sweet and acceptable. Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing wider, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller or better in heaven or earth. Love flies, runs and leaps for joy. It is free and unrestrained. Love knows no limits, but ardently transcends all bounds. Love feels no burden, takes no account of toil, attempts things beyond its strength. Love sees nothing as impossible, for it feels able to achieve all things. It is strange and effective, while those who lack love faint and fail. Love is not fickle and sentimental, nor is it intent on vanities. Like a living flame and a burning torch, it surges upward and surely surmounts every obstacle.
55. Once in a Lifetime
Once in a lifetime you find someone
Who touches not only your heart,
But also your soul.
Once in a lifetime, you discover someone
Who stands beside you, not over you.
You find someone who loves you for
Who you are, not for who you could be.
Once in a lifetime, you find someone…..
As you have found each other
56. Our Family
Our family is a circle of love and strength.
With every birth and every union, the circle grows.
Every joy shared adds more love.
Every obstacle faced together makes the circle stronger.
57. Our Mother
You are the mother I received
The day I wed your son.
And I just want to thank you, Mum
For all the things you've done.
You've given me a gracious man
With whom I share my life.
You are his loving mother and
I his lucky wife.
You used to pat his little head,
And now I hold his hand.
You raised in love a little boy
And gave to me a man.
58. Promises - by Mark Twain
I cannot promise you a life of sunshine;
I cannot promise riches, wealth or gold;
I cannot promise you an easy pathway
That leads away from change or growing old.
But I can promise all my heart’s devotion
A smile to chase away your tears of sorrow;
A love that’s ever true and ever growing;
A hand to hold in yours through each tomorrow.
59. Risk
Ultimately there comes a time when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take. It is indeed a fearful gamble. Because it is the nature of love to create, a partnership itself is something that has to be created,
To commit to a partner 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.
60. The Loving Heart
Someone may love you because you are clever
Someone may love you because you are wise
Someone may love you for beauty or humour
The fun in your heart, or the light in your eyes.
But if there is one who discovers your failings
And love all the good and bad that is you
This is the love that will last you forever
This is the love that will always be true.
61. The nature of love
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 that we love.
Love is knowing that even when you are alone,
you will never be lonely again.
And great happiness of life is the conviction
that we are loved.
Loved for ourselves.
And even loved in spite of ourselves.
62. This Day I Married My Best Friend
This day I married my best friend
...the one I laugh with as we share life's wonderous zest,
as we find new enjoyments and experience all that's best.
...the one I live for because the world seems brighter
as our happy times are better and our burdens feel much lighter.
...the one I love with every fiber of my soul.
We used to feel vaguely incomplete, now together we are whole.
63. What greater thing by George Elliot
What greater thing is there for two human souls
Than to feel that they are joined for life –
To strengthen each other in all labour
To rest on each other in all sorrow
To minister to each other in all pain
And to be with each other
In silent unspeakable memories
At the moment of the last parting
64. To My Bride (shortened version) by Wilferd Arlan Peterson
To my bride, I give you my heart
Sharing love each day, from the very start
To my bride, I give you my kiss
Filling each day with joy and bliss
To my bride, I give you my being
To love, to play, to work and to sing
To my bride, I give you my mind
Learning each day to be more kind
To my bride, I give you my soul
Growing together to be more whole
To my bride, I give you my life
Rejoicing each day that you are my wife.
65. Today
“Today…”
I look into the eyes of my best friend
The one with whom I can share anything with
My deepest hopes and heart-filled dreams
Inner fears and sheltered insecurities
My most warming joys and overwhelming triumphs
All future journeys that I have left to encounter
This and more I know I can share with you
Today…
I take pride in my best friend
With admiration I look upon you and smile
For all that you are and all that you do that makes me so proud
Ever part of you that I have come to adore
And for all those parts I have not yet learned
Today…
I share my soul to my best friend
My most prized possession which no other has been given
I give it with great confidence and trust
Because with you I am at peace and I know with you it is safe
You give me a warmth that I keep with me always
And what else can I give to someone who has given me so much
For you have opened my eyes to see a love, which before you I was blind to
Today…
I am marrying my best friend
66. Today I Married My Best Friend by Rachel Elizabeth Cooper
Today I married my best friend,
Our bond complete, it hath no end,
We share one soul, we share one heart,
A perfect time - a perfect start.
With these rings we share together,
Love so close to last forever,
This special day - two special hearts,
Let nothing keep this love apart.
67. Wedding Day
Now comes the knitting, the tying, entwining into one,
Mysterious involvement of two, whole, separate people
Into something altogether strange and changing, new and lovely.
Nothing can ever be, will never be, the same again
Not merged into each other forever, but rather
From now on to go the same way, in the same direction.
Agreeing not to leave each other lonely, or discouraged, or behind.
Do your best to keep the promises, to treasure each other and keep each other safe
Embrace the strengths and frailties you each bring to this marriage,
And you will be rich indeed
68. What does marriage mean in today's world?
We live in a world where the old-fashioned social pressures to conform have all but gone. No longer does a young woman wait for her husband
to give her a new independence from her parent's home. And society no longer frowns upon couples who choose not to marry.
So why get married at all?
Perhaps when two people decide that, in the absence of these conformities, this is something they actually want to do - for themselves, for their families and for its own sake, that the meaning of marriage has shifted to the same extent as times have moved on. Now, a cynic might say that a piece of paper alone will not guarantee that two people will stay together for life… and a cynic might have a point.
But ridden of any outside pressures, the vows and intentions
are totally pure and unadulterated.
There cannot really be a better guarantee than this.
69. What is Love?
Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in the movies.
We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives.
For love is a creator of our favourite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams.
Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent,
a seed that can flourish in the most unlikely of places.
And this radiance that never fades,this mysterious and magical joy,
is the greatest treasure of all - one known only by those who love
70. What is the beginning? ~ By Christina Rossetti
What is the beginning? Love.
What the course? Love still.
What the goal? The goal is Love.
On a happy hill
Is there nothing then but Love?
Search we sky or earth
There is nothing out of Love
Hath perpetual worth;
All things flag but only Love,
All things fail and flee;
There is nothing left but Love
Worthy you and me.
71. When I look at you now
When I look at you now
I see all the hope and promise of your life together
As the love that was always there in you
grows stronger still.
I see the wonder, the mystery, the miracle of love
and all your dreams waiting to be born.
