ROMANTIC READINGS

(You may choose 1 or 2 Special Readings for your ceremony. If there is a romantic reading not listed here that is meaningful to the two of you, please let me know. )

“A Beautiful Journey” by Donna Fargo
“A Good Marriage” by Pearl S. Buck
“A History of Love” by Diane Ackerman
“A Marriage” by Mark Twain
“A Reminder for the One I Love” by Rachyl Taylor
“A Wonderful Gift” by Douglas Pagels
“As You Share Your Hearts in Love” by Deborah T. Kinnebrew
“Because” by Steven Reiser
“Benediction of the Apaches”
“Blessing For A Marriage” by James Dillet Freeman
“Falling In Love” by Vickie M. Worsham
“Friendship” by Judy Bielicki
“I Am Love”
“I Am Thankful”
“I Love You” by Roy Croft
“I Will Be Here” by Steven Curtis Chapman
“If Thou Must Love Me” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
“In Marriage” by Susan Polis Schutz
“In Your Life Together” by Jon Peyton
“Irish Blessing”
“Looking For Your Face” by Rumi
“Love” by Michele Weber
“Love Endures” by Douglas Pagels
“Love Is” I Corinthians 13
“Love Is Friendship Caught Fire” by Laura Hendricks
“Loving You Brings Me Such Happiness” by Donna Fargo
“Marriage Advice From 1886” by Jane Wells
“Marriage Is” by Barbara Cage
“Marriage Is Forever” by Regina Hill
“Marriage Means” by Jon Peyton
“On Love” by Thomas a Kempis
“Our Love Can Last Forever” by Susan Polis Schutz
“She Walks In Beauty” by Lord Byron
“Somewhere” by Edwin Arnold
“Sonnet 17” by Pablo Neruda
“Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare
“Sonnet 116” by William Shakespeare
“Sonnet XLIII” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
“Sooner or Later”
“Take it One Day at a Time” by Julia Escobar
“The Art of a Good Marriage” by Wilferd Arlan Peterson
“The Beauty of Being Soul Mates” by Edwin Arnold
“The Colour Of My Love” by David Foster
“The Greatest Commitment of All” by Barbara Cage
“The Hungering Dark” by Frederick Buechner
“The Keys to Love” by Robert M. Millay
“The Magic of Love” by Helen Steiner Rice
“The Passionate Shepherd To His Love” by Christopher Marlowe
“The Prayer” by Francis Assisi
“The Promises of Marriage” by Bettie Meeks & Douglas Pagels
“The Things I Promise To Be For You”
“These I Can Promise”
“Time In A Bottle” by Jim Croce
“To Husband and Wife” by Margaret Springdale
“Together in Marriage” by Susan Polis Schutz
“True Love”
“Walk With Me In Love” by Susan Polis Schutz
“We Have Lived and Loved Together” by Charles Jefferys
“What is a Marriage” by Collin McCarty
“Why Marriage” by Mari Nichols
“Wonderful Things are Shared” by Douglas Pagels
“Your Love Was Meant to Be” by Douglas Pagels
“Your Soul Mate Will…” by Miranda Moti

***

“A Beautiful Journey”
by Donna Fargo
“A great marriage begins with two people joined together in love as partners and best friends. It’s a commitment to always be on each other’s side, sharing everything…
When two people become one in spirit, every joy is doubled and every disappointment is diminished. They live their lives in an attitude of cooperation with each other. They plan on togetherness. They listen. They hope. They dream. They make mistakes. They understand. They forgive. And they move on…together. They’re loyal to each other and steadfast in their pledge to be there for each other forever… through sickness or health, poverty, wealth, or whatever.
For these tow people, love is the magic that keeps them together and guides them on their journey, enhancing their lives and assuring their happiness.”

***

 

“A Good Marriage”
by Pearl S. Buck
“A good marriage is one where love is not destroyed. Love changes, of course, in its manifestation as time goes on and as individuals achieve higher levels of maturity, but change does not mean destruction. It can and should mean growth. A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love.”

