Your Wedding is Coming up! We Hope You’re Excited!
There are a few things you need to pick from this page:
1. PICK A VOW You’re welcome to pick or write your own vows. Pick the version also – for instance “2a” is a version.
2. PICK A RING EXCHANGE – Same thing – this will be repeat after me in phrases.
3. THEN PICK 2 READINGS FROM EITHER OF THE “READINGS” ATTACHEMENTS. Whatever speaks to you. You are also welcome to send me poetry or song lyrics, or lines from movies, I don’t care – I just want the ceremony to reflect the two of you as much as possible.
If you have other poems, song lyrics, movie lines – whatever please send them to me and I will include them.
We will also talk about the decorations and go over all the details of the contract, sand ceremony colors, wedding location and time, etc.
VOWS AND RINGS
1. WRITING YOUR OWN VOWS IS EASY!
Here is a simple 5 line formula:
Line 1: The opening: What you mean to me.
Line 2: Something about how/when you met or beginning of your relationship
Line 3: An attribute that you love in him/her
Line 4: Your hopes and dreams for the future.
Line 5: Your Promise
SAMPLE:
1. XXX, you are my one true love, my soul mate, my rock.
2. The moment that I saw you I knew you were for me.
3. When you smile, it makes my soul happy.
4. I want to spend every minute of my life with you.
5. I promise to support you in all that you do, for the rest of our lives.
If you don’t want to write your own vows, pick (OR MIX/MATCH) from the ones below.
Vows 1: (as phrases or statement)
I, (name), take you (name), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.
1a: (as question)
Do you, _________, take _________, to be your _________, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do you part?
Vows 2:
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my [opt: lawfully wedded] (husband/wife), my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
2a: Do you __________ take __________, to be your lawfully wedded __________, your constant friend, your faithful partner and your love from this day forward. In the presence of God, the universe, and your family and friends, do you offer your solemn vow to be __________’s faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. Do you promise to love (pronoun) unconditionally, to support (pronoun) in (pronoun) goals, to honor and respect (pronoun) to laugh with (pronoun) and cry with (pronoun) and to cherish (pronoun) for as long as you both shall live?
Vows 3
(Name), I take you to be my lawfully wedded (husband/wife). Before these witnesses (or God or the universe) I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live. I take you with all your faults and your strengths as I offer myself to you with my faults and strengths. I will help you when you need help, and I will turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.
3a. __________do you take __________ to be your wedded __________. Before these witnesses (or God or the universe) do you vow to love __________ and care for __________ as long as you both shall live. Do take __________ with all HER/HIS/THEIR faults and your strengths as you offer yourself to __________ with your faults and strengths.Will you help __________ when __________needs help, and will turn to __________ when your need help. Do you choose __________ as the person with whom you will spend your life?
Vows 4
I,___________), take you, ___________, to be my beloved ___________, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life.
4a: Do you___________take ___________, to be your beloved ___________, to have and to hold, to honor and to treasure, to be at their side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish her always. Do you promise this from your heart, for all the days of your life?
2. RING EXCHANGES
RING EXCHANGE CEREMONY Pick one or two or mix and match – or make your own!
- I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day.
- This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I amResponse (IF YOU WANT):
I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart - I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my _________ this day and forevermore.
- This ring I give to you as a token of my love and devotion. I pledge to you all that I am and all that I will ever be as your _________. With this ring, I gladly marry you and join my life to yours.
- I give this ring as my gift to you. Wear it and think of me and know that I love you.
- I give you this ring in God’s name, as a symbol of all that we have promised and all that we shall share.
- I give you this ring as a visible and constant symbol of my promise to be with you as long as I live.
- I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful partner to you.
- I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my faith in our strength together, and my covenant to learn and grow with you
- 10.Let this ring be a symbol of my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. I am honored to call you my _________.
- With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind , my soul, my heart.
- (Name), I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love.Response: I will wear it gladly. Whenever I look at it, I will remember this joyous day and the vows we’ve made.
- I have for you a golden ring. The most precious metal symbolizes that your love is the most precious element in my life. The ring has no beginning and no ending, which symbolizes that the love between us will never cease. I place it on your finger as a visible sign of the vows which have made us _________ and _________.
- Because this ring is perfectly symmetrical, it signifies the perfection of true love. Because this ring has no end or beginning, it signifies the eternity of true love. As I place it on your finger, I give you all that I am and ever hope to be.
