| Where do we find our readings for our wedding | | | | choose some of your favorite groups and their best |
| ceremony, people ask? Well, as most people in the | | | | song lyrics. Then take a day somewhere comfortable |
| business of marrying folk do, I have pages of readings | | | | (I always imagine a warm room with a fire, but a picnic |
| that I give my couples. So the first place to start will be | | | | by a lake seems romantic enough as well!) haul along |
| your minister or officiant. (I suspect many wedding | | | | a great pile of materials, and some of those post-it |
| planners have a file as well.) You need to pay | | | | arrows and settle down to read. Read together. Read |
| attention. If you're being married in a church, or in some | | | | to one another. Choose some, discard some, read |
| cases by a religious leader, there are either certain | | | | some more. Let yourself be inspired by people who |
| readings that will not be acceptable or only certain | | | | see the world just as you do -- or by people who help |
| readings that are. So begin where you are and ask | | | | you to see the world in a whole new way. |
| questions. Your search may be ended early. | | | | Eventually you'll have a group of pieces that you like |
| But if there are not restrictions on your readings, why | | | | and would enjoy hearing read at your wedding. Then |
| not take the time and make a search for poetry or | | | | over time continue to read them to one another out |
| prose that will support your marriage? Most people, | | | | loud. Whittle away at the list. Eventually, you'll have |
| when they are looking for poetry, look immediately at | | | | chosen pieces to read that really speak to both of |
| all the wildly mushy stuff. Which is great! Love and | | | | you. In addition you will have started a lovely habit, |
| Weddings are mushy things. But marriage is far more | | | | sharing beautiful words in quiet places. That's a habit |
| complicated than that. There are many characteristics | | | | that will sweeten your life from this day forward. |
| that couples will need to thrive in marriage. Readings | | | | And then, do yourself a favor. Choose someone to |
| are a great time to invoke some wonderful metaphors. | | | | read the piece who knows how to read, not just |
| Why not make this a luxurious exploration of your | | | | someone who happens to be a friend you didn't ask to |
| wonderful relationship? Take some time with this | | | | stand up with you. Find someone to do the work |
| project. You can use the net, although I find it more | | | | justice. Poetry, whether from old masters or new hip |
| romantic to read from books than from screens. And | | | | hop artists, can open hearts and minds. Now you have |
| much of what I find on the net is what everyone else | | | | not only have a beautiful tradition to sustain you |
| finds on the net and then your wedding looks like | | | | through your marriage, but you also have a wonderful |
| everyone else's. Do it the old fashioned way. Go to the | | | | moment in the midst of your wedding when the words |
| library: search around in the wedding section and then | | | | you've chosen will thrill your community. All of this can |
| in the poetry section and then in the essay section. Do | | | | grow from an afternoon of reading love poetry to one |
| you like poetry or prose? Go to your cd library and | | | | another. It seems worth trying, doesn't it? |