***

 

“A History of Love”
by Diane Ackerman
“Love. What a small word we use for an idea so immense and powerful. It has altered the flow of history, calmed monsters, kindled works of art, cheered the forlorn, turned tough guys to mush, consoled the enslaved, driven strong women mad, glorified the humble, fuelled national scandals, bankrupted robber barons, and made mincemeat of kings. How can love’s spaciousness be conveyed in the narrow confines of one syllable? Love is an ancient delirium, a desire older than civilization, with taproots spreading into deep and mysterious days. The heart is a living museum. In each of its galleries, no matter how narrow or dimly lit, preserved forever like wondrous diatoms, are our moments of loving, and being loved.”

***

 

“A Marriage”
by Mark Twain

A marriage…makes ot two fractional lives a whole;
it gives to two purposeless lives a work,
and doubles the strength of each to perform it;
it gives to two questioning natures a reason for living,
and something to live for;
it will give a new gladness to the sunshine,
a new fragrance to the flowers,
a new beauty to the earth,
and a new mystery to life.

***

 

“A Reminder for the One I Love”
by Rachyl Taylor
“We say ‘I love you’ just about every day. Sometimes the words are whispered as we fall asleep at night; sometimes they’re spoken at the end of a phone conversation or accompanied by a quick kiss as we rush out the door. The words are always there, but sometimes we forget to think about how much they really mean.
Every time you hear me say those three little words, I want you to remember that they’re coming from the bottom of my heart. I want you to remember that I love you for everything you are and for everything I am with you. I want you to remember that you’re the best person I’ve ever known and I feel so lucky to have you in my life.
I want you to remember that true love is forever and there is no love truer than the love I feel for you. I want you to remember that you’re the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me, my happy ending, my dream come true, my friend and my love all wrapped up in one.”

***

 

“A Wonderful Gift”
by Douglas Pagels
“Always remember the wishes and the romance and all the reasons your love came to be.
Never forget that love can see you through anything: all you have to do it just let it. Never turn away from the sweetness of sharing. You`re both so incredibly lucky: never forget it. Never let the important things go unspoken. The dreams you have together are guideposts in your days; never forsake them. The roads you walk together will lead to a deepening joy; go hand-in-hand as best friends on your way.
Never forget that many people search all their lives for the kinds of smiles you have been blessed with. Be sure to remember that love will always be life’s most beautiful gift.
Share, support, speak from the heart, and listen with your very souls. Know that there will be times when you may disagree; nothing could be more natural. Simply remember that when you see things from two different perspectives, you need to give and take and compromise. The longest-lasting and most loving unions in the worlds all have moments when their journeys have uphill climbs. But the secret they share is knowing beyond any clouds that come along, the sun will keep on shining above.
As you continue on your path together, you will come across more joys than you’ll ever be able to count. And you’ll keep on discovering that the `forever` kind of love is the very best thing there is.
May you always and forever be lovingly blessed with this exquisite and wonderful gift… because you deserve to have all the joyous rewards… of a truly great relationship.”

***

 

“As You Share Your Hearts in Love”

by Deborah T. Kinnebrew
“May you always find peace in your home. May you always be faithful to one another. May you always stay flexible enough to listen and consider each other`s opinion. May you always find ways to strengthen your bond with one another. May you be fully aware that one person is unable to fill all the needs of the other. May you continue to discover similar interests. May you appreciate each other`s good qualities and always focus on the positive. May your affection for one another never cease, but instead continue to grow – becoming a deeper, richer, and never-ending love.”

***

 

“Because”
by Steven Reiser

Because we have things in common
We have the joy of sharing them

Because we are so different
There is so much we can learn from each other

Because we love each other
We look for the good in the other

Because we are forgiving
We overlook the faults in each other

Because we are patient
We give each other time to understand

Because we are filled with kindness
We complement the things we do for each other

Because we can empathize
We know what it’s like to stand in each other’s shoes

Because we have character
We enjoy each other’s uniqueness

Because we have faith
We believe in the best for the future

Because we are honest
We are comfortable to trust each other

Because we are filled with loyalty
We always know the other will be there

***

 

“Benediction of the Apaches”
“Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no more loneliness for you.
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two bodies,
But there is only one Life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place,
To enter into the days of your togetherness.
And may your days be good and long upon the earth”

***

 

“Blessing For A Marriage”
by James Dillet Freeman

“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 that 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.”

