If you’re like most people, you’ve undertaken an enormous amount of work and organisation to plan your wedding. On the actual wedding day, you might like to remember what the wedding is all about – love.

The words in this section are about how you feel when you’re in love. They can set the scene for the wedding or be included in the latter parts of the ceremony. They can earth both the bride and groom and the guests in the love that has brought about this wedding.

Incorporate the words as you wish. One or both of the marrying couple can read the words as a way of expressing how they feel. Alternatively, ask your celebrant to read them on your behalf.

For example, your celebrant could say:

Rachel has asked that I read the verse by Melanie James entitled, I Knew, which she feels encapsulates the way she felt when Peter asked her to marry him. (Celebrant reads verse)

The groom may want to read a piece himself in response. The celebrant in this instance could say:

Peter has chosen to read the piece called, Our Love. (Peter reads verse)

Explore the words and see what works best for you. That is the beauty of civil ceremonies – apart from the bare minimum legal requirements, the ceremony can be just what you want it to be.

My only word of caution if you choose to read the words yourself during the ceremony is to make sure you practice. And practice reading your chosen piece aloud.

Unless you’ve read the words aloud several times before the ceremony, you’ll find yourself so choked with the emotion of the moment, you’ll find it difficult to say more than the first line. Practice won’t take away the special meaning at the ceremony but it will help you to read fluently.

See Section 3 in the complete collection

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