Your vows can be traditional, self-composed,
cleverly worded to reflect the couple's
personalities, or they can be romantic and
deeply emotional...they can be any of these
things, or all of them at once. It is your
decision, and I am here to help you wade
your way through these choices to arrive at a
ceremony that truly reflects the two people
who are starting out on their new journey
together.
As well as vows, many couples choose to
have the celebrant, or a family member or
wedding attendant read from poetry, literature
or other source, some words with special
meaning to them on their day.
Here, I have just a very few ideas. There is so
much material available I couldn't hope to
show it all here, but perhaps this will give an
idea of what is possible. I have a massive
selection to choose from or alternatively,
books and the internet are a great resource.
Tips For Writing Your Own Vows

Writing your own personalized wedding vows can be a daunting task, but it's not quite as
hard as it looks. Here are six easy steps that you can follow to write your own wedding
vows.
1.        Make sure that everyone is on the same page. Talk to your future spouse and your
officiant and make sure everyone is okay with personalized wedding vows. You'll also
want to make sure that your sweetheart also wants to do it. While you're at it, decide
together whether you want to write one wedding vow that you will both say, or whether
you want to write individually.
2.        Answer some simple questions Yep, it's homework time. Sit down in a quiet space
with paper and pen and answer these questions. Even if you don't think the answer will
end up in your wedding vows, still take the time to write it down. It may help you in the
long run. If you encounter writer's block, first try taking a short break. If you're still having
trouble, try speaking the answers into a tape recorder, letting the thoughts flow freely.
•        What is the single greatest thing about the person you are going to marry?
•        When did you know that you were in love/ know that this person was the one you
wanted to marry?
•        What does marriage mean to you? Why do you want to be a married person?
•        What will change about your relationship once you are married? What will stay the
same?
•        What is your most favorite memory of your partner?
•        When you were little, did you dream of your wedding day or your future spouse?
How does that vision match up (or not) with your sweetheart?

3.        Consult the experts Take some time to read through a variety of wedding vows,
(The internet is a great source for these) as well as passages of poetry, love stories, and
famous writings about love. (Again, the internet is your friend here)
4.        Print out your favourites, and highlight passages that especially speak to you.
5.        Put it all together Go back to the words you wrote before, and highlight passages
that you might want to include in your wedding vows. Now is the time to pare things down
– select the very best of all the material you have to work with. Try taking a sentence or
two from literature, add a sentence or two from the answers to the above questions, and
finish with a vow – a sentence that begins "I promise" or "I vow". For example, you might
say:

"Mary, as the poet Rilke said, 'This is the miracle that happens every time to those who
really love. The more they give, the more they possess.' You are the most generous,
loving, unselfish person I know. I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you with your
daughter, treating her with such respect and giving her all of you. I feel so fortunate that
you have chosen to share your love with me, and that I get to grow old next to you. Mary,
today I choose you for my wife. I promise to love you, honour you, care for you, and be
faithful to you, from this day forward and for the rest of our lives."
6.        If that didn't work Try filling in the blanks in a simpler vow.
(Name of your sweetheart), you are my (best friend, one true love, the one I want to
spend the rest of my life with, etc.) Today, I take you to be my (wife, husband, lawfully
wedded wife or husband, life partner, etc.) I promise you that I will be (faithful, worthy of
your trust, worthy of your love, your loving partner, etc.) I vow to (honour you, cherish
you, love you, respect you, laugh with you, cry with you, support you in your goals, etc.),
(insert here the length of your vow, for example, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in
health, for as long as we both shall live.)
7.        Practice, Practice, Practice First, try reading what you've written out loud to a
trusted friend or family member. Ideally, this person will be someone who is a good writer,
and someone who knows your relationship. They may have good suggestions for you, or
the simple act of reading it out loud might help you identify places where you can improve.
Once you've worked out a final version, practice reading it on your own several times to
make sure you are comfortable with it. If you can, try to memorize it, but giving a copy to
your officiant is a good idea as nerves can induce amnesia!
Margaret Celenza
Civil Celebrant
Vows, Readings & Blessings

To Keep Your Marriage Brimming – 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.

Tin Wedding Whistle – Ogden Nash
Though you know it anyhow
Listen to me, darling, now,
Proving what I need not prove
How I know I love you, love.
Near and far, near and far,
I am happy where you are;
Likewise I have never learnt
How to be it where you aren’t.
Far and wide, far and wide,
I can walk with you beside;
Furthermore, I tell you what,
I sit and sulk where you are not.
Visitors remark my frown
Where you’re upstairs and I am down,
Yes, and I’m afraid I pout
When I’m indoors and you are out;
But how contentedly I view
Any room containing you.
In fact I care not where you be,
Just as long as it’s with me.
In all your absences I glimpse
Fire and flood and trolls and imps.
And when you linger late in shops
I long to telephone the cops.
Yet how worth the waiting for,
To see you coming through the door.
Somehow, I can be complacent
Never but with you adjacent.
Near and far, near and far,
I am happy where you are;
Likewise I have never learnt
How to be it where you aren’t.
Then grudge me not my fond endeavor,
To hold you in my sight forever;
Let none, not even you, disparage
Such a valid reason for a marriage.