***

 

“Falling In Love”

“Falling in love is like being first to discover the most beautiful thing in the world or finding something so lovely that no one else had ever noticed. It is like glimpsing the first evening star or the rainbow that unexpectedly appears in the midst of a storm.
Love often starts in little ways. It comes quietly with a smile, a glance or a touch, but you know it’s there because suddenly you’re not alone and the sadness inside you is gone. Love means finally finding a place in this world that shelters you and is your very own – where you feel you have been forever.”

***

 

“Friendship”
by Judy Bielicki
“It is often said that it is love that makes the world go round. However, without doubt, it is friendship which keeps our spinning existence on an even keel. True friendship provides so many of the essentials for a happy life-it is the foundation on which to build an enduring relationship, it is the mortar which bonds us together in harmony, and it is the calm, warm protection we sometimes need when the world outside seems cold and chaotic. True friendship holds a mirror to our foibles and failings, without destroying our sense of worthiness. True friendship nurtures our hopes, supports us in our disappointments, and encourages us to grow to our best potential. (Bride) and (Groom) came together as friends. Today, they pledge to each other not only their love, but also the strength, warmth and, most importantly, the fun of true friendship.”

***

 

“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 into the whispers of passion. I am in the blessings of Grandmothers. I embrace the cries of newborn babies. And yet… Some say I am a flower, yet I am also the seed. Some have little faith in me, yet I will always believe in them. Some say I cannot cure the ill, yet I nourish the soul. And though you cannot touch me, I am the gentle hand of the kind. I am the fingertips that caress your cheek at night. I am the hug of a child. I am love.

***

 

“I Am Thankful”
“When I think of us – and of all the things the two of us bring to our relationship – I am so incredibly thankful. I am thankful…that our two paths converged, and that such a perfect companion was waiting there for me. I am thankful…that the nicest, sweetest, most wonderful person there could ever be…is here beside me in so many ways. Warming up even the cloudiest of times, inspiring those “mmm” kind of dreams in my days and giving my hopes a place they love to come home to. I am thankful…that I can open up to you and share every side of me, every facet of my life and my personality and that you are so understanding, so supportive, and so good at making me realize that you are willing to accept me for what I am. That kind of reassurance is priceless to me, and I will treasure that feeing forever. I am thankful…that my wishes and my tomorrows, and my smiles never seemed as hopeful or as happy or as bright. So please…allow me to thank you for being my love, my desire, my dream come true.”

***

 

“I Love You”
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 could have done to make me happy. You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You have done it by being yourself. Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all.”

***

 

“I Will Be Here”
Steven Curtis Chapman
If in the morning when you wake, and 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, and 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, to you and to the one who gave you to me.
I will be here.

***

 

“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.

***

 

“In Marriage”
by Susan Polis Schutz

In marriage you make the most beautiful commitment in life – to love each other forever. You will share work and play, happiness and sadness, goals and values, family and friends, excitement and boredom. You will build a life which is stronger because you are now part of a team – a team which should go through life holding hands always cheering for each other. In marriage you make the most beautiful commitment in life – two people in love joining together to become one forever.

***

 

“In Your Life Together”
by Jon Peyton

In your life together… you’ll have times of laughter when the sun comes to rise in your hearts and everything is perfect. You’ll also have to hold on to each other and make it through times that challenge who you are and what you mean to each other.

You’ll experience moments that will live forever in your minds. Your marriage will be a shining example of what two people can achieve when their hearts are in tune and their spirits are set free by trust and support to follow their dreams.

Most of all, you will learn what it means to truly love – to dedicate your hearts to the commitment, sacrifice, and awareness it takes to make love last forever.

***

 

“Irish Blessing”

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you

***

 

 

“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 of God 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 effulgence 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.”

