This Day I Married My Best Friend

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.
We used to feel vaguely incomplete, now together we are whole.

Author Unknown

A Wedding Prayer

By the power that Christ brought from heaven,
mayst thou love me.
As the sun follows its course,
mayst thou follow me.
As light to the eye,
as bread to the hungry,
as joy to the heart,
may thy presence be with me,
oh one that I love,
'til death comes to part us asunder.

Traditional 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 loneliness for you
for each of you will be companion to the other
Now you are two persons
but there is 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 this earth

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver
us from evil, For thine
is the kingdom and the power,
and the glory, forever.
Amen.

Marriage Prayer

Lord, help us to remember when we first met.

And the strong love that grew between us.

Help us to work that love into practical things

So nothing can divide us.

We ask for words both king and loving,

And for hearts always ready to ask forgiveness,

As well as to forgive.

Dear Lord, we put our marriage into Your hands.

Amen

Sweeter than springtime is  young love's

      dawning,

Joyous the heartbeat dispelling all fears;

True love's awakening is lovely

      as morning...

Outlives the springtime and outlasts

      the years.

—Ruth B. Field

Old Irish Wedding Blessing

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.

Hebrew Wedding Prayer

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe
who hath created joy and gladness, bridegroom and bride,
mirth and exultation, pleasure and delight,
love and brotherhood, peace and friendship.
May there soon be heard in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem,
the voice of joy and gladness,
the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride,
the jubilant voice of bridegrooms from the wedding canopy,
and of youths from their feasts of song.
Blessed art thou, O Lord,
who gives the Bridegroom joy in his bride.

We pledge to each other to be loving friends
and partners in marriage.
To talk and to listen, to trust
and appreciate one another; to respect
and cherish each other's uniqueness;
and to support, comfort
and strengthen each other through
life's joys and sorrows.
We promise to share hopes,
thoughts and dreams as we
build our lives together.
May our lives be ever intertwined,
our love keeping us together.
We will build a home that is compassionate
to all, full of respect and honor for others
and each other.
May our home be forever filled with
peace, happiness and love.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I thought like a child, I reason like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love

1 Corinthians 13 (New International Version)

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.

Author Unknown

O my luve's like a red, red rose.
That's newly sprung in June;
O my luve's like a melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my Dear,
Till a'the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
I will luve thee still, my Dear,
While the sands o'life shall run.
And fare thee weel my only Luve!
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!

A Red, Red Rose Robert Burns (1759-1796)

When my hair shall
shade the snowdrift,
And mine eyes shall
dimmer grow,
I would lean upon
some loved one,
Through the valley as I go.
I would claim of you
a promise,
Worth to me a
world of gold;
It is only this, my darling,
That you’ll love me
when I’m old.

—Anonymous

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, 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.

—Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Dear as I held you close in my arms
Angels were singing a hymn to your charms
Two hearts gently beating, murmuring low
Darling, I love you so

The night seemed to fade into blossoming dawn
the sun shone anew but the dance lingered on
Could we but relive that sweet moment sublime
We'd find that our love is unaltered by time

We thank You, O God, for the love You have implanted in our hearts.

May it always inspire us to be kind in our words, considerate of feelings, and concerned for each other's needs and wishes.

Help us to be understanding and forgiving of human weaknesses and failings.

Increase our faith and trust in You and may Your prudence guide our life and love.

Bless our marriage, O God, with peace and happiness, and make our Love fruitful for Your glory and our joy both here and in eternity.

Author Unknown

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.

Mark 10:7

Anniversary Blessings

May all of love's dreams and their promise,

which led you to your Wedding Day, continue to guide and inspire you as you travel along live's way...

So that as your hearts look back on all you have shared in the past,

you'll remember that hope-filled beginning of God's gift of a love meant to last.

Let me grow lovely, growing old—
So many fine things do;
Laces, and ivory, and gold,
And silks need not be new;And there is healing in old trees,
Old streets a glamour hold;
Why may not I, as well as these,
Grow lovely, growing old?

—Karle Wilson Baker

Forever and a day we will share with each other one love, one dream, one heart.

May our new life together be eternally blessed as we walk into our tomorrows.

Thank You for celebrating with us our day of Love, Hope, and New Beginnings.

I wish you more than merely happiness.

For happiness will be a fragile thing.

