Unusual Readings
This story is about readings for your wedding ceremony. As an example let’s look at the wedding Danielle and Karim, married at Tiffany’s looking out over the Glasshouse Mountains.
But first let’s glimpse their wedding day….
Meeting your love
It is one of life’s richest surprises when a chance meeting of two people on a stairway leads them to love. It is one of life’s finest experiences when this love grows into a permanent relationship. It is a sacred day when these two people realise that they wish to make it forever in a marriage.
And it is joyous day when the wedding arrives and family gather from all over the world to marry on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in the presence of spectacular views from the Maleny Range.
This meeting and this growing are what led to the wedding day for Danielle and Karim, who indeed met by chance five years ago on a stairway in a hostel in Scotland. The pipes may have played for them that day, or the angels sang, for they both knew that they had met someone special. Through being ruthlessly and wonderfully themselves, they fell in love and chose to get married, to begin the journey and ride the waves of life together.
A wedding ceremony in French
Now being French, Karim wished to make sure his mother could understand the service. So when this couple came to me it was with a special request, that their ceremony be in English AND French.
I am always happy to include other languages in a ceremony, and indeed speak French and Indonesian. However I have been known to get training to use other languages in a wedding ceremony.
Readings are often a part of a marriage ceremony. You can choose to have a close friend or relative to read, or indeed ask your wedding celebrant to read for you.
A reading can expand on your reasons for marriage, or describe the feeling of love in a way we may never be able to find the words to say out loud. A reading is a moment to pause in the ceremony and and reflect.
For this wedding, Karim’s mother, Nelly chose a poem for this special day. And of course it was in French! AND of course it is about love (l’amour)!
A Poem in French
Éloge de l’amour par Jean de La Fontaine
Tout l’Univers obéit à l’Amour ;
Belle Psyché, soumettez-lui votre âme.
Les autres dieux à ce dieu font la cour,
Et leur pouvoir est moins doux que sa flamme.
Des jeunes coeurs c’est le suprême bien
Aimez, aimez ; tout le reste n’est rien.
*****
Sans cet Amour, tant d’objets ravissants,
Lambris dorés, bois, jardins, et fontaines,
N’ont point d’appâts qui ne soient languissants,
Et leurs plaisirs sont moins doux que ses peines.
Des jeunes coeurs c’est le suprême bien
Aimez, aimez ; tout le reste n’est rien.
A Reading from Bob
The second reading they chose is from Bob Marley, in English this time:
Only once in your life, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more.
You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful.
There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life. A phone call during the day always brings a smile to your face.
Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and soul mate, who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they will be part of your life, forever.
There are so many beautiful texts to help illustrate a wedding ceremony. I keep a folio of ideas and samples for my couples. I also have several books with unusual readings and quotes.
You may find something from a song lyric, a film script, or written on a graffiti wall that inspires you.
Thank you to Focus Films for the images of Danielle and Karim’s English/French Wedding ceremony.
For other stories on French Weddings:
