Wedding Blog
With time starting to crunch, I have decided, no, am being forced into delegating wedding tasks. One such delegation was asking my MOH to find non-cheesy ceremony readings.
She is just beginning her Phd work in English this fall, so I thought who better to complete said task than her. But seriously, the non-cheese part of the ceremony reading quest was compulsory! Even though I heart Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, “Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments…” it didn’t pass the cheese test!
Any Jane Austin fans? Remember when Willoughby reads Sonnet 130 to Marianne in “Sense and Sensibility?” Romantic, but totally cheesy!
We tossed a few ideas around, and then she struck ceremony reading gold!
SONNET LXIX
Pablo Neruda
Maybe nothingness is to be without your presence,
without you moving, slicing the noon
like a blue flower, without you walking
later through the fog and the cobbles,
without the light you carry in your hand,
golden, which maybe others will not see,
which maybe no one knew was growing
like the red beginnings of a rose.
In short, without your presence: without your coming
suddenly, incitingly, to know my life,
gust of a rosebush, wheat of wind:
since then I am because you are,
since then you are, I am, we are,
and through love I will be, you will be, we’ll be.
ee cummings
We thank you God for this most amazing day
For the leaping greenly spirits of the trees
and the blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural with is infinite which is yes
Irish Blessing
May the roads rise to meet you
May the winds be always at your backs
May the sun shine upon your face
The rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand
All three readings will be included in our ceremony, and my MOH will be reading SONNET LXIX by Pablo Neruda, with the other two being read by our pastor. What ceremony readings did you decided to have read?
|
Share this post: Enough with the Cheese!
We must have different cheese thresholds, because I love Sonnet 130. I read it at my brother’s wedding last year. But the Irish Blessing is the epitome of cheese– reminds me of plaques in tacky faux-Irish pubs. To each their own I guess :).
Um…
A) You are thinking of sonnet 116
B) My father read sonnet 116 at my wedding. He was an English major, as was I (and my husband). I think we are all somewhat ‘high brow’ lovers of literature. I fail to see what’s cheesy about this sonnet.
Humph.
We are thinking of having two readings. One would be Union by Robert Fulgham and the other would be either…
Your parents and grandparents, we who love you, have looked on in joy, recognizing that in your desire to create a future together you have discovered and have fostered one another’s most endearing and enduring qualities.
The love that we have for you is all embracing, joyful, to see you turn towards one another’s light. Certain that you will tenderly support each other, aware that patience as much as passion will nourish and maintain the bond between you. Certain also, that with care and courage you will create a haven where each may grow and flourish as do all things in nature, given light and warmth.
We who watched over your childhood innocence with the most profound longing to keep you from all hurt or harm, no longer yearn towards that gift which is not ours to give, for we have learned that adversity brings its own gifts of strength and of compassion. As you set out upon the path which we have traveled, we stand beside you with every confidence in your resilience and strength.
As we once cradled you in strong arms, we hold you now, as strongly, sweetly, in our hearts. How very proud of you we are. Know that you have our blessing, as you know you have our love.
OR
Blessing for a Marriage by Reverend 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 know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less but more; and a 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 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!
@Maude: Thank you for correcting my atrocious mistake! I stand corrected.
Ladies I did not mean to offend. It is just that every wedding I have been to, and please understand that I am a theatre major, Sonnet 116 is read. I wanted something different for my own. I’ve actually never heard the Irish Blessing at a wedding before. It’s all a matter of personal taste.
Well, please understand that it was a part of my wedding (and clearly many others, if it’s been read at “every wedding” you have been to) and no one likes to have an important part of one’s wedding called “cheesy.” Theater majors should appreciate Shakespeare as much as anyone else. Sorry, this just touches a huge nerve. Clearly.
we’ve been on the hunt for readings and have narrowed it down to a pool of non-flowery readings from which to choose. we’re also looking into personalized vows and have checked into some books to give us ideas (or at least clarify what we like/don’t like as we start the process). the book i read through last night was super frilly. appropriate for some people, not my cup of tea.
to each their own definition/threshold for cheese!
Definitely to each their own.
For me, Shakespeare would be to heavy, but I love the Irish blessing. The again, maybe it’s just because I identify more with the Scots/Irish than the English part of my heritage. 
Your choices are lovely, Miss Cookie. I particularly enjoy the Pablo Neruda piece; it’s very apt without being too fluffy.
Why on earth are people so offended? What is the value in throwing a defensive fit? Miss Cookie finds it cheesy, and she shouldn’t be made to feel as though she should apologize.
On that note, I find it cheesy too. I, myself, have never had an affinity for Shakespeare’s work, particularly the overused Sonnet 116. Everyone has heard it, and it is hardly the pinnacle of ‘high brow’ literature. Heck, I’ve heard it recited on soap opera weddings, and seen it emblazoned on cheap picture frames at Hallmark.
But, that’s beside the point. If a person likes it, then they like it. If they don’t, they don’t.
@Maude: I don’t think Miss Cookie was trying to offend anyone who has used those she refered to as “cheesy”. She was simply saying that they weren’t for her. To each his own. Further, she didn’t say she didn’t appreciate Shakespeare, just that it wasn’t something she wanted to include in her wedding.