To shelter you in rain and storm unless

Your hearts possess a stronger covering.

So I would wish you hope

and faith and all

The deep sustaining wonderment

of prayer.

And if within some darkened hour

a tall

Forbidding mountain hides

the rising star....

Oh, climb together, climb

the rugged hill,

And you will see the starlight shining still.

— Grace V. Watkins

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful;

it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way;

it is not easily angered,

it keep no record of wrongs, but rejoices with the truth.

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, love never gives up...

Three things remain: faith hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love

To the bride and groom

On their special day...

May every happiness
Come your way.

May your lives that are soon

To be intertwined

Find a joy that is rare

And a peace so sublime.

And may your love grow

As you journey life's way,

This...our wish for you

On your wedding day.

On Marriage

You are joined together and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God, But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of heaven dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. (Fill each others 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.

Kahlil Gibran (from The Prophet)

Song of Solomon 2:10-13

My beloved responded and said to me,
'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.
'For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
'The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
'The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!'

"Wedding Prayer"

Lord, behold our family here assembled.
We thank you for this place in which we dwell,
for the love that unites us,
for the peace accorded us this day,
for the hope with which we expect the morrow,
for the health, the work, the food,
and the bright skies that make our lives delightful;
for our friends in all parts of the earth.
Amen

— Robert Lewis Stevenson

From "Hamlet"

Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.

Shakespeare

The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves. If there is anything better than being loved, it is loving

This afternoon we are here to celebrate love. We come together to witness and proclaim the joining together of these two persons in marriage

God does not make a love that is wrong. This is the union of two individuals in heart, body, mind, and spirit, Therefore, marriage is not to e entered into lightly, but reverently, honestly, and deliberately And it is into this union that (Partner 1) and (Partner 2) come now to be joined.

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your home,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And the light of friendship guide your paths together,
And until we meet again,
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 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.
And when eternity beckons, at the end of a life heaped high with love,
May you know the hand of a friend was always near.
And, today, may the Spirit of Love find a dwelling place in your hearts.

Sonnet 116

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 proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Shakespeare

When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern.

From "Gift From The Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

" Love one another, but make not a bond of that love. Let it rather be like a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
And stand together, and yet not too near together. For even the pillars of the temple must stand apart; and the oak tree and the cypress will not grow in each other’s shadow.
Remember that love gives nothing but from itself. Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love.
And think not that you can direct the course of love. For love, if it finds you worthy, will direct your course."

from "The Prophet"

Thank you family and friends for your best wishes. You have made this day extra special for us.

Now when the day is over, memories of this joyous occasion will forever stay with us.

The way is long

let us go together.

The way is difficult

let us help each other.

The way is joyful

let us share it.

The way is ours alone

let us go in love.

The way opens before us

let us begin.

For what is love itself, for the one we love best?

An enfolding of immeasurable cares, which yet are better than any joys outside our love,

— George Elliot, English Novelist

Just as two threads woven in opposite directions will form a most beautiful tapestry, so too can your two lives merged together make a beautiful marriage. To make your relationship work will take love. This is the core of your marriage and why you are here today. It will take trust , to know in your hearts that you truly want the best for each other. It will take dedication, to stay open to one another - and to learn and grow together. It will take faith, to go forward together without knowing exactly what the future brings. And it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey you both pledge today to share together.

Buddhist

“In the future, happy occasions will come as surely as the morning.
Difficult times will come as surely as the night.
When things go joyously, meditate according to the Buddhist
tradition. When things go badly, meditate.
Meditation in the manner of the Compassionate Buddha
will guide your life. To say the words ‘love and compassion
is easy. But to accept that love and compassion are built
upon patience and perseverance is not easy.”

Today, we reaffirm our commitment to each other as beloveds
and partners in marriage.
We continue to strive to be sensitive to each other's needs,
to be open and understanding with each other, and to share our thoughts,
our feelings, and our experiences with each other.
We renew our promise to try always to bring out the qualities
of forgiveness, compassion,
and integrity in our selves and in each other.
We continue to cherish each other's uniqueness.
We continue to share in life's joys and remain steadfast
and comfort each other through life's sorrows.