- I give you this ring as a symbol of my love; and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
- This ring I give you, in token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.
- In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, (or Mother Earth, the universe or WHATEVER DEITY OR NATURAL PHENOMENON YOU LIKE ___________) take and wear this ring as sign of my love and faithfulness.
With this ring, I wed you, and pledge you my love, now and forever. - I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness. Receive this ring as a token of wedded love and faith.
- I give you this ring as a sign of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have; I honor you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (or Mother Earth, the universe or WHATEVER DEITY OR NATURAL PHENOMENON YOU LIKE. Amen.
SPIRITUAL WEDDING READINGS
1 FROM “INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM” By His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
And that a loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
Be gentle with the earth be gentle with one another.
When disagreements come remember always to protect the spirit of your union.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other
exceeds your need for each other. So love yourselves, love one another,
love all that is your life together and all else will follow.
2 “ME AND YOU”
– A literal translation of a poem from the 13th century Yuan dynasty.
You and I, our love is strong
Love is everywhere, burns hot like fire
From a piece of clay, twirl a figure of you, mould a figure of me
Then together, broken into pieces, blended with water
Once more twirl a figure of you, and mould a figure of me
A part of you is within me, a part of me is within you
In life we share a quilt, and in death we share a shroud
3 I BOW DEEPLY
Standing quietly by the fence,
you smile your wondrous smile,
I am speechless,
and my senses are filled
By the sounds of your beautiful song,
Beginningless and endless.
I bow deeply to you.
– Thich Nhat Hanh
4 NAVAJO WEDDING BLESSING
Now you have lit a fire and that fire should not go out.
The two of you now have a fire that represents love,
understanding and a philosophy of life.
It will give you heat, food, warmth and happiness.
The new fire represents a new beginning – a new life and a
new family. The fire should keep burning; you should stay
together. You have lit the fire for life, until old age separates you.
5 PRIVILEGED LOVERS
The moon has become a dancer at this festival of love.
This dance of light, This sacred blessing,
This divine love, beckons us to a world beyond
only lovers can see with their eyes of fiery passion. They are the chosen ones who have surrendered. Once they were particles of light now they are the radiant sun.
They have left behind the world of deceitful games. They are the privileged lovers who create a new world with their eyes of fiery passion.
-Jalalud’din Rumi, 13th Century revered mystical poet
6 BUDDHIST WEDDING PRAYER
Today we promise to dedicate ourselves completely to each other, with body, speech, and mind.
In this life, in every situation, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in happiness or difficulty, we will work to help each other perfectly.
The purpose of our relationship will be to attain Enlightenment by perfecting our kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings.
Lama Thubten Yeshe
7 THE MOST ALIVE MOMENT – Rumi
The most living moment comes when those who love each other meet each other’s eyes and in what flows between them then. To see your face in a crowd of others, or alone on a frightening street, I weep for that.
Our tears improve the earth. The time you scolded me, your gratitude, your laughing, always your qualities increase the soul.
Seeing you is a wine that does not muddle or numb. We sit inside the cypress shadow where amazment and clear thought twine its growth into it.
8 A TOUCH OF HEART
There was a time … a moment I felt all alone but then the sun shined upon me bearing gifts of love, friendship and harmony Everlasting love shared and expressed through you to me. The prayers, the cares, the gestures brought forth to me heal my soul For at times I’d only known to give but failed to accept and receive with grace. I’m not alone now for your warmth overwhelms me your spirit fills my soul, and I am ALIVE with your love.
9 TWO SOULS, ONE LIFE
Before the heavens and the earth, when we were still a part of the Great Spirit, you and I asked for a journey to be remembered for all time. Out of Love our hearts desires answered and we were granted these lives.
Today we fulfill that destiny and begin the journey of a lifetime. We were once one soul, then we became two and were born into this world. We have lived lives separate. Now let us give thank to the Great Spirit for loving us enough to allow our love for each other to be expressed. yesterday we were two souls, today we are one life.
10 “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.
11 FROM THE PROPHET, BY KAHLIL GIBRAN
You shall be together forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. You shall be together even in the silent memory of God. Let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not above love; let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup, but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread, but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together: for the pillars of the Temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.
12 MEDIEVAL WEDDING PRAYER
Father, who art in heaven above,So holy be thy name. Your kingdom is upon us and only thy Will shall we do Here on the soil you doth provide, as for your angels in heaven.