I see that you’ve learned what it takes to make a relationship work,
and yours does.
Thank you for being you,
and making each other feel so loved,
Because what you have is special,
and together as husband and wife it will only grow.
72. Why Marriage ~ By: Mari Nichols-Haining
Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...
Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me,
Who won't hold them against me,
Who loves me when I'm unlikable,
Who sees the small child in me, and
Who looks for the divine potential of me...
Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night
Because marriage means opportunity
To grow in love in friendship...
Because marriage is a discipline
To be added to a list of achievements...
Because marriages do not fail, people fail
When they enter into marriage
Expecting another to make them whole...
Because, knowing this,
I promise myself to take full responsibility
For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness
I create me,
I take half of the responsibility for my marriage
Together we create our marriage...
Because with this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.
A good relationship is something like a dance – built on the same rules. Partners in a dance do not need to hold on tightly, because they move in the same patterns, confident in each other. To touch heavily would be to arrest the pattern and freeze the movement – to check if not to stop the beauty of its unfolding. There is no place here for the possessive clutch, the clinging arm, the heavy hand. Only the barest touch in passing is sufficient to carry the deepest wealth of meaning.
Now arm in arm, now face to face, now back to back – it doesn’t matter which. As dancers, they know they are partners responding to the same rhythm, creating a pattern together and being invisibly nourished by it. The joy of such a dance is not only the joy of creating; it is also the joy of living in, and for, the moment. The joy of knowing that lightness of touch and life itself are inter-twined.
39. At My Daughter's Side by Linda Jo
Tomorrow was a lifetime away, now suddenly it's here.
How did it happen so quickly? This wedding drawing near.
How can I act so happy? How can I act so gay?
When in such a very short time, I'll give my daughter away.
I wish I could grasp a moment, and make the clock stand still
So I could let my heart catch up, but I know it never will.
All the worries of being a parent, all the battles won,
No one ever warned me about the day the job is done.
Yet, there is another side, where my heart is not as sad.
When I look in my daughter's eyes, I can't help but be joyful and glad.
This day she has dreamt about, for just about all her life.
She's going to be such a beautiful bride and a loving, caring wife.
I'll stand with the congregation as my daughter walks down the aisle
And even though there are tears in my eyes, my face wll bear a smile.
For I know that I was very blessed when God lent this child to me.
To love and care for and nurture, so she would grow up to be
This lovely, bright young woman, who tomorrow will be a bride
And as always I'll be there, with love at my daughter's side
40. Eskimo Lovesong
You are my husband/wife,
My feet shall run because of you
My feet dance because of you
My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
My mind thinks because of you
And I shall love because of you
41. I want to be your friend
I want to be your friend for ever and ever
When the hills are all flat and the rivers are all dry,
when the trees blossom in winter
and the snow falls in summer
when heaven and earth mix –
not till then will I part from you
42. From this day forward
From this day forward,
You shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter,
And my arms will be your home
43. Have you ever
Have you ever met a person
Who made you turn your head.
Have you ever met a person
Who made your heart burn
Have you ever met a person
That let you be you.
Have you ever met a person
That made you feel love true
Have you ever met a person
Who touched you so deep
Have you ever met a person
Without whom you couldn’t sleep.
Have you ever met a person
Who brightened your life
Have you ever met a person
That made you want to be a wife
Have you ever met a person
Whose eyes promise you’ll never be blue
I know I have
Because that person is you.
44. I am Love
Some say I can fly on the wind yet I haven’t any wings.
Some have found me floating on the open sea, yet I cannot swim.
Some have felt my warmth on cold nights, yet I have no flame.
And though you cannot see me, I lay between two lovers at the hearth of fireplaces.
I am the twinkle in your child’s eyes. I am hidden in the lines of your mother’s face.
I am your father’s shield as he guards your home.
And yet…some say I am stronger than steel, yet I am as fragile as a tear.
Some have never searched for me, yet I am around them always.
Some say I die with loss, yet I am endless.
And though you cannot hear me, I dance on the laughter of children.
I am woven in to the whispers of passion.
I am in the blessing of Grandmothers.
And yet…
Some say I am a flower, yet I am also the seed.
Some have little faith in me, and yet I will always believe in them.
Some say I cannot cure ill, yet I nourish the soul.
And though you cannot touch me, I am the gentle hand of the kind.
I am the fingertips caress your cheek at night.
I am the hug of a child.
I am love.”
45. I Promise
I promise to give you the best of myself
and to ask of you no more than you can give.
I promise to respect you as your own person
and to realise that your interests, desires and needs
are no less important than my own.
I promise to share with you my time and my attention
and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship.
I promise to keep myself open to you,
to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost fears
and feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you,
to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how.
Completely and forever.
46. I Think by Archibald MacLeish
I think we have come out
On the other side
Meaning that we love each other
More than we ever did
When we loved each other
47. I Will Be Here
If in the morning when you wake,
If the sun does not appear,
I will be here.
If in the dark we lose sight of love,
Hold my hand and have no fear,
I will be here.
I will be here,
When you feel like being quiet,
When you need to speak your mind I will listen.
Through the winning, losing, and trying we’ll be together,
And I will be here.
If in the morning when you wake,
If the future is unclear,
I will be here.
As sure as seasons were made for change,
Our lifetimes were made for years,
I will be here.
I will be here,
And you can cry on my shoulder,
When the mirror tells us we’re older.
I will hold you, to watch you grow in beauty,
And tell you all the things you are to me.
We’ll be together and I will be here.
I will be true to the promises I’ve made,
48. Love is born
Love is born with the pleasure of looking at each other
It is fed with the necessity of seeing each other
It is concluded with the impossibility of separation
49. Love is Giving
Love is giving, not taking
mending, not breaking,
trusting, believing,
never deceiving,
patiently bearing,
and faithfully sharing
each joy, every sorrow,
today and tomorrow.
Love is kind, understanding,
but never demanding.
Love is constant, prevailing,
its strength never failing.
A promise once spoken
for all time unbroken,
love's time is for ever
50. Marriage is love
Marriage is love,
walking hand in hand together
It is laughing with each other
about silly little things,
and learning to discuss big things
with care and tenderness.
In marriage, love is trusting each other
when you're apart
It's getting over disappointments and hurts
knowing that these are present
in all relationships.
