WEDDING BELLS

[Kiya]

I need to ask you all to get yours brains thinking of ideas...........my daughter got engaged on 7/11/12 & now have their wedding booked for 31/8/13.

The actual wedding cermony & dinner/dance will be at a hotel with all its surrounding beautiful gardens & woodland, really nice for photos.

Some things are being kept traditional some are not, both the bride & groom & both sides of family are not religous so instead of two hymns during the ceremony ( the usual thats done up here with weddings don't know what is done the English way?? but I believe the English have the wedding cermony earlier in the day than us ) correct me if I'm wrong...............

I need you all to think what could replace the singing of two hymns ?????

I've thought so far if I could find a love poem to replace one of the hymns.

What do you suggest ???????

[Horus]

Kiya in England we tend to have weddings at all times of the day, it's often a case of when you can get booked in or to fit in with the venue and now that they have deregulated the places that can be used for wedding ceremonies it can be almost anytime if the officials are obliging, congratulations to the couple by the way.

Now for my choice of songs I would plump for two in particular, firstly "Rescue the perishing" and secondly "For those in peril" as these will go well with your nautical location.

But seriously there are lots to choose from and here are a couple by English poets and one by a very famous Scottish one.

“She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

How do I love thee? - by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being an Ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old grief's, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,--I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!-- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

O MY LUVE'S LIKE A RED, RED ROSE By Robert Burns

O my Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile!

[Kiya]

Very nice poem's Horus to you & me..................I don't think it would be they're kinda style but probably keeping it more light even funny maybe.

It doesn't have to be poems just something that can fill that space of two hymns.

Keep the thinking caps on

[Horus]

Oh well in that case try this one:

The Flushing Bride
By Emily Walden Emerson

He a desk clerk, her a maid
Of a huge hotel where tourists stayed
He only saw her now and then
But he knew how their tale should end

He tried and tried to find a time
He could ask her “Please be mine”,
When he could be on bended knee
And speak the most poetic plea
From such a classical position
Could she resist his proposition?

But she was busy, he was shy
And fast the time went by and by
Until she caught another’s eye
And he thought the second man might try

So he knew he must act fast
He’d find her now and ask at last
He searched and searched to no avail
But was determined not to fail

Then he smelled her sweet perfume
Right outside the ladies room
He took some flowers in full bloom
And went in after, to be her groom

Well she was shocked (how would you feel
To see a man approach, then kneel
While you were emptying your bladder
It would be quite an awkward matter)

“Please don’t think it too upsurd
If I could have a little word
I know my timing’s rather bad
But to lose this chance would be more sad
If you’re having trouble concentrating
I’ll wait till you’re through urinating”

“Well”, the maid said, full of dread
“If you must speak then go ahead”
So he bravely took her hand
Took a deep breath and then began

“For so long, I’ve dreamed of this
To propose and then to kiss
I know that you don’t know me well
Ask anything and I will tell
Yes there’s still so much to learn
We’ll have surprises every turn
But as I see you there, upon the throne
The sweetest frown, ever I’ve known
I’ve seen your best and smelled your worst
And still my heart it longs to burst

So take this ring it is a symbol”
She said “It looks just like a thimble.”
He said “Sorry, I had to hurry
The other man, he made me worry.”
“The other man? What nonsense utter,
That man you mean, he is my brother.”

“Your brother? That’s such a relief
But I found courage in my false belief
So here we are, and here’s the ring
Or the closest thing that I could bring
So please say yes, once and for all
Right here and now inside this stall”

Somehow, just then, the ring fell in
“Shall I reach in, or is that a sin?”
“I think it better that you not
It really wasn’t worth a lot”
Then she added, with a blush
“And I haven’t yet a chance to flush”

As you wish, but I’ve no issue
To touch your urine or your tissue
I swear I’d swim in a sea of pee
If that would make you marry me
My Lady, let your heart decide,
Would you consent to be my bride?”

“I can’t resist. That’s so romantic!
And I see that yours is quite gigantic!
I’m speaking of, of course, your heart
For it’s the most important part

So I say yes, I’ll be your bride
You’ve won me with how hard you’ve tried”
They shared a kiss, he smiled wide
For a touch of tongue she had applied

“Please carry me out, if it sounds not dumb
(It’s not for romance, my legs are numb)
One last thing, please don’t place blame
If I might ask, per chance, your name?”

And that’s the story of how they began
The Flushing Bride, and her brave, brave man
And how that day he did trap her
Then and there upon the crapper
(Yes, they lived happy, ever after)

[Kiya]

Love that one, it really is so funny will print it out.

[Annekg]

Hi Kiya, I was at a wedding in the Spring last year near the Borders where no hymns were sung. Instead the Maid of Honour and one of the ushers (or you could have friends of the bride and groom) give a reading about the bride and groom which went down really well. Just another idea which may be of use to you.

Anne

[LovelyLadyLux]

The fashion for weddings here now is to be 'non-traditional' and this means that almost anything goes and sometimes the more non-traditional the better.

The last couple of weddings I've ben at included kayaking around a small island, running on the beach, throwing rocks into the water (also an 'on the beach' wedding), singing songs (any genre), reading poems or personally written tomes to each other.

I'll think on what you're asking Kiya but it has been so long since I've been to a really traditional wedding I'm having a hard time remembering one. And, come to think on it, I don't think I've been to a wedding where the couple hasn't already lived together for a considerable period of time and are basically just legally, officially making their relationship a marriage. Meaning most of the weddings I've been to lately are of older couples.

[Kiya]

Thank you for your ideas folks keep em coming

Jennifer & Barry having been living tog for a while now but even before they got tog they were very good friends so they know each other pretty well

I'm not sure the bridesmaid or bestman would do a reading about the couple, think they would be rather shy! come to think about it I 'm not sure about anyone that could do it.

[Scottishtourist]

Hi Kiya.
I've attended a couple of (Scottish)local weddings in the past two years.
Both couples were not particularly religious and opted for getting married at the venue,i.e.the hotel itself and services were conducted by humanist society "ministers."
The couples opted for "Apache"wedding blessings and played a couple of more modern love songs in place of hymns.e.g Take That "What is Love",Billy Joel "Always a Woman"etc.
The "Apache" blessings were particularly lovely and can be found on google. They seem quite popular here now for non religious ceremonies.

[Kiya]

ST thanks, I did think of songs but they would need to be quite modern for them, I like your choices.

I'll do a search on google for the Apache blessings & suggest it to them......thanks again & keep the ideas coming folks