Words About Love And Marriage xo

The Reasons Why We Choose To Marry.

A wedding ceremony often begins with talking about why the couple is choosing to get married.  This can be different as the couple getting married.  There are many reading about love and marriage that can be incorporated into introductions like these.  

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​​Marriage Is The Beginning Of A New Life

Marriage is the beginning of a new life, a chance at fulfilling long-held dreams, and an opportunity for great personal and spiritual growth. Marriage endures through the ages of trends and fads. Marriage thrives, and continues to live as a promise of a beautiful dream come true. As long as individuals are drawn together by love, marriage will be a natural unfolding of that relationship.

Feelings come alive at a wedding. Great happiness. Some sadness. Apprehension. And sometimes pure relief! There is an acute awareness that something special, something that goes to the very heart of life, is about to happen. Something is gone forever, and something is born, brand-new and tender. Something to be nurtured and cared for, protected and cherished, challenged and strengthened–your never-before-created marriage.

Each of you brings gifts to the other today. Gifts of hope and laughter, focus and seriousness of purpose. Sensitivity and recognition of the beautiful and the profound. Since childhood, you have searched for and dreamed about that special someone who would embody and express the gifts you now stand ready to give and to receive. But these gifts are not to be yours alone. A strong and resilient marriage is not an escape from the world but a contribution to it. Name and Name, may you now combine and strengthen your gifts, to be offered as a distinct and beautiful gift to the world. For the world is in need of the beautiful and the good, and nothing is better suited to evoke that than a good marriage. And now you stand before this loving community of family and friends, ready to acknowledge to the world: this is my beloved, the one with whom I choose to create the rest of my life. May you both create,  a piece of heaven on earth.

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Real Love
Author unknown 

Nothing is easier than saying words, and nothing is harder than living them day by day.  What you promise today, must be renewed and re-decided tomorrow.  At the end of this ceremony, legally, you will be husband and wife, but you must decide each day that stretches out before you, that you want to be married. Real love is something beyond the warmth and glow, the excitement and romance of being deeply in love.  It’s caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your marriage partner as about your own.  But real love is not total absorption in each other; It is looking outward in the same directions - together.  Love makes burdens lighter; because you divide them.  It makes joys more intense because you share them.  Love makes you stronger, so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone.  

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Marriage is a Supreme Sharing

Marriage is a supreme sharing, perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyful uniting of two people whose care and affection and understanding have flowered into a deep and abiding love. Those who take its sacred vows have their lives blended together into one, as the waters of two rivers are joined when they come together to form an even greater one. A true spiritual marriage is an act of metamorphosis, a profound mystery of creation and rebirth, as two become one. It is not a giving up or loss of oneself, but rather a giving over of oneself to something greater-a transformation of self in which each one can say, “I am no longer only I but also we.” It is a process in which each can be challenged to discover new possibilities in themselves and each other. In such a marriage, the wedding ceremony is the gateway into this mystery. For the lives the two of you have lived up until this moment are, in some sense, now truly completed and over. Together you now live within the creation of something wholly new and transcendent, something which has never existed before-your miraculous marriage-an expression that is at once public and private, precious, sacred, and truly unique to the two of you. In this act, you open yourselves to a fuller experience and expression of the great, vast miracle of love. No ceremony can create your marriage. Only you can do that-through love, patience, dedication, perseverance-through talking and listening and trying to understand-through helping and supporting and believing in each other-through learning to forgive, learning to respect and appreciate your differences, and learning to make the important things matter and to let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you have made to begin a new life today as husband and wife.

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A Passage From A Year With C.S. Lewis

"If the old fairy-tale ending 'They lived happily ever after' is taken to mean 'They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married,' then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be ‘in love’ need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense—love as distinct from ‘being in love’—is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by grace which both partners ask, and receive. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be 'in love' with someone else. 'Being in love' first moved them to promise fidelity: This quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it." 

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100 Years of Solitude
Author, Gabriel García Márquez

Madly in love after so many years ... they enjoyed the miracle of loving each other as much at the table as in bed, and they grew to be so happy that even when they were two worn-out old people they kept on blooming like little children and playing together like dogs.