It is the realisation that
there is no one else in this world
that you'd rather be with
than the one you're married to.
It's thinking of new things to do together.
It's growing old together.
Marriage is being in love for the rest of your life
51. Marriage is …
Marriage is a dynamic process of discovery.
Marriage is a journey, not an arrival.
In marriage, being the right person is as
important as finding the right person.
Marriage is starting to love,
over and over again.
Marriage is a life's work.
Marriage is an art … and like any creative
process,
it requires active thought and effort.
We have to learn how to share on many
different levels.
We need to practice talking from the heart,
and understanding attitudes as well as words.
Giving generously and receiving graciously
are talents that are available to anyone.
But all these skills need to be developed,
if the marriage picture that we paint is to be anything
Approaching the masterpiece intended
52. Marriage joins two people in the circle of its love - By Edmund O'Neill
Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal. It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.
Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life's most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic. And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child.
Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.
Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life.
When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfil.
53. Oh, the comfort
Oh, the comfort
The inexpressible comfort
Of feeling safe with a person
Having neither to weigh thoughts
Nor measure words
But pour them all out, just as they are
Chaff and grain together
Knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them
Keep what is worth keeping and then –
With the breath of kindness –
Blow the rest away.
54. On Love ~by Thomas a Kempis
Love is a mighty power, a great and complete good. Love alone lightens every burden, and makes rough places smooth. It bears every hardship as though it were nothing, and renders all bitterness sweet and acceptable. Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing wider, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller or better in heaven or earth. Love flies, runs and leaps for joy. It is free and unrestrained. Love knows no limits, but ardently transcends all bounds. Love feels no burden, takes no account of toil, attempts things beyond its strength. Love sees nothing as impossible, for it feels able to achieve all things. It is strange and effective, while those who lack love faint and fail. Love is not fickle and sentimental, nor is it intent on vanities. Like a living flame and a burning torch, it surges upward and surely surmounts every obstacle.
55. Once in a Lifetime
Once in a lifetime you find someone
Who touches not only your heart,
But also your soul.
Once in a lifetime, you discover someone
Who stands beside you, not over you.
You find someone who loves you for
Who you are, not for who you could be.
Once in a lifetime, you find someone…..
As you have found each other
56. Our Family
Our family is a circle of love and strength.
With every birth and every union, the circle grows.
Every joy shared adds more love.
Every obstacle faced together makes the circle stronger.
57. Our Mother
You are the mother I received
The day I wed your son.
And I just want to thank you, Mum
For all the things you've done.
You've given me a gracious man
With whom I share my life.
You are his loving mother and
I his lucky wife.
You used to pat his little head,
And now I hold his hand.
You raised in love a little boy
And gave to me a man.
58. Promises - by Mark Twain
I cannot promise you a life of sunshine;
I cannot promise riches, wealth or gold;
I cannot promise you an easy pathway
That leads away from change or growing old.
But I can promise all my heart’s devotion
A smile to chase away your tears of sorrow;
A love that’s ever true and ever growing;
A hand to hold in yours through each tomorrow.
59. Risk
Ultimately there comes a time when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take. It is indeed a fearful gamble. Because it is the nature of love to create, a partnership itself is something that has to be created,
To commit to a partner 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.
60. The Loving Heart
Someone may love you because you are clever
Someone may love you because you are wise
Someone may love you for beauty or humour
The fun in your heart, or the light in your eyes.
But if there is one who discovers your failings
And love all the good and bad that is you
This is the love that will last you forever
This is the love that will always be true.
61. The nature of love
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 that we love.
Love is knowing that even when you are alone,
you will never be lonely again.
And great happiness of life is the conviction
that we are loved.
Loved for ourselves.
And even loved in spite of ourselves.
62. This Day I Married My Best Friend
This day I married my best friend
...the one I laugh with as we share life's wonderous zest,
as we find new enjoyments and experience all that's best.
...the one I live for because the world seems brighter
as our happy times are better and our burdens feel much lighter.
...the one I love with every fiber of my soul.
We used to feel vaguely incomplete, now together we are whole.
63. What greater thing by George Elliot
What greater thing is there for two human souls
Than to feel that they are joined for life –
To strengthen each other in all labour
To rest on each other in all sorrow
To minister to each other in all pain
And to be with each other
In silent unspeakable memories
At the moment of the last parting
64. To My Bride (shortened version) by Wilferd Arlan Peterson
To my bride, I give you my heart
Sharing love each day, from the very start
To my bride, I give you my kiss
Filling each day with joy and bliss
To my bride, I give you my being
To love, to play, to work and to sing
To my bride, I give you my mind
Learning each day to be more kind
To my bride, I give you my soul
Growing together to be more whole
To my bride, I give you my life
Rejoicing each day that you are my wife.
65. Today
“Today…”
I look into the eyes of my best friend
The one with whom I can share anything with
My deepest hopes and heart-filled dreams
Inner fears and sheltered insecurities
My most warming joys and overwhelming triumphs
All future journeys that I have left to encounter
This and more I know I can share with you
Today…
I take pride in my best friend
With admiration I look upon you and smile
For all that you are and all that you do that makes me so proud
Ever part of you that I have come to adore
And for all those parts I have not yet learned
Today…
I share my soul to my best friend
My most prized possession which no other has been given
I give it with great confidence and trust
Because with you I am at peace and I know with you it is safe
You give me a warmth that I keep with me always
And what else can I give to someone who has given me so much
For you have opened my eyes to see a love, which before you I was blind to
Today…
I am marrying my best friend
66. Today I Married My Best Friend by Rachel Elizabeth Cooper
Today I married my best friend,
Our bond complete, it hath no end,
We share one soul, we share one heart,
A perfect time - a perfect start.
With these rings we share together,
Love so close to last forever,
This special day - two special hearts,
Let nothing keep this love apart.
67. Wedding Day
Now comes the knitting, the tying, entwining into one,
Mysterious involvement of two, whole, separate people
Into something altogether strange and changing, new and lovely.
Nothing can ever be, will never be, the same again
Not merged into each other forever, but rather
From now on to go the same way, in the same direction.
Agreeing not to leave each other lonely, or discouraged, or behind.
Do your best to keep the promises, to treasure each other and keep each other safe
Embrace the strengths and frailties you each bring to this marriage,
And you will be rich indeed
68. What does marriage mean in today's world?
We live in a world where the old-fashioned social pressures to conform have all but gone. No longer does a young woman wait for her husband
to give her a new independence from her parent's home. And society no longer frowns upon couples who choose not to marry.