***

 

“Love”
by Michele Weber
“Love doesn’t mean that you will never feel pain or live a life free from care. It doesn’t mean that you will never be hurt or that your life will be perfect, with every moment consumed by happiness.
Love does mean that you will always have a companion, someone to help you through the difficult times and rejoice with you in your times of celebration. Love does mean that each argument is followed by a time of forgiveness, and each time of sorrow is far outweighed by all the tender moments spent in each other’s arms.
Love is the miracle that can take two lives and mold them into one, take two souls and bind them for life, take two hearts and fill them with enough passion and tenderness to last a lifetime.
Love is a blessing that will lead you down life’s most beautiful path.”

***

 

“Love Endures”
by Douglas Pagels
“There are few miracles in this universe as amazing as love. When it is true and real and lasting, it forms an unbreakable bond between two very fortunate people. It lets one know that it is always there, always caring. It lives in the deepest part of the heart, but it sneaks out as often as it can…to inspire a grin on the face, a smile in the eyes, a serenity in the soul, and a quiet gratitude in the days.. Love is giving and forgiving, taking and partaking of the sweetest joys and most comforting reassurances imaginable. Love can work wonders. It can travel a thousand miles in the span of one second, and it can take every hope and well-wishing along with it on the journey. Love can feel at home no matter where it is, as long as it knows that it has a companion there by its side to make each place, each day, and each moment a space and a time of sharing. Love is amazing, precious, and beautiful. It’s there for the giving, here for the receiving. Love is what I want to give to you and what I pray that you will always share with me. Love endures, and love will make sure that we’re as happy as two people can be.”

***

 

“Love Is”
I Corinthians 13
“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

***

 

“Love Is Friendship Caught Fire”
by Laura Hendricks
“Love is friendship caught fire; it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and does not brood over the past. It is the day-in and day-out chronicles of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you do not have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough.”

***

 

“Loving You Brings Me Such Happiness”
by Donna Fargo
“Loving you means I’m happy. It means I’m with the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with. It means there’s no one else who matters more to me.
Loving you gives me the confidence to believe that nothing is impossible for us and together we can get through any challenge we face.
Loving you means I am loved by the person I care most about. It means I’m satisfied and excited about life and I am blessed beyond anything I could imagine.
Loving you means everything to me.”

***

 

“Marriage Advice From 1886”
by Jane Wells

“Never go to bed angry.
Let your love be stronger than your hate or anger.
Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is easier 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 kindness you bestow on your friends.
Please pass this on to your children and their children’s children.
The more things change the more they are the same.”

***

 

“Marriage is”
by Barbara Cage

“A commitment. Its success doesn’t depend on feelings, circumstances, or moods – but on two people who are loyal to each other and the vows they took on their wedding day.

Hard work. It means chores, disagreements, misunderstandings, and times when you might not like each other very much. When you work at it together, it can be the greatest blessing in the world.

A relationship where two people must listen, compromise, and respect. It’s an arrangement that requires a multitude of decisions to be made together. Listening, respecting, and compromising go a long way toward keeping peace and harmony.

A union in which two people learn from their mistakes, accept each other’s” faults, and willingly adjust behaviours that need to be changed. It’s caring enough about each other to work through dissappointing and hurtful times, and believing in the love that brought you together in the first place.

Patience and forgiveness. It’s being open and honest, thoughtful and kind. Marriage means talking things out, making necessary changes, and forgiving each other. It’s unconditional love at its most understanding and vulnerable – love that supports, comforts, and is determined to triumph over every challenge and adversity.

Marriage is a relationship of two unique people who bring out the very best in each other and who know that even though they are wonderful as individuals… they are even better together.”

***

 

“Marriage is Forever”
by Regina Hill & Collin McCarty

“When two people join together and bond their lives forever because they are certain they have something special that will make their marriage last… they become as one – fighting against the odds and ultimately creating a marriage that will grow into an infinite love.
How can you ever explain some of the deepest feelings you’ve ever felt for someone? You try to tell them with words that speak of joy and gratitude and so much love; You try to show them with touches, with smiles chasing away the tears, with little caresses that say you care, with secret intimacies you share.
You make the most of each day together; you take the time to make your love the best it can possibly be. You do whatever you can and whatever it takes, and you hope that their heart understands what your heart is trying to say when it says… ‘I love you, and I know I’ll always feel that way’.”

