A celebrant is an endless resource of information. One of the things your amazing celebrant is likely to know a lot about is wedding readings. If you’re thinking of getting a loved one to read a little something during your ceremony, they’re the best person to ask for ideas. We reached out to a bunch of the best celebrants we know and asked them for their tips and their favourite wedding readings.
Jan Harvey Celebrant:
MARRIAGE CELEBRANT | WHITSUNDAYS / MACKAY | SUNSHINE COAST
What It’s Like to Love You
To love you is to daydream of you often, think of you so much,
Speak of you proudly, and miss you terribly when we are apart….To love you is to cherish the warmth of your arms,
the sweetness of your kisses, the friendliness of your smile, the loving sound of your
voice, and the happiness we share.To love you is to not forget the adversity we have overcome, the tears we have shed,
the plans we have made, the problems we have solved, the pain of separation.To love you is to remember joyfully the days we made memorable, the moments that
will live forever in our hearts, the dreams we hope for, the feelings we have for each
other, and the exhilaration of love that fills our hearts.To love you is to need you, want you, hold you, and know you as no one else can.
To love you is to realise that life without you would be no life at all…
That’s a little of what it’s like to be in love with you!
“This is my favourite reading for so many reasons! It perfectly captures the feelings of day to day relationships and love and just brings happiness to those who hear it. It is also a reading that can have personal wording added to it to make it even more suited to each couple, and it always brings back happy memories for me personally, as it was read at my wedding.”
“My favourite readings are those written specifically for the couple by someone they love.
You can’t beat a personally written reading because they are filled with understanding, emotion, back stories, in-jokes and heartfelt best wishes for the couple. Everyone will end up laughing, crying, and feeling warm and fuzzy inside. It’s the ultimate wedding trifecta!
These readings can be placed anywhere within the ceremony, but nothing beats wrapping up the ceremony and ending on a high note with a personally written concluding reading/blessing. Placed just before the couple exit down the aisle to their fave happy tune, confetti, cheering and applause…as partners in marriage!
Here is an example;
I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you, but remember this moment!
Look at the beauty of the mountains, the sun on the water, your blessing stone ripples in the sea….think of the fun adventures that await you out there together!
Look at your family and friends. And the way they’re smiling at you. Know that we’re all here because we love you, stand by you and walk with you through whatever lies ahead.
Look at your hands..may they always hold each other’s like they are here today. May they offer each other strength, help, forgiveness, tenderness – and high fives at the top of the mountain!
Look at each other. You may have been many things to one another – workmates that met at a Christmas party, hiking and camping buddies, friends, lovers, fiancees….but today you can say to the world “this is my husband…this is my wife”.
And what a team! We love the way you respect and care for each other and laugh together. We love hearing your adventure stories and watching how you both embrace life to the full. We love that you have not only invited us to share this special moment with you today, but for all the memorable moments each of us have shared with you along the journey.
We are so proud of you and wish you both all the best in the years ahead.
Adventures aren’t always easy, but they’re always worth it!! We Love you!
Celebrant pronounces couple as Mr & Mrs/Partners in Marriage, Crowd Cheers, Music Plays, Petals fly, couple exit. Awesome.
I particularly like this reading because it asks the couple to pause in the moment, take note, look around, and soak it in. Wedding days fly by too fast, so anything that allows the couple to pause and soak it all in really adds to the mental polaroids they will keep in their memories forever!”
Sherine Burl Celebrant
MARRIAGE CELEBRANT | MELBOURNE
“I use this reading in most of my Ceremonies as I really feel that is resinates with a full married life.
Having been married for 24 years myself, I see a lot of my marriage in this reading. I really enjoy sharing it with my couples and their guests, and I always hear the crowd sigh ‘Ohhh’ when I read it.”
‘Marriage Means Being in Love for the Rest of your Life’
by Chris Ardis
Marriage is love walking hand in hand together.
It’s 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’s 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.
Kylee Payne Celebrant:
I always suggest to my couples they consider including a reading in their ceremony, one which resonates with them! Readings are not boring, as couples sometimes initially think! A well-chosen and presented reading can really add something extra special to a wedding ceremony. I give my couples lots of varied suggestions for readings and I’m happy to suggest when asked, what I think could be a perfect fit for their unique ceremony.
Including a fur-baby (or multiple fur-babies!) in a wedding ceremony is a pure joy! Pets are such a huge part of our lives, I encourage my couples to include theirs in their wedding ceremony. They’re a much loved part of a family and photos with them on a wedding day creates even more magical memories. But … be warned … fur-babies do tend to, somewhat, steal the show on the big day with their cuteness! And we adore them for it, even more! J
One of my favourite readings in a wedding ceremony, for a couple who are both dog-adorers, is this one.
“How Falling In Love Is Like Owning a Dog” … by American Poet, Taylor Mali. Wonderful, wise, knowing, fun words … and so very true. This quirky reading always brings a happy tear and a laugh to my couples, and their guests, and is one of the many highlights in a personalised wedding ceremony for dog-adorers!