So why get married at all?
Perhaps when two people decide that, in the absence of these conformities, this is something they actually want to do - for themselves, for their families and for its own sake, that the meaning of marriage has shifted to the same extent as times have moved on. Now, a cynic might say that a piece of paper alone will not guarantee that two people will stay together for life… and a cynic might have a point.
But ridden of any outside pressures, the vows and intentions
are totally pure and unadulterated.
There cannot really be a better guarantee than this.
69. What is Love?
Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in the movies.
We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives.
For love is a creator of our favourite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams.
Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent,
a seed that can flourish in the most unlikely of places.
And this radiance that never fades,this mysterious and magical joy,
is the greatest treasure of all - one known only by those who love
70. What is the beginning? ~ By Christina Rossetti
What is the beginning? Love.
What the course? Love still.
What the goal? The goal is Love.
On a happy hill
Is there nothing then but Love?
Search we sky or earth
There is nothing out of Love
Hath perpetual worth;
All things flag but only Love,
All things fail and flee;
There is nothing left but Love
Worthy you and me.
71. When I look at you now
When I look at you now
I see all the hope and promise of your life together
As the love that was always there in you
grows stronger still.
I see the wonder, the mystery, the miracle of love
and all your dreams waiting to be born.
I see that you’ve learned what it takes to make a relationship work,
and yours does.
Thank you for being you,
and making each other feel so loved,
Because what you have is special,
and together as husband and wife it will only grow.
72. Why Marriage ~ By: Mari Nichols-Haining
Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...
Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me,
Who won't hold them against me,
Who loves me when I'm unlikable,
Who sees the small child in me, and
Who looks for the divine potential of me...
Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night
Because marriage means opportunity
To grow in love in friendship...
Because marriage is a discipline
To be added to a list of achievements...
Because marriages do not fail, people fail
When they enter into marriage
Expecting another to make them whole...
Because, knowing this,
I promise myself to take full responsibility
For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness
I create me,
I take half of the responsibility for my marriage
Together we create our marriage...
Because with this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.
Section 3 ~ Humorous Readings
16. A Good Wedding Cake
Take half a pound of attraction and mix with four ounces of good humour and two ounces of charm.
Mix together in a conducive atmosphere and add a sprinkling of encouragement.
In a separate bowl, mix equal quantities of fidelity, forgiveness and forgetfulness. Combine the two together in harmony and moisten with half a pint of laughter and a generous trickle of common sense.
Add as much love as the mixture can hold without becoming too sticky or solid. Stir for a long as it takes to ensure there are no lumps, then season with hope.
Pour into a suitable house and bake moderately for ever after and eat with contentment.
17. A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton
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. Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur. The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur's cage with kind words and loving thoughts. I like this Dinosaur, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny. He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now. 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 he can be so distant and so peculiar at times, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. He is also overly fond of Things. Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of Things? 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. I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping, thought the Dinosaur. For she fills our life with beautiful thought and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either. 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. And that, my friends, is how it is with love. Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together. For the sun is warm. And the world is a beautiful place.
18. Being Boring - by Wendy Cope
"may you live in interesting times" - is a chinese curse!
If you ask me "What's new?" - I have nothing to say
Except that the garden is growing.
I had a slight cold but it's better today.
I'm content with the way things are going.
Yes, he is the same as he usually is,
Still eating and sleeping and snoring.
I get on with my work, he gets on with his.
I know this is all very boring.
There was drama enough in my turbulent past:
Tears and passion - I've used up a tankful.
No news is good news, and long may it last.
If nothing much happens, I'm thankful.
A happier cabbage you never did see,
my vegetable spirits are soaring.
If you're after excitement, steer well clear of me.
I want to go on being boring.
I don't go to parties. Well, what are they for,
if you don't need to find a new lover?
You drink and you listen and drink a bit more
And you take the next day to recover.
Someone to stay home with was all my desire
And, now that I've found a safe mooring,
I've just one ambition in life, I aspire
To go on and on being boring.
19. Getting Married Means
Getting married means you'll have
Someone's hand to hold
Even when you're feeling sick,
Even when you're old.
It means when you sit down to eat,
Someone will be there,
So you won’t have to tell your day
To an empty chair.
It means that when you need some help,
Someone will help out
Someone always near to you
So you won’t have to shout.
But best of all is when it’s time
To turn out all the lights;
You won't have to be alone
Those long and scary nights.
20. He never leaves the seat up …
He never leaves the seat up
Or wet towels upon the floor
The toothpaste has the lid on
And he always shuts the door!
She’s very messy and untidy
Though she may sometimes delude
Leave your things out at your peril
In a second they’ll have moved!
He’s a very active person
As are all his next of kin
Where as she likes lazy days
He’ll still drag her to the gym!
He romances her and dines her
Home cooked dinners and the like
He even knows her favourite food
And spoils her day and night!
She’s thoughtful when he looks at her
A smile upon his face
Will he look that good in 50 years
When his dentures aren’t in place?!
He says he loves her figure
And her mental prowess too
But when gravity takes her over
Will she charm with her IQ?
She says she loves his kindness
And his patience is a must
And of course she thinks he’s handsome
Which in her eyes is a plus!
They’re both not wholly perfect
But who are we to judge
He can be pig headed
Where as she won’t even budget!
All that said and done
They love the time they spent together
And I hope as I’m sure you do
That this fine day will last forever.
He’ll be more than just her husband
He’ll also be her friend
And she’ll be more than just his wife
She’s be his soul mate ‘till the end.
This poem for Bride and Groom
A married couple soon
Is a token of the love they share
And the thought behind each vow.
21. How can that be my baby?
How can that be my baby? How can that be my son?
Standing on rugger field, no more than six feet one
Steam is rising from him, his legs are streaked with blood
And he wears a yellow mouthguard in a face that’s black with mud.
How can that be my baby? How can he look like that?
I used to sit him on my knee and read him Postman Pat
Those little ears with cotton buds I kept in perfect shape
But now they’re big and purple they’re fastened back with tape.
How can that be my baby? How did he reach that size?
What happened to his wellies with the little froggy eyes?