***

 

“Marriage Means”
by Jan Peyton

“On your wedding day, you will take the first step by promising to love, honour and cherish each other for the rest of your lives. From this moment on, you will travel together – sometimes side by side and other times apart, yet always connected by the feelings in your heart and your commitment to the journey.
Along the way, you have learned love’s greatest lessons: how to become one as a couple while remaining strong and independent individuals; how to meet challenges to your relationships in constructive ways; and how to forgive, forget, and move on to create greater levels of trust, passion, and closeness.
Remember to cherish each other every day… and celebrate your life together as you walk hand in hand on your way to forever.”

***

 

 

“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; for love is born of God. 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.”

***

 

“She Walks in Beauty”
by Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair’d the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

***

 

“Somewhere”
by Edwin Arnold
“Somewhere there waits in this world of ours for one lone soul another lonely soul, each choosing 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 perfect whole; and life’s long night is ended and the way lies open to eternal day.”

***

 

“Sonnet 17”
by Pablo Neruda
“I don’t love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul. I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom, and carries hidden within itself the light of those flowers, and thanks to your love, darkly in my body lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth. I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I know no other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you; so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.”

***

 

“Sonnet 18”
by William Shakespeare
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou are more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade
Which in eternal lines to time thou grow’st
So long as men can breathe and eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

***

 

“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.
Oh no, it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering 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 with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me prov’d,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.”

***

 

“Sonnet XLIII”
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 candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old grief’s, 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 God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.”

***

 

“Sooner or Later”
“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 the creator of our favorite 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 even 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.”

***

 

“Take it One Day at a Time”
by Julia Escobar

Cherish each other in big ways and in small ways, and never forget the magic of those three little words “I love you”…
Remember 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, for angry words are scars that may never heal. Trust each other; let your trust be your rock. Most of all, each day… be sure to hold each other and fall in love all over again.

***

 

excerpt from
“The Art of a Good Marriage”
by Wilferd Arlan Peterson
“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 having a mutual sense of values, and common objectives.
It is standing together and facing the world.
It is forming a circle that gathers in the whole family.
It is speaking words of appreciation, and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is not only marrying the right person — it is being the right partner.”

***

 

“The Beauty of Being Soul Mates”
by Edwin Arnold

Somewhere there waits in this world of ours for one lone soul another lonely soul, each choosing 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 perfect whole; and life’s long night is ended, and the way lies open onward to eternal day.

***

 

“The Colour Of My Love”
David Foster

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 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 tear, 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.

***

 

“The Greatest Commitment of All”
by Barbara Cage

“It’s always exciting when two people are so much in love they willingly pledge to spend the rest of their lives together. Anyone who has ever lived with someone else for more than a week knows that such a commitment takes a whole lot of patience, self-control, compromise, and a sense of humour, as well as open minds, hearts and doors.
Fill your time together with love and laughter. Don’t take life too seriously; make time to have fun. Listen to and care about each other’s feelings, opinions, problems, and dreams. Look for the best and the good, and let go of those things that disappoint or anger you. Learn to communicate in ways that uplift each other. Choose peace, happiness, and love. Make up your minds that your marriage is going to be the best in every way… and it will be”

***

 

“The Hungering Dark”
by Frederick Buechner

“Matrimony is called holy, because this brave and fateful promise of a man and a woman, to love and honor and serve each other through thick and thin, looks beyond itself to more fateful promises still, and speaks mightily of what human life at its most human and most alive and most holy must always be. Every wedding is a dream, and every word that is spoken there means more than it says, and every gesture – the clasping of hands, the giving of rings – is rich with mystery. And so it [is that] we hope with every bride and groom, that the love they bear one another, and the joy they take in one another, may help them grow in love for this whole world where their final joy lies.”