Yes I’ll Marry You – 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 I hear a knocking
And it’s creepy and it’s late
I hand to you the torch you see
And you investigate
Yes I’ll marry you my dear
And you may not realise it
But when the tumble dryer goes
It’s you that has to mend it
You have to face the neighbour
Should our naughty cat 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
Your house is like a pigsty
I’ll help you keep it clean
It’s you who has to work the drill
And put up curtain track
And when I’ve got a headache,
its you who gets the flack
I do see great advantages
But none of them for you
And so before you see the light
I do I do I do!

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!

Wedding Ceremony Readings – From the Movies
From Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – by Louis Bernieres:
Love is a temporary madness; it erupts like volcanoes
and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to
make a decision. You have to work out whether your
roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable
that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not
the promulgation of eternal passion. That is just being in
love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left
over when being in love has burned away, and this is
both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love
have roots that grow towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their
branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.

From Fools Rush In
You’re the one! You are everything I never knew I
always wanted. I’m not even sure what that means
exactly but I think it has something to so with the rest of
my life! And I think we should get married! Right now!

Wedding Ceremony Readings – From Literature
From The Irrational Season – Madeleine L’Engle

But ultimately there comes a moment 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 marriage itself is
something which has to be created, so that, together we
become a new creature.
To marry 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.
When love is not possession, but participation, then it is
part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and
which implies such risk that it is often rejected.

Wedding Ceremony Readings – From Poetry

From A House of Stone – by Carmen Bugan
In the village where I was born, we wish
A house of stone to shelter the heart of the marriage
So here too, I wish you
Obstinate, strong love, unyielding and unending.
May you be in reach of each other when all seems lost,
May your tears and your smiles happen always face to
face.
When you imagine that you have shared everything
May you know that you still have the rest of your lives
To do all of it again and again.
But now listen to the hurry of bells and
Look how petals of roses about the vineyard
Bring you the words husband and wife:
First words in your house of stone.

Wedding Ceremony Readings – From Songs

Wedding Ceremony Readings – from court
documents
From “Goodridge Vs. Department of Health” –
Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Margaret H.
Marshall
Marriage is a vital social institution. The exclusive
commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures
love and mutual support; it brings stability to our society.
For those who choose to marry, and for their children,
marriage provides an abundance of legal, financial, and
social benefits. In return it imposes weighty legal,
financial, and social obligations….Without question, civil
marriage enhances the “welfare of the community.” It is a
“social institution of the highest importance.” ... Marriage
also bestows enormous private and social advantages on
those who choose to marry. Civil marriage is at once a
deeply personal commitment to another human being and
a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality,
companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family…. Because
it fulfils yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection
that express our common humanity, civil marriage is an
esteemed institution, and the decision whether and whom
to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition.

Lyrics from Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor’s
“Come What May” from the Moulin Rouge Movie
soundtrack.

Never knew, I could feel like this,
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Everyday I love you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you, until the end of time
Come what may, come what may
I will love you, until my dying day
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you
And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather,
And stars may collide
But I love you (I love you)
(un)Til the end of time (Until the end of time)
Come what may, Come what may
I will love you, until my dying day
Oh come what may, come what may
I will love you (I will love you)
Until my dying day
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Come what may, Come what may
I will love you
Until my dying day(slow down)

At Last Lyrics by Etta James

At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last.




Evergreen by Barbara Streissand
Love, soft as an easy chair;
love, fresh as the morning air.
One love that is shared by two,
I have found with you.

Like a rose under the April snow
I was always certain love would grow.
Love ageless and evergreen,
seldom seen by two.

You and I will make each night a first,
ev'ry day a beginning.
Spirits rise and their dance is unrehearsed.
They warm and excite us
'cause we have the brightest love,

two lights that shine as one,
morning glory and midnight sun.
Time we've learned to sail above;
time won't change the meaning of one love,
ageless and ever evergreen.
To have and to hold
from this day
forward, for better
or worse, for richer
for poorer, in
sickness and in
health, to love and
to cherish until
death do us part.
~ Book of Common
Prayer
Now join hands,
and with your
hands your hearts.
~ William
Shakespeare

Readings and Blessings


These readings and poems I have listed below are slightly more modern than some and
with maybe a little less “romance” than you often find, and some with even a little bit of
humour. However, a few well chosen words typed into an internet search engine should find
you more than enough material to choose from. Or...you could write your own!
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.
I Wanna be Yours by John Cooper Clarke
English Poet

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 coffee 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.
The Magic of Love
by 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!!
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
From This Day Forward
by Marianne Williamson

From this day forward,
You shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter,
And my arms will be your home.
~~~~~~

This Day I Married My Best Friend
Author Unknown

This day I married my best friend
...the one I laugh with as we share life's
wondrous 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.