His shirt is on one shoulder but it’s hanging off the other
And the little baffled person at his feet is me: his mother
22. I Wanna be Yours
I wanna be your vacuum cleaner
Breathing in your dust,
I wanna be your Ford Cortina
I will never rust,
If you like your coffee hot
Let me be your pot,
You call the shots,
I wanna be yours.
I wanna be your raincoat
For those frequent rainy days,
I wanna be your dreamboat
When you want to sail away,
Let me be your teddy bear
Take me with you anywhere,
I don’t care, I wanna be yours.
I wanna be your electric meter
I will not run out,
I wanna be the electric heater
You’ll get cold without,
I wanna be your setting lotion
Hold your hair in deep devotion,
Deep as the deep Atlantic ocean
That’s how deep is my devotion.
23. I'll be there - by Louise Cuddon
I’ll be there, my darling,Through thick and through thin
When your mind is a mess, When your head’s in a spin
When your plane’s been delayed, When you’ve missed the last train
When life is just threatening to drive you insane
When your thrilling whodunit has lost its last page
When somebody tells you you’re looking your age
When your coffee’s too cool And your wine too warm
When the forecast said ‘Fine’ But you’re out in a storm
When you ordered the Korma But got the Madras
When you wake in the night And are sure you smell gas
When your quick-break hotel Is more like a slum
And your holiday photos Show only your thumb
When you park for five minutes In a resident’s bay
And return to discover You’ve been towed away
When the jeans that you bought In hope or in haste
Stick on your hips And won’t reach around your waist
When the dentist looks into Your mouth and just sighs
When your heroes turn out To be wimps in disguise
When the food that you most like Brings you out in red rashes
When as soon as you boot up The bloody thing crashes
When you’re in extra time And the other team scores
When someone informs you There’s no Santa Claus
When you gaze at the stars And step on a nail
When you know you’ll succeed But, somehow, you fail
When your horoscope tells you You’ll have a good day
So you ask for a rise And your boss says ‘No way’
So my darling, my sweetheart, my dear….
When you spill your beer When you shed a tear
When you burn the toast When you miss the post
When you lose the plot When I’m all you’ve got
When you break a rule When you act the fool
When you’ve got the flu When you’re in a stew
When you’re last in the queue Don’t feel blue
‘Cause I’m telling you I’ll be there
I’ll be there ~ I’ll be there for you.
24. Marriage Advice by Ogden Nash
To keep your marriage brimming
with love in the loving cup
Whenever you’re wrong admit it
Whenever you’re right – shut up!
25. No Mistake - by Martha Sims
I know that you were made for me
And I was made for you
A wise old owl up in a tree
Told me this was true
I asked him only yesterday
If I should marry you
He answered – ‘I can safely say
You’re not a twit to woo
26. Oh Tell Me the Truth About Love
Some day that’s love a little boy
And some say it’s a bird
Some day it makes the world go round
And some say that’s absurd
And when I ask the man next-door
Who looked as if he knew
His wife got very cross indeed
And said it wouldn’t do.
Does it look like a pair of pyjamas
Or the ham in a temperance hotel?
Does it odour remind one of llamas
Or has it a comforting smell?
Is it prickly to touch as a hedge is
Or soft as eiderdown fluff?
Is it sharp or quite smooth at the edges?
tell me the truth about love.
Our history books refer to it
In cryptic little notes
It’s quite a common topic on
Transatlantic boats
I’ve found the subject mentioned in
Accounts of suicides
And even seen it scribbled on
The back of railway-guides.
Does it howl like a hungry Alsation
Or boom like a military band?
Could one give a first-rate imitation
On a saw or a Steinway Grand?
Is its singing at parties a riot?
Does it only like Classical stuff?
Will it stop when wants to be quiet?
tell me the truth about love.
I looked inside the summer house
It wasn’t ever there
I tried the Thames at Maidenhead
And Brighton’s bracing air
I don’t know what the blackbird sang
Or what the tulip said
But it wasn’t in the chicken run
Or underneath the bed.
Can it pull extraordinary faces?
Is it usually sick on a swing?
Does it spend all its time at the races
Or fiddling with pieces of string?
Has it views of its own about money?
Does it think Patriotism enough?
Are its stories vulgar but funny?
tell me the truth about love.
When it comes, it will come without warning
Just as I’m picking my nose?
Will it knock on my door in the morning
Or tread in the bus on my toes?
Will it come like a change in the weather?
Will its greeting be courteous or rough?
Will it alter my life altogether?
Oh tell me the truth about love.
28. Oh the Places You’ll Go - Dr Seuss
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the couple who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “We don’t choose to go there.”
With your heads full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down, any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there
in the wide open air,
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.
OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to great heights!
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have all the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang, and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because sometimes, you won’t.
You’ll get mixed up of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with so many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with great care and great tact
and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
KIDS, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So, be your name Buxbaum or Dowrie or Bass
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So … get on your way!
29. Reprise by Ogden Nash
Geniuses of countless nations
Have told their love for generations
Till all their memorable phrases
Are common as goldenrod or daisies.
Their girls have glimmered like the moon,
Or shimmered like a summer moon,
Stood like a lily, fled like a fawn,
Now the sunset, now the dawn,
Here the princess in the tower
There the sweet forbidden flower.
Darling, when I look at you
Every aged phrase is new,
And there are moments when it seems
I've married one of Shakespeare's dreams.
30. Symptoms by W. H. Auden
Although you have given me a stomach upset
Weak knees, a lurching heart, a fuzzy brain
A high pitched laugh, a monumental phone bill
A feeling of unworthiness, sharp pain
When you are somewhere else, a guilty conscience
A long, and a dread of what’s in store
A pull rate for the Guinness Book of Records
Life now is better than it was before.
Although you have given me a raging temper
Insomnia, a rising sense of panic
A hopeless challenge, bouts of introspection
Raw, bitten nails, a voice that’s strangely manic
A selfish streak, a fear of isolation
A silly smile, lips that are chapped and sore
A running joke, a risk, an inspiration
Life now is better than it was before.
Although you have given me a premonition
Chattering teeth, a goal, a lot to lose
A granted wish, mixed motives, superstitions
Hang-ups and headaches, fear of awful news
A bubble in my throat, a dare to swallow
A crack of light under a closing door
The crude, fantastic prospect of forever
Life now is better than it was before.
31. The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat
They took some honey, and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five–pound note
The Owl looked up to the stars above
And sang to a small guitar
‘O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!’