I don’t plan on including Shakespeare in my wedding either. If I include any readings at all, which I have been leaning towards none, I am thinking of including the Irish Blessing (I’m half Irish) and one other undecided reading.
I’ve got to agree; I’ve heard Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 at a lot of weddings. If it isn’t cheesy, it is certainly overused. I think the real problem though is that it’s so literal. (And as someone whose been married a few years, I’m also not sure that it’s true. Love does change, and thank goodness it does because you change.)
Though 130 was a typo, I actually love the idea of using Sonnet 130 (”My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”) at a wedding. It’s much more original and witty than 116. But you’d have to be pretty confident to want Sonnet 130.
Since I’m a PhD student in American studies, I wanted to make some original choices for readings (e.g. things that were meaningful to us and which our guests may not have heard before). We used “Deep in Love” by Bhavabhuti and “The Old Words” by David Wagoner. “Deep in Love” is very literal, but I like how it was balanced by the Wagoner.
But, to each his own.
We used and excerpt from “A Natural 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, fueled 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 stretching deep into dark 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.
And, an excerpt from “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” by Louis de Bernieeres. This reading is amazing!
Our final reading was “Two Trees” by Janet Miles.
Best of luck finding something not cheesy. My best advice is to search and go with the readings that you and the fi like. A true representation of yourselves, even if it’s not some fancy schmancy reading.
I had such a hard time finding a good (non-cheesy wedding reading) and ended up with two verses from the wedding hymn “When Love is Found”
When love is found and hope comes home,
Sing and be glad that two are one.
When love explodes and fills the sky
Praise God and share our Maker’s joy.
Praise God for love, praise God for life,
In age or youth, in husband, wife.
Lift up your hearts, let love be fed
Through death and life in broken bread
Becky
Wow, so much drama around Sonnet 116! I will say, yes, we are using it, yes, we are both theater people (and huge Shakespeare dorks), though, unlike most that have been posting about it, we haven’t been to a lot of weddings (again, theater people, we tend to get married late, if at all) so I’m not too worried about going with something that the rest of the wedding-world considers “overused”. We just picked it because it was the one sonnet that really addressed marriage directly (in a positive light), wasn’t too racey for grandma, and was by Shakespeare.
Also, we’re using an Irish Blessing as well (though I think it’s slightly different than the one Miss Cookie posted - there are tons of variations out there). It’s the only heritage that FH and I share in common so we figured it was a good fit.
We’re also having a reading from Song of Solomon (which I’ve also heard of being in the “overused” category - again, I could care less).
sensitivity! My goodness! I am new to the idea of readings in my wedding planning journey and I think they are a beautiful way of expressing things that I may not be able to think of the words to describe about how much I love love love my Russell. I think you’ve chosen quite nicely!
I can’t wait to read some of the suggestions that you’ve all included in your comments. I’m right at that spot where I’m looking. One reading that I like a lot is
“Love Sonnet XVII” (1959), Pablo Neruda
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
So I love you because I know no other way
than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
Also I loved the idea of letters. The scene where Carrie was reading Love Letters from Great Men while in bed with Big struck me as very romantic. So I’m currently looking for that book to do some more research. But I’m a librarian, I should be able to find it.
Good Luck Everyone!
Ladies, I love all of your reading suggestions. They are fabulous. Please if any more bees have ceremony reading suggestions, please comment!
@Kristin: I think love letters are non-cheese, romantic reading for a wedding.
Being that the beginning of Mr. Cookie and my relationship was long distance, we wrote love emails to one another everyday. For our anniversary, Mr. Cookie put them all in an album, which resides on our bedroom dresser.
I love the idea!
!
@Kristin: PS. That was from the Sex in the City movie, in case anyone didn’t catch my reference. I forgot to mention that. oops! I just got to excited to read the rest of my WeddingBee daily email.
@Kristin: That book does not exist. It was made up for the movie.
@saz: I know but there are other ones like it. Just not that exact title.
http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Love-Letters-All-Time/dp/B0001FZGIU/ref=pd_sim_b_1
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Letters-Great-Men-Charles/dp/0554999986/ref=pd_sim_b_21
Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog. It’s lighthearted, but not lovey-dovey. It’s long enough that I won’t post the text:
[...] a quick introduction by our pastor, my MOH read SONNET LXIX by Pablo Neruda. Please indulge me as a stroll down memory lane by re-posting the [...]
[...] Enough with the Cheese! Weddingbee The Wedding Blog [...]
| Visit our sister sites | Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Fertile Thoughts Infertility Support |
Mrs. Cookie, Denver
Age and Occupation: 25, Nonprofit Fundraiser/Theatre Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Financial Analyst
Engagement Date: September 2007
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: May 8, 2008
Venue: Ten Mile Station
About Me: With a degree in Theatre I never realized that planning a wedding was a lot like Theatre Management, until I started planning my own. I am a coffee addict, especially Starbucks' Grande Mochas, yummy! I love to cook (especially chocolate chip cookies for my honey), travel to exotic places, and be creative. As a couple, Mr. Cookie and I are extremely practical, down to earth, and children at heart. We live in a cozy abode with our adorable Pomeranian, and love to play board games and watch movies into the evening.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
Latest Gallery Pics