***

 

“The Keys to Love”
by Robert M. Millay
“The key to love is understanding… the ability to comprehend not only the spoken word, but those unspoken gestures, the little things that say so much by themselves.
The key to love is forgiveness… to accept each other’s faults and pardon mistakes, without forgetting – but with remembering what you learn from them.
The key to love is trust… though dark doubts lie in hollowed thoughts, it must shine brightly on with reassuring radiance that suppresses fear with faith.
The key to love is sharing… facing your good fortunes as well as the bad, together; both conquering problems – forever searching for ways to intensify your happiness.
The key to love is giving… without thought of return, but with the hope of just a simple smile and by giving in, but never up.
The key to love is respect… realizing that you are two separate people with different ideas, that you don’t belong to each other, but that you belong with each other and share a mutual bond.
The key to love is inside us all… it takes time and patience to unlock all the ingredients that will take you to its threshold; it is a continued learning process that demands a lot of work… but the rewards are more than worth the effort.
And you are the key to me.”

***

 

“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!!”

***

 

“The Passionate Shepherd To His Love”
Christopher Marlowe
Come live with me, and be my love, and we will all the pleasures prove
that valleys, groves, hills and fields, woods, or steeply mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the rocks, seeing the shepherds feed their flocks by shallow rivers, to whose falls melodious birds sing madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of roses, and a thousand fragrant posies, a cap of flowers, and a kirtle, embroidered all with leaves of myrtle.

A gown made of the finest wool which from our pretty lambs we pull,
fair lined slippers for the cold, with buckles of the purest gold.

A belt of straw and ivy buds, with coral clasps and amber studs, and if these pleasures may thee move, come live with me, and be my love.

The shepherds’ swains shall dance and sing for thy delight each May morning; if these delights thy mind may move, then live with me, and be my love.

***

 

“The Promises of Marriage”
by Bettie Meeks & Douglas Pagels
“Marriage is the joining of two people who share the promise that only marriage can make – to share the sunshine and the shadows and to experience a richer, more fulfilling life because of it.
A marriage is one of life’s most wondrous blessings. It involves taking the words of two life stories and weaving them together on the same pages. Every year, in a thousand special ways, the words that will be written in this remarkable story will reflect the strength and the joy and sorrows.
A marriage is the precious, reassuring comfort of having a kindred soul care about your day, every day and each tomorrow, your whole life long.
A marriage is the making of a home that seems so meant to be… between a special woman and a special man. A marriage is a beautiful journey along life’s road with two people smiling as they go, lovingly… hand in hand.”

***

 

“The Things I Promise To Be For You”
A place you can come to for comfort. Eyes you can look at and trust. A hand to reach out and clasp. A heart that understands and doesn’t judge. A supportive shoulder to cry on. A long walk anywhere you want to go. And for any time when we’re apart: a close and caring intimacy that you will always know. A door that is always open. A caring, gentle hug. A time that is devoted to you alone. A reflection of my love”

***

 

“These I Can Promise”
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.

***

 

“Time In A Bottle”
by Jim Croce
“If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I’d like to do, is to save every day ‘till eternity passes away, just to spend them with you. If I could make days last forever; if words could make wishes come true; I’d save every day like a treasure and then, again, I would spend them with you. If I had a box just for wishes, and dreams that had never come true; the box would be empty, except for the memory of how they were answered by you. But there never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do, once you find them. I’ve looked around enough to know that you’re the one I want to go through time with.”

***

 

“The Prayer”
St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, Grant that we may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

***

 

 

“To Husband and Wife”
by Margaret Spingdale
“Preserve sacredly the privacies of your home, your married state and your heart. With mutual help build your quiet world. Let moments of alienation, if they occur, be healed at once. To each other confess and all will come out right. Never let the morrow’s sun still find you at variance. Renew and renew your vow. It will do you good; and thereby your minds will grow together contended in that love which is stronger than death, and you will be truly one.”

***

 

“Together in Marriage”
by Susan Polis Schutz
“Together in marriage you will bring out the best in each other. You will learn from each other and grow from your differences. You will be two individuals living your own lives with each other as one.
Together in marriage you will be stronger, more sensitive, more aware, more knowing and more at peace than you are individually. You will be better people.
Together in marriage your love will give understanding to all that you do because you will share your ideas, goals and frustrations. And you will always have someone to support whatever you say and do.
Together in marriage you will be able to achieve all that you want in life.”

