Non-Religious Wedding Poems/Readings

[disneyfanatic60]

My son and his fiancee have decided they do not want a church wedding. They are getting married next July. They have booked a beautiful outside wedding chapel to be married at. They will have to find a justice of the peace or local judge to perform the ceremony. Despite their upbringing, they have choose not to do a "traditional religious" ceremony. Not everyone's happy, but it's their day, their choice.

I am trying to find some nice, meaningful poems or other types of readings to be done at the service that are not of the religious nature. They do not want a "10" minute wedding. So they would like to have special people in their lifes do 3-4 readings.

Also, if anyone has any other ideas/suggestions to lengthen the ceremony. They are lighting the unity candle as well. Since neither of them have really been to any weddings, it's hard to explain to them what they might like.

 

[Chokky]

My son and his fiancee have decided they do not want a church wedding. They are getting married next July. They have booked a beautiful outside wedding chapel to be married at. They will have to find a justice of the peace or local judge to perform the ceremony. Despite their upbringing, they have choose not to do a "traditional religious" ceremony. Not everyone's happy, but it's their day, their choice.

I am trying to find some nice, meaningful poems or other types of readings to be done at the service that are not of the religious nature. They do not want a "10" minute wedding. So they would like to have special people in their lifes do 3-4 readings.

Also, if anyone has any other ideas/suggestions to lengthen the ceremony. They are lighting the unity candle as well. Since neither of them have really been to any weddings, it's hard to explain to them what they might like.

Here is one we used for our non-religious wedding:

Apache Blessing

Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
but there is only one life before you.
May beauty surround you both in the
journey ahead and through all the years,
May happiness be your companion and
your days together be good and long upon the earth.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

First off, I just want to say I'm glad you're happy letting the kids have "their day". I researched a bunch of non-religious readings for my own wedding, which was in a non-denominational chapel. We're not anti-religious per se, just anti-specific religion. We had the Lord's Prayer because I knew it would make the more devout half of the families happy and I find it pleasingly unspecific, but that's about it. Here's my personal favorite of the readings I offered to my two chosen readers as options. It's by an author who (if you're not already familiar) is know for writing sci-fi, which is vaguely (and at some times, not so vaguely) Judeo-Christian in nature:

"Ultimately there comes a time 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. 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." - Madeline L'Engle, "The Irrational Season"

 

[Sandy321]

Lots of poets have poems that work very well!

http://www.todays-weddings.com/planning/readings.html

http://www.geocities.com/weddingwordsmith/marriagereadings.html

you can also google Unitarian Wedding ceremonies
http://www.uupuertorico.org/Wedding/Readings1.htm