How Falling In Love Is Like Owning A Dog … by American Poet, Taylor Mali
Falling in love is like owning a dog … First of all, it’s a big responsibility. So think long and hard before deciding on Love.
On cold winter nights, Love lies between you and lives and breathes and makes funny noises. Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
Love needs to be fed, so it will grow and stay healthy.Love doesn’t like being left alone for long. But come home, and Love is always happy to see you. Love may break a few things, accidentally, in its passion for life, but you can never be mad at Love for long.
Is Love good all the time? No! Love can be bad. “Bad, Love! Very bad Love!”
Love makes messes. Love leaves you little surprises all over your home.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after. Sometimes you want to get a piece of rolled up newspaper and swat Love on the nose, not so much to cause pain, but just to let Love know, “Don’t you ever do that to me again! Bad Love!”Sometimes you just want to get Love fixed.
But most of the time, Love just wants to go out for a nice long walk.
Because Love loves exercise. Love will run you around the block and leave you panting, breathless or wrap itself around and around and around you until you’re all wrapped up in Love and you cannot move.Throw things away and Love will bring them back, again, and again, and again.
But most of all, Love needs love, lots of it.And in return, Love loves you and never stops.
“I like the following quote because it encompasses all that I feel about real love and truly accepting each other for all that you are…”
Quote by Sylvester McNutt
One of the best feelings is finding someone who really gets you.
A person who lets you be vulnerable and honest.
The kind of person who encourages you to push past your flaws because they accept you as you are.
Someone who never tells you that you’re too much of this and too little of that, because, to them, you’re just enough of everything they love.
Kylie McIntosh:
MARRIAGE CELEBRANT | CAIRNS / PORT DOUGLAS
“Whilst I don’t love too many readings… this one does resonate with most of my couples.”
“Every time I say I love you”
Every time I say I love you,
I’m, really trying to say so much more than those three little words
I’m trying to say you mean more to me than anyone else in the world
I’m trying to let you know that I adore you and that I cherish the time we spend together
I’m trying to explain that I want you and that I need you and that I get lost in wonderful thoughts every time I think about you
And each time I whisper “I love you”, I’m trying to remind you that you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Anon
Natasha of Hills Celebrant Services:
“The first is funny and relatable to guests
1. I’ll Be There For You, written by Louise Cuddon“I’ll be there my darling, through thick and through thin
When your mind’s in a mess and your head’s in a spin
When your plane’s been delayed, and 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 is too warm
When the forecast said “Fine”, but you’re out in a storm
When your quick break hotel, turns into 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
Just stick on your hips and don’t reach round your waist
When the food you most like brings you out in red rashes
When as soon as you boot up the bloody thing crashes
So my darling, my sweetheart, my dear…
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.”2. The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coehlo“When he looked into her eyes, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke — the language that everyone on Earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. What the boy felt at that moment was that he was in the presence of the only woman in his life, and that, with no need for words, she recognised the same thing. Because when you know the language, it’s easy to understand that someone in the world awaits you, whether it’s in the middle of the desert or in some great city. And when two such people encounter each other, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.”
Krista of Celebrated Moments:
“Ceremonies don’t have to be full of flowery or ‘lovey-dovey’ odes. They also don’t have to be traditional in structure. They should however provide relevance and connection to both you and your guests. Have fun with the choice of poetry or readings and don’t feel pressured to feel like you are studying the prose like you are in school.”
“The Calvin and Hobbes reading was chosen because it too is relatable, and has an ending that was not expected and makes you laugh.”
Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
Calvin: Hobbes, What’s it like to fall in love?
Hobbes: Well… say the object of your
affection walks by…
Calvin: Yeah?
Hobbes: First, your heart falls into your
stomach and splashes your innards. All the
moisture makes you sweat profusely. This
condensation shorts the circuits to your
brain and you get all woozy. When your
brain burns out altogether, your mouth
disengages and you babble like a cretin
until she leaves.
Calvin: THAT’S LOVE?!?
Hobbes: Medically speaking.
Calvin: Heck, that happened to me once,
but I figured it was cooties!
“Who doesn’t like dogs! This poem is cute and funny and makes people smile. You don’t feel like you are in grade 10 English when you listen to that poem.”
How falling in love is like owning a dog
by Taylor MaliOn cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night
with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay
healthy.
Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy
to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its
passion for life, but you can never be mad
at love for long.
Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad
love.
Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and
there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of
newspaper and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain, just to let love
know Don’t you ever do that again!
Sometimes love just wants to go out for a
nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise. It will run you
around the block and leave you panting,
breathless. Pull you in different directions
at once, or wind itself around and around
you until you’re all wound up and you
cannot move.
But love makes you meet people wherever
you go.
People who have nothing in common but
love stop and talk to each other on the
street.
Throw things away and love will bring them
back, again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never
stops.