~~~~~~
If I Could Have Just One Wish
By Courtney Kuchta

If I could have just one wish, I would wish to
wake up everyday
to the sound of your breath on my neck,
the warmth of your lips on my cheek,
the touch of your fingers on my skin,
and the feel of your heart beating with mine...
Knowing that I could never find that feeling
with anyone other than you.
A Chinese poem
Annon

I want to be your friend forever and ever
When the hills are all flat
and the rivers run 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.
"I Knew That I Had Been Touched By
Love," author unknown

I knew that I had been touched by love the first
time I saw you,
and I felt your warmth, and I heard your laughter.
I knew that I had been touched by love
when I was hurting from something that
happened,
and you came along and made the hurt go away.
I knew that I had been touched by love
when I quit making plans with my friends,
and started dreaming dreams with you.
I knew that I had been touched by love
when suddenly I stopped thinking in terms of
"me",
and started thinking in terms of "we".
I knew that I had been touched by love
when suddenly I couldn't make any decisions by
myself anymore,
and I had the strong desire to share everything
with you.
I knew that I had been touched by love
the first time we spent alone together,
and I knew I wanted to stay with you forever
because I had never felt this touched by love.
"On Friendship"
by Roy Croft
I love you, not for what you are, but what I am,
when I am with you.
I love you not only for what you have made of
yourself, but 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 frivolous and weak things that you
cannot help seeing
there, and drawing out into the light all the
beautiful and radiant
things that no one else has looked quite far
enough to find.

I love you for ignoring the possibilities of the
fool in me, and for
laying hold of the possibilities of good in me.

I love you for closing your eyes to the discords
in me, and adding
to the music in me by worshipful listening...

You have done it without a touch, without a
sign. You have done it
by being yourself.
From Lovesong -
by The Cure
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am whole again
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again
How ever far away, I will always love you
How ever long I stay, I will always love you
Whatever words I say, I will always love
you
I will always love you
Trully Madly Deeply
by Savage Garden

I'll be your dream
I'll be your wish
I'll be your fantasy.
I'll be your love
Be everything that you need.
I love you more with every breath
Truly madly deeply do..
I will be strong I will be faithful
'Cos I'm counting on a new beginning.
A reason for living.
A deeper meaning.
chorus..

I want to stand with you on a mountain.
I want to bathe with you in the sea.
I want to lay like this forever.
Until the sky falls down on me...
Verse 2

And when the stars are shining brightly
In the velvet sky,
I'll make a wish
Send it to heaven
Then make you want to cry..
The tears of joy
For all the pleasure and the certainty.
That we're surrounded
By the comfort and protection of..
The highest power.
In lonely hours.
The tears devour you..
I want to stand with you on a mountain,
I want to bathe with you in the sea.
I want to lay like this forever,
Until the sky falls down on me...
Bridge

Oh can't you see it baby?
You don't have to close your eyes
'Cos it's standing right before you.
All that you need will surely come...

I'll be your dream
I'll be your wish
I'll be your fantasy.
I'll be your hope
I'll be your love
Be everything that you need.
I'll love you more with every breath
Truly madly deeply do...
.........................

Because Of You
by Amy S. Bedford -

Because of you
my world is now whole,
Because of you
love lives in my soul.
Because of you
I have laughter in my eyes,
Because of you
I am no longer afraid of good-byes.
You are my pillar
my stone of strength,
With me through all seasons
and great times of length.
My love for you is pure
boundless through space and time,
it grows stronger everyday
with the knowledge that you'll always be mine.
At the altar
I will joyously say 'I do',
for I have it all now
and it's all because of you.
......................

Love Changes Everything
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Love, love changes everything,
hands and faces, earth and sky
Love, love changes everything,
How you live and how you die
Love, can make the summer fly,
Or a night seem like a lifetime
Yes love, love changes everything,
Now I tremble at your name
Nothing in the world will ever be the same

Love, love changes everything,
Days are longer, words mean more
Love, love changes everything,
Pain is deeper, than before
Love, will turn your world around,
And that world will last forever
Yes, love, love changes everything,
Brings you glory, brings you shame
Nothing in the world will ever be the same

Off into the world we go,
Planning futures, shaping years
Love bursts in and suddenly,
All our wisdom disappears
Love, makes fools of everyone,
All the rules we make are broken
Yes, love, love changes everyone,
live or perish, in its flame
Love will never, never let you be the same
Love will never, never let you be the same