We are thankful for our daily bread and spirit and be forgiving of our faults as we find others faultless
OH Lord turn our eyes from temptations and be our holy protector from evil
For God yours is the entirety of the world, with all power,
And all goodness and might is Yours for eternity.
Amen
13 THE APACHE WEDDING BLESSING
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 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.
14 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 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!
15 FROM BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY- Henri Nouwen
Many human relationships are like the interlocking fingers of two hands…Human relationships are meant to be like two hands folded together. They can move away from each other while still touching with the fingertips. They can create space between themselves, a little tent, a home, a safe place to be.
“True relationships among people point to God. They are like prayers in the world. Sometimes the hands that pray are fully touching, sometimes there is distance between them. They always move to and from each other, but they never lose touch. They keep praying to the One who brought them together.”
16 IRISH BLESSINGS
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.
17 SCOTTISH WEDDING PRAYER
Lord help us to remember when
We first met and the strong love that grew between us.
To work that love into practical things so that nothing can divide us.
We ask for words both kind and loving and hearts always ready to ask forgiveness as well as to forgive.
Dear Lord, we put our marriage into your hands
18 THOUGHTS IN A GARDEN- R. GERHARDT
This is a special place, a place where people have brought beautiful living plants, here to establish them, to nurture and care for them, that they may forever surround us with the beauty we now see. And into this place where we stand, you have brought something beautiful — the relationship that is becoming your marriage. Here you are declaring it and pledging it, promising to establish and nurture it. We are aware of the special beauty between the two of you, just as we are aware of the special beauty of this place. We are with you now in this appropriate place to celebrate your relationship as it is and as it is yet to be, and in doing so, we ask only that you remember how your together will have the same seasons and needs as this garden. There will be growth like spring and loss like fall; there will be giving as the blossoming flower, and rest as the seed beneath the snow. All the seasons will be yours, but remember, too, that gardens are not must happenings. The more wonderful the garden, the more skilled the gardener.
So you will have to care deeply for the life that is yours together, and nurture it. You will have to appreciate your differences and cultivate them. You will have to take care of yourself, if for no other reason than out of love for the other. And you will need the support of family and friends to reach full growth. As you caringly chose this place to declare your marriage, so remember its lessons for your life together through the seasons that are yours to share.
And may those seasons bring you and yours joy and happiness.
19 THE COVENANT OF MARRIAGE BY CARL SANDBURG
Marriage has certain qualities of contract, in which two people take on the housekeeping tasks of living, together, to enhance life’s joy. However, marriage is
more than a contract. Marriage is a commitment to take that joy deep, deeper than happiness, deep into the discovery of who you most truly are. It is a
commitment to a spiritual journey, to a life of becoming — in which joy can comprehend despair, running through rivers of pain into joy again. And thus
marriage is even deeper than commitment. It is a covenant — a covenant that says: I love you. I trust you. I will be here for you when you are hurting, And
when I am hurting I will not leave. It is a covenant intended not to provide haven from pain or anger and sorrow. Life offers no such haven. Instead, marriage is
intended to provide a sanctuary safe enough to risk loving, to risk living and sharing from the center of oneself. This is worth everything.
20 I love you for what you are
I love you for what you are, but I love you yet more for what you are going to be.
I love you not so much for your realities as for your ideals.
I pray for your desires that they may be great, rather than for your satisfactions, which may be so hazardously little.
A satisfied flower is one whose petals are about to fall.
The most beautiful rose is one hardly more than a bud wherein the pangs and ecstasies of desires are working for larger and finer growth.
Not always shall you be what you are now.
You are going forward toward something great.
I am on the way with you and therefore I love you.
21 A BLESSING FOR THE JOURNEY (BUDDHIST PRAYER)
Let us vow to bear witness to the wholeness of life, realizing the completeness of each and every thing.
Embracing our differences, I shall know myself as you, and you as myself.
May we serve each other for all our days, here, there, and everywhere.
Let us vow to open ourselves to the abundance of life.
Freely giving and receiving, I shall care for you, for the trees and stars, as treasures of my very own.
May we be grateful for all our days, here, there, and everywhere.
Let us vow to forgive all hurt, caused by ourselves and others, and to never condone hurtful ways.
Being responsible for my actions, I shall free myself and you.
Will you free me, too?
May we be kind for all our days, here, there, and everywhere.
Let us vow to remember that all that appears will disappear.
In the midst of uncertainty, I shall sow love.
Here! Now! I call to you: Let us together live The Great Peace that we are.
May we give no fear for all our days, here, there, and everywhere.
