by Robert Fulgham
"You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.
The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.
For after today you shall say to the world –This is my husband. This is my wife."
I really like this reading, even though it borders on being a bit soft.
I like the way is read in a way that people may really talk, without too much flowery prose, and the way it describes marriage as an gradual and ongoing process, without minimising the significance of a wedding day.
I first heard this passage while watching
this amazing video by
Stillmotion and I just thought 'gee doesn't their priest has a way with words!' I didn't realize it was an actual reading until I stumbled upon it while scouring the net for inspiration. Now I'm thinking we may actually use this ourselves..
but there are actually a few minor changes I'd like to make to tailor it a bit more to us.. (eg. take out the bit about dancing partners as the Mr doesnt like to dance and put in there long distance phone calls rather than long walks as we spent a lot of time apart with work etc)
Or is that totally not the done thing?