Cherokee Prayer

"God in heaven above please protect the ones we love.
We honor all you created as we pledge our hearts and lives together.
We honor mother-earth - and ask for our marriage to be abundant and grow stronger
through the seasons; We honor fire - and ask that our union be warm and glowing
with love in our hearts; We honor wind - and ask we sail though life safe and calm
as in our father's arms; We honor water - to clean and soothe our relationship -
that it may never thirsts for love; With all the forces of the universe you created,
we pray for harmony and true happiness as we forever grow
young together. Amen."

Traditional 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.

Hindu Marriage Poem
You have become mine forever.
Yes, we have become partners.
I have become yours.
Hereafter, I cannot live without you.
Do not live without me.
Let us share the joys.
We are word and meaning, unite.
You are thought and I am sound.

May the nights be honey-sweet for us.
May the mornings be honey-sweet for us.
May the plants be honey-sweet for us.
May the earth be honey-sweet for us.

Ching ~ Excerpt ~
When two people are at one
in their inmost hearts,
they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze.
And when two people understand each other
in their inmost hearts,
their words are sweet and strong,
like the fragrance of orchids.

Mayan Wedding Poem

I know not if the voice of man can reach to the sky,
I know not if the god's will hear if I pray,
I know not if the gifts I have will all be granted,
I know not what will come to pass in future days,
But I hope only good will come from my love to you.

Eskimo Love Song

You are my husband
My feet shall run because of you
My feet dance because of you
My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
My mind thinks because of you
And I shall love because of you.

May we forever continue through life's journey beside each other,
our hearts still filled with love, respect, and admiration,
as it was so many years ago.
May our caring for each other grow deeper; may our love for each other grow stronger.
May our home be filled with hope, peace, and love as it has been for
all these years we have shared together.
May we share just as many more.

We pledge to each other to be loving friends
and partners in marriage.
To talk and to listen, to trust
and appreciate one another; to respect
and cherish each other's uniqueness;
and to support, comfort
and strengthen each other through
life's joys and sorrows.
We promise to share hopes,
thoughts and dreams as we
| build our lives together.
May our lives be ever intertwined,
our love keeping us together.
We will build a home that is compassionate
to all, full of respect and honor for others
and each other.
May our home be forever filled with
peace, happiness and love.

I love you.
You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you in
times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you

in good times and in
bad, when life seems easy and when it
seems hard, when our love is simple,
and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you, and to always
hold you in highest regard.
These things I give to you today,
and all the days of our life.

Treat yourselves and each other with respect,
and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.
Give the highest priority to the tenderness,
gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves.
When frustration, difficulties and fear assail your relationship,
as they threaten all relationships at one time or another,
remember to focus on what is right between you,
not only the part which seems wrong.
In this way, you can ride out the storms
when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives...
remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment,
the sun is still there.
And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality
of your life together,
it will be marked by abundance and delight.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.
Matthew 18:20

In joining your lives may God grant you both...
Love... to afford each other a special quality of time together.
Joy...in the accomplishments of one another.
Understanding...that your interests and desires
will not always be the same.
Friendship...based on mutual trust.
Courage...to speak of a misunderstanding
and to work on a solution
before the setting of the sun.
Compassion...to comfort each other in pain and sorrow.
Foresight...to realize rainbows follow rainy days.
Imagination...to keep with you part of the child you used to be.
Mirth...from your sense of humor.
Awareness...to live each day with the knowledge
that there is no promise of tomorrow.
May God bless you and keep you
in the Palm of His hand.

 We pledge to each other to be loving friends and partners in marriage.
To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate one another; to respect
and cherish each other's uniqueness; and to support, comfort
and strengthen each other through life's joys and sorrows.
We promise to share hopes, thoughts and dreams
as we build our lives together.
May our lives be ever intertwined, our love keeping us together.
We will build a home that is compassionate to all, full of respect
and honor for others and each other.
May our home be forever filled with peace, happiness and love.

With these rings we unite our hearts in tenderness and devotion.
We will honor each others cultures as we join customs
to form a trusting relationship.
We will protect, support, and encourage each other
through life's joys and sorrows
as we create a loving future.
We promise to establish a home for ourselves and our children
shaped by our respective heritage's;
a loving environment dedicated to peace, hope, and respect for all people.
From this day forward our lives will be intertwined forever,
blessed in faith, filled with compassion, understanding and love.