— Sensei Wendy Egyoku Nakao.
22 Love me
Love me because I try to touch life within the framework of uncertainty.
Love in me the shadows of my indecision as I strive to gain knowledge.
Love in me the silence of my hurts and the noise of my confusions.
Love me for the feeling of my heart not the fears of my mind.
Love me in my search for the truth though I may stumble upon fallacy.
Love me as I pursue my dreams sometimes retarded by illusions.
Love me as I grow to know myself even during the times of stagnation.
Love me because I seek God’s harmony not man’s discord.
Love me for my body that I wish to share with affection, wrapping you in warmth. Love me because we are different as we are the same.
Love me that our time together will be spent in growing, kindling the world with understanding. Love me not with expectations but with hope. I will love you the same.
23 “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. & great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. Loved for ourselves. & even loved in spite of ourselves.”
― Victor Hugo,
24 Bob Marley: He’s not perfect, but if he can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can.
She’s not perfect either, and the two of you may never be perfect together. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break—her heart.
So don’t hurt each other, don’t change each other, don’t analyze, and don’t expect more than each other can give
Smile when your beloved makes you happy, let them know when they make you mad, and miss them when they’re not there.
Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect people don’t exist, but there’s always one person that is perfect for you.
25 Here’s To Right Now by Ms Moem
You’re surrounded by your loved ones
And all are wishing you well,
As you create a brand new chapter
In the story that’s yours to tell.
We talk about the memories
You have yet to make together
And the moments you’ve already shared
To be carried with you forever.
But take the time to live today
As your marriage begins,
Look around and soak it up;
the moment we are in.
For this is where the magic starts
When you both say your vows.
You pledge to spend your lives as one
Because of the love you feel now.
So yes, here’s to a future
that is bright and warm and clear.
But more than that, here’s to right now
And what it means to be here.
26 “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
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.
Biblical Wedding Readings
1. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
2. Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
3 Book of Genesis 1:26-28, 31a
Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle,and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.”
God created man in his image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
The word of the Lord.
4 Ruth 1:16-17: Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.
5 Song of Solomon 8:6-7: Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.
6 Book of Tobit She is yours according to the decree of the Book of Moses. Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven! Take your kinswoman from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved. She is yours today and ever after. And tonight, son, may the Lord of heaven prosper you both. May he grant you mercy and peace.”
7 Book of Tobit 8:4b-8
On their wedding night Tobiah arose from bed and said to his wife,
“Sister, get up. Let us pray and beg our Lord
to have mercy on us and to grant us deliverance.”
Sarah got up, and they started to pray and beg that deliverance might be theirs.
They began with these words:
“Blessed are you, O God of our fathers;praised be your name forever and ever.
Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever.
You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support;
and from these two the human race descended.You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.’
Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose.
Call down your mercy on me and on her,and allow us to live together to a happy old age.”
They said together, “Amen, amen.”
8 Book of Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil,all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
The word of the Lord.
9 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church” for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
10 Ephesians 4:2-3
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
11 1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
12 Proverbs 3:3-4
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
13 Matthew 19:4-6
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator “˜made them male and female, and said, “˜For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh ? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
14 1 John 4:16-19
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.We love because he first loved us.
15 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Again, sweet & simple. It’s romantic, practical, genuine, and easy to understand.
16 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
17. Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16a; 8:6-7a
Hark! my lover–here he comes springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows,peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me, “Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come!
“O my dove in the clefts of the rock,in the secret recesses of the cliff,
Let me see you,let me hear your voice,for your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.”
My lover belongs to me and I to him. He says to me: “Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm; For stern as death is love,relentless as the nether world is devotion; its flames are a blazing fire.Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweep it away.”
The word of the Lord.
18 A reading from the Book of Sirach 26:1-4, 13-16
Blessed the husband of a good wife, twice-lengthened are his days;
A worthy wife brings joy to her husband, peaceful and full is his life.
A good wife is a generous gift bestowed upon him who fears the Lord;
Be he rich or poor, his heart is content, and a smile is ever on his face.
A gracious wife delights her husband, her thoughtfulness puts flesh on his bones;
A gift from the Lord is her governed speech, and her firm virtue is of surpassing worth.
Choicest of blessings is a modest wife,priceless her chaste soul.
A holy and decent woman adds grace upon grace;
indeed, no price is worthy of her temperate soul.
Like the sun rising in the Lord’s heavens,
the beauty of a virtuous wife is the radiance of her home.