Pussy said to Owl ‘You elegant fowl!’
How charmingly sweet you sing!
let us be married! Too long we have tarried
But what shall we do for a ring?”
They sailed away, for a year and a day
To the land where the Bong-Tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose
His nose
His nose!
With a ring at the end of his nose.
‘Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?’ Said the Piggy, ‘I will.’
So they took it away and were married next day
By the turkey who lives on the hill
They dined on mince, and slices of quince
Which they ate with a runcible spoon
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand
They danced by the light of the moon
The moon
The moon!
They danced by the light of the moon.
32. The Promise ~ By Eileen Rafter
The sun danced on the snow with a sparkling smile;
As two lovers sat quietly, alone for a while.
Then he turned and said, with a casual air
(though he blushed from his chin to the tips of his hair),
"I think I might like to get married to you."
"Well then," she said, "there's a thought.
But what if we can't promise to be all that we ought?
Can you promise me, say, that you won't rage and shout,
If I'm late yet again, when we plan to go out,
For I know I can't promise I'll learn to ignore
Dirty socks or damp towels strewn all over the floor.
So if we can't vow to be all that we should
I'm not sure what to do though the idea's quite good."
But he gently smiled and tilted his head
Till his lips met her ear and softly he said
"I promise to weave my dreams into your own,
that wherever you breathe will be my heart's home.
I promise that, whether with rags or with gold I am blessed,
Your smile is the jewel I will treasure the best.
Do you think then, my love, we should marry - do you?"
"Yes, she said smiling, "I do."
33. The Wedding Singer’s Song
I wanna make you smile,
Whenever you're sad.
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad.
All I wanna do,
Is grow old with you.
I'll get you medicine,
When your tummy aches.
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks.
Oh it could be so nice,
Growin' old with you.
I'll miss you, kiss you,
Give you my coat when you are cold.
Need you, feed you.
Even let you hold the remote control.
So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink.
Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink.
Oh I could be the man,
Who grows old with you.
I wanna grow old with you.
34. Valentine - by Wendy Cope
My heart had made its mind up
And I'm afraid its you.
Whatever you've got lined up,
my heart has made its mind up
And if you can't be signed up
This year, next year will do.
My heart has made its mind up
And I'm afraid its you
35. Weddings
If you go to a wedding, here’s what it means
No one wears trainers and no one wears jeans
Your best new clothes are all that you wear
And everyone in your whole family is there
Even some cousins that you’ve never known
And the grown-ups all say “Oh, how much you have grown!”
So everyone’s sitting in one big room
(except (Brides Name) and (Groom’s Name), the bride and groom)
Then all of a sudden things quieten down
And music starts playing and people turn round
And really slowly, (Brides Name) walks in
And she’s prettier now than she’s ever been.
She’s a bridge and she’s really great looking today
(when normally she looks just kind of okay)
She walks in and stands with her dad for a while
As (Groom’s Name) her boyfriend, awaits in the aisle
His hair is all combed and he’s wearing a tie
And then (Brides Name)’s mum starts to sniffle and cry.
And now it comes time for the “get-married” part
The Registrar says that we’re ready to start
So she talks and she talks about serious things
Then their friend (Best Man’s name) steps up holding two rings
He gives one to the groom and the other to the bride
Then he steps back and off to the side.
Then (Brides Name) and (Groom’s Name) kind of look at each other
And another big sniffle comes from (Brides Name)’s mother
And (Brides Name) and (Groom’s Name) put on the wedding rings
And they talk and they promise each other some things
They promise that they’ll love each other a lot
And help one another no matter what
And be with each other the rest of their life
Then the Registrar says “Now you are husband and wife”.
Then everyone’s in such a big happy mood
And you go to a party with very much food
Where you dance with some grown-ups and drink some wine
And then do a conga-dance in one long line
‘till (Brides Name) and (Groom’s Name) drive off in a car
and everyone’s thinking how happy they are
So we all yell goodbye and throw handfuls of rice
Then the whole thing is over. Weddings are nice!
36. Will I have to be SEXY at Sixty?
Will I have to be Sexy at Sixty?
Will I have to keep trying so hard?
Well I’m just going to slump
With my dowager’s hump
And watch myself turn into lard.
I’m no going to keep exercising
I’m not going to take HRT
If a to boy enquires
I’ll say “Hah! Hard luck squire!
Where were you in ’73!”
I’m not going to shave my moustaches
I’m just going to let them all sprout
My chins’ll be double
All covered in stubble
I’m going to become an Old Trout!
My beauty all gone and forgotten
Vanished with never a quibble
I’ll sit here and just
Kind of gnaw at a crust
And squint at the telly, and dribble.
As my marbles get steadily fewer
Must I battle to keep my allure?
Have I still got to pout
Now my teeth have come out
And my husband has found pastures newer?
Farewell to the fad and the fashion
Farewell to the young and the free
My passion’s expired
At bedtime ….. I’m TIRED
Sexy and Sixty? Not me.
37. Yes, I'll Marry You ~ by Pam Ayres
Yes, I'll marry you, my dear,
And here's the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
When the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
And it's creepy and it's late,
I hand you the torch you see,
And you investigate.
Yes, I'll marry you, my dear,
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It's you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
Should our Labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It's you that has to whack him.
Yes, I'll marry you,
You're virile and you're lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!
It's you who has to work the drill
and put up curtain track,
And when I've got PMT it's you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so before you see the light,
I do, I do, I do!
Section 2 ~ Blessings on your marriage
12. American Indian Marriage Blessing
May the sun bring you new energy by day;
May the moon softly restore you by night.
May the rain wash away your worries
And the breeze blow new strength into your being,
And all the days of your life may you walk
gently through the world and know its beauty.
Now you can 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 more loneliness,
Now you are two persons,
but there is only one shared life before you.
Go now to your dwelling to enter into the days of your life together,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.
13. Blessing for a marriage
May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.
14. Blessing of the Hands
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 as in today, tears of joy.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children,
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.
15. Marriage Hopes
May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.
May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.
May the saddest day of your future
Be no worse than the happiest day of your past.
May your hands be forever held in friendship
And your hearts joined forever in love.
May the sun bring you new energy by day;
May the moon softly restore you by night.
May the rain wash away your worries
And the breeze blow new strength into your being,
And all the days of your life may you walk
gently through the world and know its beauty.