I take you to be my partner.
To have and to hold from this day forward.
I give to you my unending love and devotion.
I promise to be true to you, to cherish you, and to share
my thoughts, hopes, and dreams with you.
I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you
my best friend. I will love you forever.

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.

Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor... Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.

— Mother Theresa

A Good Wedding Cake

4lb of love.
1lb butter of youth.
1⁄2lb of good looks.
1lb sweet temper.
1lb of blindness of faults.
1lb of self forgetfulness.
1lb of pounded wit.
1lb of good humor.
2 tablespoons of sweet argument.
1 pint of rippling laughter.
1 wine glass of common sense.
1oz modesty

Put the love, good looks and sweet temper into a well furnished house. Beat the butter of youth to a cream, and mix well together with the blindness of faults. Stir the pounded wit and good humor into the sweet argument, then add the rippling laughter and common sense. Work the whole together until everything is well mixed, and bake gently for ever.

A butterfly hovers closely
And then quickly moves away,
Swiftly going where so ever
Her heart may freely say.

A butterfly lowers and rises
With the winds's gusty breath,
As if coupled within a dance
Of a loving tenderness.

The butterfly only knows
How it feels to have wings,
To kiss the petals of flowers
In such elegant flitterings.

To have but one moment
Of such an exquisite flight,
Would be like a dream
Where all seems so right

"Love is like a butterfly,
it goes where it pleases
and it pleases wherever it goes".

Love is like a butterfly,
hold it too tight, it'll crush,

hold it too loose, it'll fly.W-53

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.

Our Family

Our family is a circle of love and strength.
With every birth and every union, the circle grows.
Every joy shared adds more love.
Every obstacle faced together makes the circle stronger.

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

Because She Would Ask Me Why I Loved Her
Christopher Brennan (1870-1932)

If questioning would make us wise
No eyes would ever gaze in eyes;
If all our tale were told in speech
No mouths would wander each to each.

Were spirits free from mortal mesh
And love not bound in hearts of flesh
No aching breasts would yearn to meet
And find their ecstasy complete.

For who is there that lives and knows
The secret powers by which he grows?
Were knowledge all, what were our need
To thrill and faint and sweetly bleed?

Then seek not, sweet, the "If" and "Why"
I love you now until I die.
For I must love because I live
And life in me is what you give.

These I Can Promise
Author Unknown

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.

To Celia

Drinke to me, onely, with mine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kisse but in the cup,
And I'll not look for wine.
The thirst that from the soule doth rise,
Doth aske a drink divine:
But might I of Jove's Nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.
I sent thee, late, a rosie wreath,
Not so much honoring thee,
As giving it a hope, that there
It could not withered bee.
But thou thereon did'st onely breath,
And sent'st it backe to me:
Since when it growes, and smells
I swear, Not of itself but thee

Benjamin Johnson (1572-1637)

We pledge to each other to be loving friends and partners in marriage.
To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate one another; to respect
and cherish each other's uniqueness; and to support, comfort
and strengthen each other through life's joys and sorrows.
We promise to share hopes, thoughts and dreams
as we build our lives together.
May our lives be ever intertwined, our love keeping us together.
We will build a home that is compassionate to all, full of respect
and honor for others and each other.
May our home be forever filled with peace, happiness and love.

On Your Wedding Day

Today is a day you will always remember
The greatest in anyone's life
You'll start off the day just two people in love
And end it as Husband and Wife

It's a brand new beginning the start of a journey
With moments to cherish and treasure
And although there'll be times when you both disagree
These will surely be outweighed by pleasure

You'll have heard many words of advice in the past
When the secrets of marriage were spoken
But you know that the answers lie hidden inside
Where the bond of true love lies unbroken

So live happy forever as lovers and friends
It's the dawn of a new life for you
As you stand there together with love in your eyes
From the moment you whisper 'I do'

And with luck, all your hopes, and your dreams can be real
May success find it's way to your hearts
Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys
But today is the day it all starts.

Wedding Prayer

LORD JESUS, grant that I and my spouse may have a true and understanding love for each other. Grant that we may both be filled with faith and trust. Give us the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony.
MAY we always bear with one another’s weaknesses and grow from each other’s strengths. Help us to forgive one another’s failings and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness and the spirit of placing the

well-being of one another ahead of self.
MAY the love that brought us together grow and mature with each passing year. Bring us both ever closer to You through our love for each other. Let our love grow to perfection.

Amen.