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Your Love Is Eternal
Author Unknown

“Together you share the joy of a deep commitment
and the sacred trust.
You have given each other the most precious gift of love.
Treasure it, nurture it, and encourage it
with all the honesty you used in creating it.
You are sharing something rare and beautiful.
Always speak the truth, and listed attentively,
so that you may understand each other’s thoughts
and intentions.
Inspire each other by sharing your accomplishments.
Say “I love you” often to retain the warmth between you.
Remember to laugh a lot, even when you’re angry
After all, you’re each other’s best friend.
Stand together and for each other always:
be content in mind and spirit.
Make each day a blessing
and a fulfillment of your dreams.”

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Marriage is a coming together on all levels of being.

Marriage as a coming together at all levels of being – mind, body, and spirit. A marital commitment includes the willingness to be open and vulnerable, and the courage to take risks. Marriage is a conscious act of will. To remain in marriage we must continually renew our will to be married. Marital partners accept the challenges that living together in love offer. They decide that they will face the fears that are a necessary part of establishing and nurturing an intimate relationship. Name and Name, the two of you have made the commitment to create and recreate this conscious partnership. Those of us who are married or in relationships may take this moment to consciously reaffirm our commitment to our partners and ourselves. Marriage consists of entrusting our deepest selves into the loving care of another. It is a public and legal act to be sure. It is also an emotional and spiritual act. The spiritual aspect of marriage must be embraced openly, seriously, and completely for the marriage to endure. Name and Name commit themselves today to each other in sacred trust.They promise to embrace conflict as well as peace; to work as well as play; to struggle as well as coast; to give as well as receive; and to be with, stay with, and move toward one another.

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If Love is Not All.  It is Nothing.

Today there will be no dearly beloved, no betrothed, and no ancient rhyme of the married. Today there are no dead languages to solemnize vows that are very much alive and will remain so for a lifetime. Today promises become permanent and friends become family. However, this day is not about the words spoken or the rings exchanged, nor is it about grand pronouncements and recessional marches.

This day – the day of Name and Name’s wedding – is about love.  It's been said, “If love is not all, then it is nothing: this principle, and its opposite, collide down all the years of my breathless tale.”
Name and Name, your breathless tale is about to begin.

If love is not all, then it is nothing.
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Its opposite – If love is all, then it is everything – is going to be the basis for every aspect of your relationship. All you have to do is simply love one another and that love shows through in everything you do for one another, how you treat each other, in good times and bad. Love isn’t just a word; it’s an action. Love isn’t something you say, it’s something you do. Love is genuine, honest, and open, compassionate and kind, passionate and blind, love doesn’t know space or time, nor look through jealous eyes, and in the modified words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never dies.”

There are many different kinds of love, almost if not all of which are represented here today. There is romantic love, the love of parents and children, of brothers and sisters and family, and love among friends. Not only do Name and Name love one another romantically – and they do, you can see it in every look, every touch, every moment they’re together – they also love one another as friends. In fact, they’re best friends, constantly giggling and taunting and teasing and very plainly and obviously having fun together. That love and enjoyment of each other as best friends will sustain them through this marriage. In addition, the love collectively in this room, from friends and family, will help sustain and support the promises they make today.

All of us here will help solidify this bond, as these two individuals are joined as husband and wife.This new journey will be at times richly rewarding and extremely difficult, but, most importantly, it will be a journey you take together.

Marriage is much more than your signatures on a legal contract. You are promising, in front of all these people you love, that you want to be with each other and only each other for the rest of your lives, and that you will do everything in your power to honor the promises you are making here today.For their part, the people who love you will also do everything in their power to try to help you hold up your end of the bargain.

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What Do We Mean By Love?

​Love has brought Name and Name together. But what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other people do not. We see beneath the surface to the qualities, which make our beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty. And to be loved is to be known, as we are known to no other. We who love, can look at each other’s life and say, “I touched his life,” or, “I touched her life,” just as an artist might say, “I touched this canvas.” “Those brushstrokes in the comer of this magnificent mural, those are mine. I was a part of this life, and it is a part of me.” Marriage is to belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like two threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry together. The secret of love and marriage is to be in love and in trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. The true art of married life is an inner spiritual journey. It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments, which diminishes neither, but enhances both  It is, ultimately, the emergence of the Highest Selves of each person.

