Wedding Day Poems

Can you help me choose readings for my Catholic wedding that are different and not too religious?

So originally I was planning with my fiancé to not have any readings at my wedding in a Catholic church, but after some thought I think I may want to have some! I don't want the readings to be too religious, I'd like them to focus more on our love and about our bond. I don't want readings that everyone has heard a million times either. Any suggestions?

Public Comments

1. Try The Velveteen Rabbit. "What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?" "Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt." "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?" "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." Hafiz also has some good poetry. Our union is like this: You feel cold so I reach for a blanket to cover our shivering feet. A hunger comes into your body so I run to my garden and start digging potatoes. You asked for a few words of comfort and guidance and I quickly kneel by your side offering you a whole book as a gift. You ache with loneliness one night so much you weep, and I say here is a rope, tie it around me, Hafiz will be your companion for life.
2. For my wedding we used Ecclesiastes 1: 1-15. The last part of it does start to get a bit religious but the first part of it is less so. Responsorial Psalm, the majority of them are quite religious so you might have trouble finding one that fits your requirements. Second reading I used Revelation 19: 1, 5-9a. Gospel was Matthew 5: 1-12a. It's the Beatitudes ("Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" etc). According to our priest these readings weren't the normal ones used for weddings but that's not really all that important. What is important is that the readings speak to you and your fiance. EDIT: Our priest said that while some readings are better for funerals or Easter or weddings etc, there's no readings that are not allowed. So long as you stick to the Old Testament for the first reading, Responsorial Psalm, New Testament for the second reading and take the Gospal from the first four books from the New Testament. I would be very surprised if you were allowed a reading like the Velveteen Rabbit one, as sweet as it is, it's not the Bible. You could ask to read it seperately (maybe during the registry signing) but it can't be used as one of the readings. If you're not sure about whatever reading you want then ask the priest.
3. I'm not Catholic so I've never heard of reading. Unless your guests are all Catholic maybe it was a good idea not to have any readings, I don't mean that in a bad way or trying to put down Catholics, but everyone does not really understand that. Including myself. But it's your wedding, and you can do whatever you would like. Congradulations btw.
4. You better ask the priest whether non-Biblical readings will be allowed.
5. If you are married in a catholic church they give you a list of acceptable readings. You cant just pick any readings.
6. If your wedding is in a Catholic church, the readings have to be from the Bible and approved by the church. Our first reading was from the Song of Songs. It was very poetic and lovely. They give you a book with approved readings. I am not sure how much you can stray from that.
7. I'm a little upset it was already posted (and got a thumbs down..booo) because I had the Velveteen Rabbit reading at my wedding and it was beautiful - everyone loved it. It's about loving each other for who they are - not their appearance or for material things, but the bond that can only be shared when you are loved.
8. Suggested readings: First Reading - Old Testament • Genesis 2:18-24 • Songs of Songs 2:8-10, 13b-14, 16; 8:6-7 • Sirach 26:1-4; 13-16 • Genesis 1:26-28,31a (The Creation of Man and Woman) • Genesis 24:48-51,58-67 (The Meeting of Isaac and Rebekah) • Tobit 7:9c10,11c-17 (The Marriage of Tobias and Sarah) • Tobit 8:4-9 (Prayer of the New Spouses) • Jeremiah 31:31-32a,33-34a (The New Covenant of the People of God) Responsorial Psalms • Psalm 34 • Psalm 103 • Psalm 128 • Psalm 33 (The Lord is our help and shield; our hearts rejoice in Him) • Psalm 34 (The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them) • Psalm 46 (God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble) • Psalm 103 (As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him) • Psalm 112 (Happy the man who fears the Lord) • Psalm 121 (My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth) • Psalm 127 (Children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward) • Psalm 128 (Happiness and prosperity will be yours) • Psalm 145 (The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth) Second Reading - Epistle • 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 • Colossians 3:12-17 • 1 John 4:7-12 • Romans 8:31b-35,37-39 (The Love of Christ) • Romans 12:1-2,9-13 (The Life of a Christian) - short version • Romans 12:1-2,9-18 (The Life of a Christian) - longer version • 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a,17-20 (Your Members of Temples of the Holy Spirit) • 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Love is patient and kind) • Ephesians 3:14-19 (The Father from whom every family is named) • Ephesians 5:1-2,25-32 (The Mystery of Christian Marriage) - short version • Ephesians 5:1-2,21-33 (The Mystery of Christian Marriage) - longer version • Colossians 3:12-17 (Live in Love and Thanksgiving) • 1 Peter 3:1-9 (Peace and Harmony in the Family) • 1 John 3:18-24 (Love, Real and Active) • 1 John 4:7-12 (God is Love) • Revelation 19:1,5-9a (Marriage of the Lamb) Gospel • Mark 10:6-9 • John 2:1-11 • John 15:9:12 • Matthew 5:1-12a (The Beatitudes) • Matthew 5:13-16 (Salt of the Earth, Light of the World) • Matthew 7:21,24-25 (House Built upon a Rock) - short version • Matthew 7:21,24-29 (House Built upon a Rock) - longer version • Matthew 19:3-6 (What God Has United, Man Must Not Divide) • Matthew 22:35-40 (Love, the Greatest Commandment) • Mark 10:6-9 (Two Become One Body) • John 2:1-11 (Marriage Feast in Cana of Galilee) • John 15:9-12 (Remain in my Love) • John 15:12-16 (Love One Another) • John 17:20-23 (That They May Be One) - short version • John 17:20-26 (That They May Be One) - longer version With love in Christ.
9. Well, I suggest that you take a step back and become more objective. A Catholic wedding is not just about the couple. Matrimony is a sacrament for Catholics, and therefore, it's about Christ and about the Church, too. We look at marriage as a three-way bond (husband, wife, God), not just a two-way bond. You don't have an option to have readings or not. I'm not sure why you ever thought it was possible to skip readings. The wedding rite is part of the liturgy of the Church and there are *always* readings from the Bible. I'm sure you can guess the next part. If there have to be readings, and the readings have to be from the Bible, you're not going to get any readings that are *not* religious. Many couples choose the "Love is patient, love is kind" passage from I Corinthians because it is "about their bond" but you say you don't want anything common. You can consult with your priest, but there just aren't that many passages in Scripture that directly relate to marital love.
10. The Sacrament of Marriage is a religious event and should be complimented with religious and scriptural readings as prescribed by the Church. I'm concerned with why you want to downplay this important part of the liturgy - the Liturgy of the Word. The Church has suitable readings for the Sacrament of Marriage. You should choose from one of those. Remember: The Sacrament of Marriage is God's gift to you and God gives only the best - including the choice of the readings. To want to substitute the readings would be like asking a friend for receipt in order to exchange a gift you didn't like. Just not cool.