Now you can 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 more loneliness,
Now you are two persons,
but there is only one shared life before you.
Go now to your dwelling to enter into the days of your life together,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.
13. Blessing for a marriage
May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.
14. Blessing of the Hands
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 as in today, tears of joy.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children,
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.
15. Marriage Hopes
May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.
May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.
May the saddest day of your future
Be no worse than the happiest day of your past.
May your hands be forever held in friendship
And your hearts joined forever in love.
Section 1 - Advice on Marriage Readings
1. Advice on your Marriage
Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficult and fear assail your relationship - as they threaten all relationships at one time or another - remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives - remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
2. Extract from a Victorian guide to love.
Don't ever both be angry at the same time
Never let the cares of the world assume such importance that they cause you to neglect each other.
Be genuinely sympathetic with each other’s trials and tribulations.
Never make a remark calculated to bring ridicule upon the other.
Make any criticism in the most loving and gentle way possible.
Don’t be cross with an error which was done with a good motive and the best judgement at the time.
Don’t boast about the sacrifices you make to each other.
When you part, make time for a loving goodbye.
3. Extract from Captain’s 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 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 blossom have fallen from their branches. They find that they are one tree and not two.
4. Foundations of Marriage by Regina Hill
Love, trust, and forgiveness are the foundations of marriage. In marriage, many days will bring happiness, while other days may be sad. But together, two hearts can overcome everything...In marriage, all of the moments won't be exciting or romantic, and sometimes worries and anxiety will be overwhelming. But together, two hearts that accept will find comfort together. Recollections of past joys, pains, and shared feelings will be the glue that holds everything together during even the worst and most insecure moments. Reaching out to each other as a friend, and becoming the confidant and companion that the other one needs, is the true magic and beauty of any two people together. It's inspiring in each other a dream or a feeling, and having faith in each other and not giving up... even when all the odds say to quit. It's allowing each other to be vulnerable, to be himself or herself, even when the opinions or thoughts aren't in total agreement or exactly what you'd like them to be. It's getting involved and showing interest in each other, really listening and being available, the way any best friend should be. Exactly three things need to be remembered in a marriage if it is to be a mutual bond of sharing, caring, and loving throughout life: love, trust, and forgiveness.
5. In Marriage
In marriage, cherish each other in big ways and in small ways, and never forget the magic of those three little words "I love you …"
In marriage, remember that it is the little things that make the difference …
Don't forget the birthdays and the anniversaries.
An occasional note means a lot.
Share each other's life - even the small details - for too often we forget that
day-after-day becomes year-after-year,and then it's gone.
Give each other room to grow …We all need our time alone.
Keep strong your faith in each other; time has a funny way of testing us,
and it's faith that gets us through.
Respect one another … this world could always use more of that
Speak your mind honestly, openly, but with kindness.
6. Look to this day
Look to this day for it is life
The very life of life in its brief course
lie all the varieties and realities of your existence
The bliss of growth
The glory of action
The splendour of beauty
For yesterday is already a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope
Look well, therefore, to this day.
7. Love That's Meant
How often do you find that one person that you know you will love forever?
A love that's so strong and passionate that its ribbons of joy you can't sever.
Maybe it's the friendship that's so evident in the couple that make their love so strong.
Maybe it's the fact that fate played its hand and the partnership was meant all along.
You will know when you meet these people as their bliss is so blatant to see.
Even when they are down, and are wearing a frown, you know it’s only temporary.
Never take for granted the fortune you've been given, a sole mate's so difficult of find.
Offering your life and your love to one another is the most generous gift of its kind.
As the years come and go, and you both understand the reason you were brought together
Gaining cherished memories in a future ever happy and a bond due to last forever.
Envisage your potential together, and grab hold of those thoughts so tight.
Numerous dreams to be had of the family you will raise, and being together feels so right.
Excitement and uncertainty at what the future holds and enthusiasm to begin a life anew
Never to forget the past spent single, but the future presents such a perfect view.
From this day forward, in sickness and in health, till death do you part, is your oath.
To a very dear couple on your wedding day we all wish love to you both.
8. Love’s Testing
Life is precious and isn’t always filled with the best or the worst,
It is not all roses or all thorns.
There are ups and downs, good days and bad - and there are some days
which are the nadir, the pits, the all-time lows.
It is at those times when your love for each other will be tested.
It is at those times when you become true partners and friends.
It is at those times that you must show patience and kindness.
When your love is tested, show respect for each other.
Be the most important person in each other’s life.
Love and care for each other when you are strong,
be each other's strength in weakness
Consult with each other and communicate.
For communication allows for disagreement without being disagreeable.
When you love, give generously of yourself, without counting the cost of giving.
Remember the saying if you love a little, you give a little, but love a lot and you give a lot.
For true love, when tested, endures…
9. Marriage Advice from Jane Wells (1886)
Let your love be stronger than your hate or anger.
Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend a little than to break.
Believe the best rather than the worst.
People have a way of living up or down to your opinion of them.
Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship.
The person you choose to marry is deserving of the courtesies
and kindnesses you bestow on your friends.
Please hand this down to your children and your children's children.
Never Marry But For Love
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 relationship, and will consequently lack the noblest comfort of a married life.
Between a man and his wife nothing ought rule but love. As love ought to bring them together, so it is the best way to keep them well together.
A husband and wife that love one another show their children that they should do so too. Others visibly lose their authority in their families by their contempt of one another, and teach their children to be unnatural by their own examples.
Let not enjoyment lessen, but augment, affection; it being the basest of passions to like when we have not, what we slight when we possess.
Here it is we ought to search out our pleasure, where the field is large and full of variety, and of an enduring nature; sickness, poverty or disgrace being not able to shake it because it is not under the moving influences of worldly contingencies.
Nothing can be more entire and without reserve; nothing more zealous, affectionate and sincere; nothing more contented than such a couple, nor greater temporal felicity than to be one of them.
10. The Art Of A Good Marriage by Wilferd Arlan Peterson
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
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 at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal. It is not only marrying the right partner; it is being the right partner.