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A New Perspective Created Through Marriage.  

Name and Name, you have come here today because you believe that by being together your lives will be better and more productive than they would be apart. In marriage, a new perspective is created with the joining of two unique views of life. Through this partnership, each partner becomes stronger, each becomes wiser and each becomes more loving. But marriage is a garden, which needs to be tended every day:  the benefits we receive through marriage are not free. If we don’t make time to tell our partner how much we value what we have together, we will begin to take each other for granted and lost the very special quality that we originally united to enjoy. The importance of marriage to humans is so great, that it is the oldest rite or ritual of any kind recorded in history; it’s scope so great that it is virtually the only custom recognized by every human government and religion. It is into this dynamic and wonderful state of partnership that you two come, today, to be joined.

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The Beauty of Love 
by Anon

The question is asked: ‘Is there anything more beautiful in life than a young couple clasping hands and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be anything more beautiful than young love?’ And the answer is given: ‘Yes, there is a more beautiful thing. It is the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing their journey together on that path. Their hands are gnarled but still clasped; their faces are seamed but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed and tired but still strong with love and devotion. Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love. Old love.

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The Wedding Vow
Author,  Rebecca W.

You are not the air that I breathe,
You are the sweet scent that drifts upon it
You are not the sounds that I hear,
You are the music of my life
You are not the food that I need,
You are the nourishment of my soul
You are not my will to survive
You are my reason for living
It is with you that I experience the wonders of the world
It is with you that I triumph over the challenges in my path
It is your partnership that will lead me to the fulfillment of my dreams
It is your friendship that guides me as I learn and grow.
It is your patience and wisdom that calms my restless nature
It is through you that I know my true self
I do not take you for granted, I cherish you
I do not need you, I choose you
I choose you today in witness of all the people who love us
I choose you tomorrow in the privacy of our hearts
I choose you in strength and weakness
I choose you in health and in sickness
I choose you in joy and sorrow
I will choose you, over all others,
every day for all the days of my life

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The Day of Your Wedding
Author, Unknown

Together you share the joy of a deep commitment
and the sacred trust.
You have given each other the most precious gift of love.
Treasure it, nurture it, and encourage it
with all the honesty you used in creating it.
You are sharing something rare and beautiful.
Always speak the truth, and listen attentively,
so that you may understand each other’s thoughts
and intentions.
Inspire each other by sharing your accomplishments.
Say “I love you” often to retain the warmth between you.
Remember to laugh a lot, even when you’re angry
After all, you’re each other’s best friend.
Stand together and for each other always:
be content in mind and spirit.
Make each day a blessing
and a fulfillment of your dreams.

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From This Day Forward
Author, Unknown

From this day forward, let us laugh together, and plan together,
let us find our favorite places, and go together...
Let us enjoy the sunshine and the rain, being alone together, and in crowds together… From this day forward, together,
Let us, love! Let Us Walk Together. Let us walk together yet not as one, but such that our shadows are separate and distinct, such that our souls are unbound and free. Let us share our time, yet do not give all your time, nor take all of mine for in order to develop to the fullest, to be free, we must have solitude and individuality.
Let me wander in solitude when I need to be alone, yet be near, when I need you.  Let us share our love. Give freely of your love, but do not smother me, my soul must breathe free air.  Take my love, but do not demand it, for love given of obligation, is stale and without life.  Let us share our lives. Share my life, but do not try to shape it.  Let me share your life, but do not let it revolve around me. 
Let us share ourselves. Accept me as I am, do not attempt to change me to fit your dreams.  Respect me for what I am, not for what I was or one day may be. Share yourself with me, but do not allow me to limit your freedom or bind your soul.  Let us share our minds, thoughts, goals, values, and dreams.  Let us develop these within ourselves without restriction or loss of freedom.Thus our two free souls, may wander together as they develop in freedom. As we share our lives, as we walk thru life together, know my love is yours, but not my soul, for it must be free.