***

 

“True Love”
True love is a sacred flame that burns eternally, and none can dim its special glow or change its destiny.
True love speaks in tender tones and hears with gentle ear.
True love gives with open heart and true love conquers fear.
True love makes no harsh demands it neither rules nor binds.
And true love holds with gentle hands the hearts that it entwines.

***

 

 

“Walk With Me In Love”
by Susan Polis Schutz
“Walk with me in love. Talk to me about what you cannot say to others. Laugh with me even when you feel silly. Cry with me when you are most upset. Plan with me all your dreams. Share with me all the beautiful things in life. Fight with me against all the ugly things in life. Create with me dreams to follow. Have fun with me in whatever we do. Work with me towards common goals. Dance with me to the rhythm of our love. Walk with me throughout life. Let us hug each other at every step in our journey forever in love.”

***

 

“We Have Lived and Loved Together”
by Charles Jefferys
“We have lived and loved together through many changing years;
We have shared each other’s gladness and wept each other’s tears;
I have known ne’er a sorrow that was long unsoothed by thee;
For thy smiles can make a summer where darkness else would be.
Like the leaves that fall around us in autumns fading hours
Are the traitor’s smiles, that darken when the cloud of sorrow lowers;
And though many such we’ve known, love, too prone, alas, to range,
We both can speak of one love which time can never change.
We have lived and loved together through many changing years;
We have shared each other’s gladness and wept each other’s tears.
And let us hope the future, as the past has been will be.
I will share with thee my sorrows, and thou thy joys with me.”

***

 

“What is a Marriage”
by Collin McCarty
“It is the most beautiful thing that can happen between two people in love. A marriage is more than just a husband and a wife. It is a bridge which allows the love of two very special people to give meaning and worth and wonder to life. It is a continual process of building of shaping; of communicating; and caring. It is the deepest and sweetest understanding. It is sharing todays and tomorrows together and making each one more treasured and more complete than anyone could make them alone. A marriage is a home interwoven with hopes and memories and dreams. The thankfulness and love it can bring have no comparison. Being happily married is the most beautiful thing that can happen… to anyone.”

***

 

“Why Marriage?”
by Mari Nichols
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
With someone who thanks God for me,
With someone I feel blessed to hold…
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.

***

 

“Wonderful Things are Shared”
by Douglas Pagels
“Invaluable feelings. Warm memories. Acceptance. Caring. So much gratitude.
An appreciation… of differences. A celebration… of similarities. Milestones and stepping stones. The blessing of feeling that you’re right at home. Right where you should be. Hopes and dreams that are so much alike.
The sweetness of having a best friend for life. Precious knowledge. “Inside” jokes. The perfect freedom of opening up to someone who’s always there for you. A companionship that’s clear to everyone. The fun of looking at photos from days gone by. Arms around one another’s shoulders. Being able to lean on each other for anything. Supporting each other through everything.
Making sure that happiness comes and sadness goes. Currents of emotion that run deep and keep reassuring no matter what. Believing. Making each other laugh. Giving the gift of enjoyment. And getting countless smiles back. Going through the seasons. Walking hand-in-hand.
A safe, gracious familiarity. A serenity. An intimacy. The joy of it all. A trust that is so strong. A bridge that is so steady. An “I-never-imagined-it-could-be-like-this” kind of love.
If they’re really, really lucky, two people get to share all the wonderful things that marriage is made of.”

***

 

“Your Soul Mate Will”
by Miranda Moti
“Your Soul Mate Will… Watch you while you sleep… Kiss you out of a bad dream… love every inch of your body… laugh, cry and share with you… celebrate with you… cherish every feeling you experience… be grateful that you’re you… whisper sweet somethings in your ear… encourage you to follow your dreams… always be on your side… love you unconditionally”

***

 

“Your Love Was Meant To Be”
by Douglas Pagels
“Yours is a story of two people, each with a journey in search of a distant horizon. Two souls whose paths were allowed to cross, whose words felt right at home, and whose smiles discovered that walking the way together could lead to a kind of happiness that only comes along once in a lifetime.”