11. Your Marriage
You share today the joy of a deep commitment
And a sacred trust, and you have given each other
The most precious gift of love
Treasure it, nurture it and encourage it
With all the honesty you used in creating it
You are sharing something rare and beautiful
Always speak the truth and listen attentively
So that you may understand each others thoughts and intentions
Inspire each other by sharing your accomplishments
Say I love you often to retain the warmth between you
Laugh a lot too, even when you are angry
Remember you are each other’s best friend
Stand together and for each other always
May each day be a blessing
And the fulfillment of your dreams.
Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficult and fear assail your relationship - as they threaten all relationships at one time or another - remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives - remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
2. Extract from a Victorian guide to love.
Don't ever both be angry at the same time
Never let the cares of the world assume such importance that they cause you to neglect each other.
Be genuinely sympathetic with each other’s trials and tribulations.
Never make a remark calculated to bring ridicule upon the other.
Make any criticism in the most loving and gentle way possible.
Don’t be cross with an error which was done with a good motive and the best judgement at the time.
Don’t boast about the sacrifices you make to each other.
When you part, make time for a loving goodbye.
3. Extract from Captain’s 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 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 blossom have fallen from their branches. They find that they are one tree and not two.
4. Foundations of Marriage by Regina Hill
Love, trust, and forgiveness are the foundations of marriage. In marriage, many days will bring happiness, while other days may be sad. But together, two hearts can overcome everything...In marriage, all of the moments won't be exciting or romantic, and sometimes worries and anxiety will be overwhelming. But together, two hearts that accept will find comfort together. Recollections of past joys, pains, and shared feelings will be the glue that holds everything together during even the worst and most insecure moments. Reaching out to each other as a friend, and becoming the confidant and companion that the other one needs, is the true magic and beauty of any two people together. It's inspiring in each other a dream or a feeling, and having faith in each other and not giving up... even when all the odds say to quit. It's allowing each other to be vulnerable, to be himself or herself, even when the opinions or thoughts aren't in total agreement or exactly what you'd like them to be. It's getting involved and showing interest in each other, really listening and being available, the way any best friend should be. Exactly three things need to be remembered in a marriage if it is to be a mutual bond of sharing, caring, and loving throughout life: love, trust, and forgiveness.
5. In Marriage
In marriage, cherish each other in big ways and in small ways, and never forget the magic of those three little words "I love you …"
In marriage, remember that it is the little things that make the difference …
Don't forget the birthdays and the anniversaries.
An occasional note means a lot.
Share each other's life - even the small details - for too often we forget that
day-after-day becomes year-after-year,and then it's gone.
Give each other room to grow …We all need our time alone.
Keep strong your faith in each other; time has a funny way of testing us,
and it's faith that gets us through.
Respect one another … this world could always use more of that
Speak your mind honestly, openly, but with kindness.
6. Look to this day
Look to this day for it is life
The very life of life in its brief course
lie all the varieties and realities of your existence
The bliss of growth
The glory of action
The splendour of beauty
For yesterday is already a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope
Look well, therefore, to this day.
7. Love That's Meant
How often do you find that one person that you know you will love forever?
A love that's so strong and passionate that its ribbons of joy you can't sever.
Maybe it's the friendship that's so evident in the couple that make their love so strong.
Maybe it's the fact that fate played its hand and the partnership was meant all along.
You will know when you meet these people as their bliss is so blatant to see.
Even when they are down, and are wearing a frown, you know it’s only temporary.
Never take for granted the fortune you've been given, a sole mate's so difficult of find.
Offering your life and your love to one another is the most generous gift of its kind.
As the years come and go, and you both understand the reason you were brought together
Gaining cherished memories in a future ever happy and a bond due to last forever.
Envisage your potential together, and grab hold of those thoughts so tight.
Numerous dreams to be had of the family you will raise, and being together feels so right.
Excitement and uncertainty at what the future holds and enthusiasm to begin a life anew
Never to forget the past spent single, but the future presents such a perfect view.
From this day forward, in sickness and in health, till death do you part, is your oath.
To a very dear couple on your wedding day we all wish love to you both.
8. Love’s Testing
Life is precious and isn’t always filled with the best or the worst,
It is not all roses or all thorns.
There are ups and downs, good days and bad - and there are some days
which are the nadir, the pits, the all-time lows.
It is at those times when your love for each other will be tested.
It is at those times when you become true partners and friends.
It is at those times that you must show patience and kindness.
When your love is tested, show respect for each other.
Be the most important person in each other’s life.
Love and care for each other when you are strong,
be each other's strength in weakness
Consult with each other and communicate.
For communication allows for disagreement without being disagreeable.
When you love, give generously of yourself, without counting the cost of giving.
Remember the saying if you love a little, you give a little, but love a lot and you give a lot.
For true love, when tested, endures…
9. Marriage Advice from Jane Wells (1886)
Let your love be stronger than your hate or anger.
Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend a little than to break.
Believe the best rather than the worst.
People have a way of living up or down to your opinion of them.
Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship.
The person you choose to marry is deserving of the courtesies
and kindnesses you bestow on your friends.
Please hand this down to your children and your children's children.
Never Marry But For Love
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 relationship, and will consequently lack the noblest comfort of a married life.
Between a man and his wife nothing ought rule but love. As love ought to bring them together, so it is the best way to keep them well together.
A husband and wife that love one another show their children that they should do so too. Others visibly lose their authority in their families by their contempt of one another, and teach their children to be unnatural by their own examples.
Let not enjoyment lessen, but augment, affection; it being the basest of passions to like when we have not, what we slight when we possess.
Here it is we ought to search out our pleasure, where the field is large and full of variety, and of an enduring nature; sickness, poverty or disgrace being not able to shake it because it is not under the moving influences of worldly contingencies.
Nothing can be more entire and without reserve; nothing more zealous, affectionate and sincere; nothing more contented than such a couple, nor greater temporal felicity than to be one of them.
10. The Art Of A Good Marriage by Wilferd Arlan Peterson
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
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 at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal. It is not only marrying the right partner; it is being the right partner.
11. Your Marriage
You share today the joy of a deep commitment
And a sacred trust, and you have given each other
The most precious gift of love
Treasure it, nurture it and encourage it
With all the honesty you used in creating it
You are sharing something rare and beautiful
Always speak the truth and listen attentively
So that you may understand each others thoughts and intentions
Inspire each other by sharing your accomplishments
Say I love you often to retain the warmth between you
Laugh a lot too, even when you are angry
Remember you are each other’s best friend
Stand together and for each other always
May each day be a blessing
And the fulfillment of your dreams.
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