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Marriage Means Being In Love for the Rest of Your Life
Author, Chris Ardis

Marriage is love walking hand in hand together. It’s laughing with each other about silly little things and learning to discuss big things with care and tenderness. In marriage, love is trusting each other when you’re apart. It’s getting over disappointments and hurts, knowing that these are present in all relationships. It’s the realization that there is no one else in this world that you’d rather be with than the one you’re married to. It’s thinking of new things to do together; it’s growing old together. Marriage is being in love for the rest of your life.

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Marriage Joins Two People in the Circle of Love
Author, Edmund O’Neill ​

Marriage is a commitment to life,
the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.
It offers opportunities for sharing and growth
that no other relationship can equal.
It is a physical and an emotional joining
that is promised for a lifetime. Within the circle of its love,
marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships.
A wife and a husband are each other’s best friend,
confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic.
And there may come times when one partner
is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other
may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child. Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life.
Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger,
even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly. Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid.
It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences,
and new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life. When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage,
they create a spirit unique unto themselves
which binds them closer than any spoken or written words.
Marriage is a promise,
a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other
and takes a lifetime to fulfill.

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Foundations of a Marriage
Author, Regina Hil

“Love, Trust, and Forgiveness are the foundations of marriage. In marriage, many days will bring happiness, while other days may be sad. But together, two hearts can overcome everything…
In marriage, all of the moments won’t be exciting or romantic, and sometimes worries and anxiety will be overwhelming. But together, two hearts that accept will find comfort together.
Recollections of past joys, pains, and shared feelings will be the glue that holds everything together during even the worst and most insecure moments.
Reaching out to each other as a friend, and becoming the confidant and companion that the other one needs is the true magic and beauty of any two people together.
It’s inspiring in each other a dream or a feeling, and having faith in each other and not giving up… even when all the odds say to quit.
It’s allowing each other to be vulnerable, to be himself or herself, even when the opinions or thoughts aren’t in total agreement or exactly what you’d like them to be.
It’s getting involved and showing interest in each other, really listening and being available, the way any best friend should be.
Exactly three things need to be remembered in a marriage if it is to be a mutual bond of sharing, caring, and loving throughout life:
Love, Trust, and Forgiveness.

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We Seek The Comfort
Marcus Finch Lupus

​We seek the comfort of another
Someone to share the life we choose
Someone to help us through the 
never ending attempt to 
understand ourselves
And in the end, 
Someone to comfort us 
along the way.

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Today I Marry My Best Friend

This day I married my best friend
The one I laugh with as we 
share life's wondrous zest.
As we find new enjoyments and
Experience all the best.
The one I live for, because 
The world seem brighter as
Our happy times are better and
Our burdens feel much lighter.
The one I love with every fiber of my soul.
We used to feel vaguely incomplete,
Now together, we are whole.

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Married Love
​​Leland Foster Wood

Married Love is love woven into a pattern of living.  It has in it the elements of understanding and of the passionate kindness of husband and wife towards each other.  It is rich in the many-sided joys of life because each is more concerned with giving joy than with grasping it for himself.  And joys are most truly experienced when they are most fully shared.

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From Tuesdays With Morrie
Author, Mitch Albom

"Still,"Morrie said, "there are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can’t talk openly about what goes on between you, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don’t have a common set of values in life, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike "And the biggest one of those values, Mitch?" Yes? "Your belief in the importance of your marriage." He sniffed, then closed his eyes for a moment. "Personally," he sighed, his eyes still closed, "I think marriage is a very important thing to do, and you’re missing a lot if you don’t try it." He ended the subject by quoting a poem he believed in like a prayer: "Love each other or perish."

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Nothing is easier than just saying words...

Nothing is easier than saying words, and nothing is harder than living them day by day.  What you promise today, must be renewed and re-decided tomorrow.  At the end of this ceremony, legally, you will be husband and wife, but you must decide each day that stretches out before you, that you want to be married. Real love is something beyond the warmth and glow, the excitement, and romance of being deeply in love.  It is caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your marriage partner as about your own.  But real love is not total absorption in each other; It is looking outward in the same directions - together.  Love makes burdens lighter; because you divide them.  It makes joys more intense because you share them.  Love makes you stronger, so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone.  ​